The Montezuma oropendola (Psarocolius montezuma), named after the Aztec emperor Motezuma II, is found in most parts of Central America. The name oropendola is Spanish for gold pendulum. The name comes from an unusual behaviour that the male engages in during courtship displays. He stands with his claws wrapped around a branch, then spreading his wings and flipping over so that he is hanging upside down, like a pendulum. The oropendolas comprise two or three genera of South and Central American passerine birds in. The Montezuma is mostly chestnut coloured, with a black head and rump. Its tail is mostly bright yellow. The male is larger than the female. It lives in groups and builds a hanging nest of fibres and vines, high in a tree. Each colony has a dominant male, which mates with most of the females.
