ÿþ<html> <head> <title>ORIOLES</title> <meta name="description" content="orioles"> <meta name="keywords" content="bird photos"> <meta name="robots" content="all"> <meta name="classification" content="Recreation: Birding: North America: United States: Texas"> <meta name="revisit-after" content="10 days"> <meta http-equiv="imagetoolbar" content="no"> <style type="text/css"> <!-- h2 {color: #ffffff font-size: 37 px; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif} h3 {color: #ffffff font-size: 37 px; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif} a:link {color: #f0f8ff text-decoration: none} a:hover {color: #00ffff} a:active {color: #3288cd; text-decoration: none} a:visited {color: #e6e8fa; text-decoration: none} body {scrollbar-face-color: #8f8fbd; scrollbar-shadow-color: #008b8b; scrollbar-highlight-color: #8fbc8f; scrollbar-3dlight-color: #00ced1; scrollbar-darkshadow-color: #23238e; scrollbar-arrow-color: #000000} --> </style> </head> <body bgcolor="#000000" text="#e6e8fa" link="#f0f8ff" vlink="#e6e8fa" alink="#3288cd"> <center> <br><br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <h2><font color="#ffffff"> The Orioles of Utopia</font></h2> <br /> <font face="verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="4"> <br /> TEMPORARY NOTICE<br /> <br /> There are a few pix here just removed due to <br /> technical issues.&nbsp; I will get the missing pix <br /> back up ASAP.&nbsp; Meanwhile SORRY !!!&nbsp; So if<br /> you get an empty box or few, worry not, it me.<br /> We'll be adding some more new pix shortly.<br /> <br /> <br /> ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ <br /> <br /> Below are some oriole pictures which might help serve to<br /> unravel them a bit..... or may just confuse you more.<br /> I hope to fill it out with full coverage of the <br /> local types, but now several photos scattered <br /> about the website are joined, and I've added a number<br /> of others I've been collecting as I study them here.<br /> <br /> A large number were taken through old grayed double windows<br /> and are grayish and slightly fuzzy, but serve to show the<br /> points of plumage for illustrative purposes.<br /> <br /> First we'll have some general oriole info, then among the <br /> pix will be some more specific things like occurrence<br /> locally and or field marks to look for.<br /> <br /> Eventually I'll get a page up with just the pictures.<br /> And a page with audio so you can hear songs and calls.<br /> <br /> <br /> ~ ~ ~ <br /> <br /> <img src="baor090911i.jpg" width="373" height="345" alt="baltimore oriole" id="baltimoreoriole"><br /> <br /><br /> <br /> Orioles are in the family with blackbirds (Icteridae) so<br /> also related to grackles and meadowlarks.&nbsp; They are<br /> sort of arboreal (tree dwelling) blackbirds.&nbsp; Males<br /> especially are brightly colored.&nbsp; Around Utopia we have<br /> 6 species, 5 of which breed locally, so it is pretty much<br /> Orioletopia.<br /> <br /> One, Audubon's, is resident (present year-round) so the only<br /> to be found in winter (scarce).&nbsp; It was unknown here 20<br /> years ago, a new immigrant rapidly expanding its range northward.<br /> <br /> The other 4 breeding species are migratory, only present a <br /> few months to nest (when the insects are out) and wintering <br /> mostly in Mexico, some to Central America.&nbsp; The summer <br /> resident breeders are present here from mid-to-late March <br /> (Scott's and Hooded) or late April (Orchard and Bullock's)<br /> with departures ranging from August to early October for some.<br /> <br /> Of breeding males, Scott's and Audubon's are black and yellow,<br /> while Hooded and Bullock's (scarce breeder) are black and orange.<br /> Orchard which is much smaller than others have males chestnut and <br /> black, unique among N.A. birds, and pretty darn sharp lookin'.<br /> The Bullock's is very common just off escarpment to our south.<br /> <br /> Baltimore, a black and orange type similar to Bullock's does not<br /> breed, it is a scarce but regular migrant in spring, more common <br /> in fall, late August through Sept. for them.