Designed by Paul Smith 2006. This website is copyrighted by law.
Material contained herewith may not be used without the prior written permission of FAUNA Paraguay.
Material on this page was provided by Paul Smith, Alberto Esquivel and Arne Lesterhuis and is used with permission.
CHOPI BLACKBIRD Gnorimopsar chopi
At first glance you may think that the Chopi Blackbird is a bird that lacks field marks. His wholly black plumage is shared by many similar-sized birds, including several in the same family (Icteridae). Therefore you will think it strange if I tell you that the Chopi is actually is actually one of the most distinctive and easy to identify of all the blackbirds! The reason? He tells you what he is himself, with his incessant "Chop-Pee!" call!
Click on the images to enlarge them.
FIGURE 1 - (FPAVE3462PH) Adult dorsal, Tres Gigantes, Departamento Alto Paraguay (Paul Smith July 2012 2006)
FIGURE 2 - (FPAVE3463PH) Adult, location unknown (Arne Lesterhuis undated).
FIGURE 3 - (FPAVE3464PH) Adult, Pirahú, Departamento Presidente Hayes (Paul Smith July 2006).
FIGURE 4 - (FPAVE3465PH) Adult, location unknown (Alberto Esquivel undated).
FIGURE 5 - (FPAVE3466PH) Adult ventral, Ruta Trans-Chaco (Arne Lesterhuis August 2007).
FIGURE 6 - (FPAVE3467PH) Adult lateral, Arroyos y Esteros km 100, Departamento Cordillera (Paul Smith October 2008).
FIGURE 7 - (FPAVE3468PH) Same individual dorsal (Paul Smith October 2008).
FIGURE 8 - (FPAVE3469PH) Adult, Estancia Laguna Blanca, Departamento San Pedro (Paul Smith November 2005).
FIGURE 9 - (FPAVE3470PH) Same individual upperwing (Paul Smith November 2005).
VIDEO A - (FPAVE3471VI) Adults with characteristic "chop-pee" calling, Fuerte Olimpo, Departamento Alto Paraguay (Paul Smith September 2006)
VIDEO B - (FPAVE3472VI) Adult feeding, Tres Gigantes, Departamento Alto Paraguay (Paul Smith July 2012)
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Gnorimopsar chopi
1 (FPAVE3473RE) chorus  recorded PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Paul Smith March 2007).
2 (FPAVE3474RE) single calls recorded Estancia Laguna Blanca, Departamento San Pedro (Paul Smith October 2008).
Click the link to hear the call. Longer versions of this call can be downloaded from the Paraguay page of our partner website Xeno-Canto - the largest collection of freely downloadable Neotropical bird calls available online.