The tawny-shouldered blackbird (Agelaius humeralis) is a species of bird in the family Icteridae. It is found in Cuba and Hispaniola (split between the Dominican Republic and Haiti). It is a vagrant in the United States (to the Florida Keys).

Description

Measuring 20 cm long, this highly social species is entirely black, save for the namesake brown-orange patch at the shoulder. The patch may not be visible when the wings are folded.

Taxonomy

Two subspecies are described:

Breeding

They breed from April to August, laying 3–4 greenish-white eggs spotted with brown in a cup-shaped nest that is lined with soft materials and placed in a tree.

Diet and habitat

Tawny-shouldered blackbirds eat insects, seeds, nectar, fruit, and small lizards. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, pastureland, and heavily degraded former forest.