Epaulet orioles are distributed widely throughout the central and eastern portions of South America. Each of the five subspecies of Icterus cayanensis inhabit a different area.
For I. c. cayanensis, the range covers the Amazon basin and its borders stretching from the Guianas, excluding the coastal plains, to northeast Brazil, south to Beni in Bolivia, and east to Peru.
Icterus cayanensis tibialis has a range within eastern Brazil from Maranhao, east through Piauí and Ceará, and south through Pernambuco, Bahia, Espirito Santo, and Rio de Janeiro.
The range of I. c. valenciobuenoi is outlined by south Goias, west Minas Gerais, west Sao Paulo, and southeast Mato Grosso.
Icterus cayanensis periporphyrus is found from northern and central Bolivia to western central Mato Grosso.
Icterus cayanensis pyrrhopterus has a range that stretches from central Bolivia east to Parana in Brazil, and as far south as Buenos Aires in Argentina.
Although formerly considered conspecific, Icterus chrysocephalus (Moriche orioles) is now generally considered a distinct species. Mitochondrial DNA sequence analysis indicates that all these taxa are very closely related (Omland et al. 1999).
Biogeographic Regions: neotropical (Native )
Rights Holder: The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
Bibliographic Citation: Carter, C. 2008. "Icterus cayanensis" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at
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