&nbsp; Will hit hummer<br /> feeders in September if they can get into them, and well worth it.<br /> <br /> I have had the rare lucky days when I saw all 6 species here.<br /> Must be some of that Utopia stuff.&nbsp; Upon consideration,<br /> how many places in the U.S. can one see 6 species of orioles<br /> in a day?&nbsp; In a yard without starting the car?<br /> But yet, if you go out hunting them away from feeders,<br /> they can seem scarce.<br /> <br /> The parasitic nesting cowbirds often choose orioles<br /> as hosts when they can get away with it, and have hit <br /> the smaller Orchard Oriole particularly hard.&nbsp; We <br /> need more cowbird traps and shooters out there, not just <br /> once a species is threatened.&nbsp; Managing is being pro-active.<br /> Man made the cowbird over-abundant, do we take no responsibility?<br /> <br /> Besides nectar they obtain from flowers (pollinators), orioles <br /> are tremendous insect eaters (mostly in the way of caterpillars<br /> and &quot;worms&quot; in your trees) so very beneficial to have <br /> around.&nbsp; In addition to the fancy plumage males wear, they have <br /> wonderful songs of whistled notes often with gurgles and bubbly<br /> chatters, some of them are some of our most beautiful bird <br /> voices.&nbsp; Both sexes of the yellow ones (Scott's and Audubon's)<br /> sing, while Hooded and Orchard have great exhuberant flight song<br /> displays you might see if you watch them long enough.<br /> <br /> Males are easy to identify, females not too tough but they do<br /> require careful observation of details.&nbsp; Bill size, shape,<br /> and structure is especially usable, note if decurved or straight.<br /> Hooded and Orchard always have a decurved upper mandible (of<br /> which Hooded's bill is twice as big as Orchard).<br /> <br /> Know the standard basic field guides can be a bit weak or worse<br /> on immature plumages, those of the first year and change.<br /> The males take over a year to acquire the adult colors.<br /> <br /> Most guides show one bird for first springs, a male, but <br /> males look one way in April, another in June, another in <br /> August, during that first spring and summer as they turn <br /> a year old, they often go through full body and wing molt.<br /> We hope to show some of these changes with photos here.<br /> And first spring and summer females don't look like adult <br /> females either.&nbsp; What your book didn't tell you that?<br /> <br /> In many the immature males look like females with black bibs. <br /> They've black pear shaped bibs and lores (between eye and bill)<br /> in spring, and slowly change over, or sometimes more quickly<br /> at the end of, the first summer, to looking like a male plumage,<br /> via molt.&nbsp; Change is the main theme, variation running second. <br /> <br /> Amongst birds, they are very intelligent, and we <br /> know far less about them than we think we do.<br /> I've seen them do things the experts would not believe.<br /> </p> <br /> ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ <br /> <br /> Here's some photos and discussion about them.<br /> <img src="auor0916rx.jpg" width="250" height="353" alt="audubon's oriole" id="audubonsoriole"><br /> I'm still working on a caption for this one.<br /> 1) If you can ID, age, and sex this,<br /> you don't need this web page ....<br /> <br /> 2) Don't tell me these rectrices aren't in your book!?!<br /> :)<br /> <br /><br /> ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ <br /> <br /> <br /> Audubon's Oriole - Icterus graduacauda<br /> <br /> Audubon's Oriole is the only year-round resident, yet <br /> the new colonizer of the bunch.&nbsp; Getting easy to hear<br /> from roads as becoming widespread, but still hard to see <br /> away from feeders.&nbsp; Some pairs in spring 2011 at <br /> Lost Maples, has been at Utopia Park rarely, just recently<br /> at Utopia on the River, and is numerous in the mesquite<br /> patches 4 miles south of Utopia along Hwy. 187.&nbsp; We had <br /> 10 at once daily in the yard one winter, while someone 5+ miles <br /> away on N. Little Creek had 17 at the same time!<br /> <br /> They are not mapped for the area in virtually any books yet/still.<br /> Local ranchers and housewives knew they were here years<br /> before birders did.&nbsp; They've been present in numbers and <br /> probably resident locally along the southern edge of the Edwards<br /> Plateau where the brush country penetrates via drainages,<br /> since at least 2000, some certainly earlier.<br /> <br /> <img src="ao1-10d.jpg" width="337" height="374" alt="Audubon's Oriole" id="audubonsoriole"><br /> Audubon's Oriole was formerly well-named, as<br /> Black-headed Oriole.&nbsp; Note unmarked olive back<br /> in all ages, can be yellow-green on adult males. <br /> <br /><br /><br /> <img src="auor1213d.jpg" width="359" height="444" alt="Audubon's Oriole" id="audubonsoriole"><br /> Audubon's Orioles in winter use peanut feeders,<br /> peanut butter, sunflower seed and hummingbird feeders.<br /> (no cut and paste - got four in a frame once) <br /><br /><br /> <img src="scottsOr-jv1.jpg" width="419" height="416" alt="juvenile audubon's oriole" id="juvenileaudubonsoriole"><br /> juvenile Audubon's Oriole, June 12, 06, <br /> note graduated rectrices (tail feathers).<br /> This was likely the first ever documented juvenile <br /> (=breeding) on the Edwards Plateau (in hill country).<br /> <br /><br /><br /> <img src="Uvlde-AudubOriole.jpg" width="410" height="398" alt="immature audubon's oriole" id="immatureaudubonsoriole"><br /> An immature Audubon's Oriole in December, so first winter.<br /> The head is mostly half black, the front half, down onto<br /> chest slightly with green rear-crown and nape until<br /> or through the first spring.&nbsp; This one was the <br /> first ever on the Uvalde CBC which I found at Ft. Inge.<br /> <br /><br /><br /> <img src="auor081211b.jpg" width="385" height="364" alt="audubon's oriole" id="audubonsoriole"><br /> A first-summer bird in August with some white-edged<br /> new feathers (greater coverts, a tertial, some remiges)<br /> coming in on otherwise old worn wing.&nbsp; Tail still <br /> juv./immature original issue year-old type.<br /> Some sheathed feathers on head as black fills in.<br /> <br /><br /> <img src="AO12-5h.jpg" width="561" height="329" alt="audubon's oriole" id="audubonsoriole"><br /> They can get testy with each other.<br /> <br /><br /> Vocalizations are varied as all orioles, with some<br /> whistled notes commonly heard that are 3-5 seperate single<br /> notes, loud and downslurred (not bubbly gurgling and slurred <br /> together) sometimes like &quot; fee, few, feeww, feww, feeww&quot;<br /> or yee, you, youuu, youuuuu, youuuu; somewhat mournful sounding.<br /> They also give quiet contact notes of &quot;few&quot; notes.<br /> They commonly give a rough blackbird-like &quot;aarrng&quot; that<br /> can sound remarkably like the Yellow-breasted Chat &quot;aarrnk&quot;.<br /> That also can be repeated in series to sound chat or wren-like:<br /> &quot;aarng aarng aarng aarng&quot; in a scolding manner.<br /> I have some of their sounds on tape I can't even describe.<br /> <br /> We do intend on getting some audio up in the future.<br /> I have mostly finished edited .wav files done for 80 sps.<br /> but have a time/space problem - they're bigger files, but<br /> working on it.<br /> <br /> ~ ~ ~ <br /> <br /> Scott's Oriole - Icterus parisorum<br /> <br /> Adult Scott's Orioles return in last half of March, most <br /> first-spring birds in April, and some stay as late <br /> as early October.&nbsp; Here, 99.999% have a long straight<br /> (rule straight) evenly tapered finely pointed bill.&nbsp; The<br /> basic ID key for Scott's vs. Audubon's is black in the back,<br /> all black in adult males, and present or visible in almost<br /> all other sexes or ages as spots or streaks.&nbsp; Almost<br /> all Scott's show some black or charcol in back.&nbsp; Their <br /> songs are one of the great American bird voices.<br /> <br /> <img src="scor64.jpg" width="403" height="319" alt="Scott's Oriole" id="scottsoriole"><br /> Scott's Oriole, adult male, note black back.<br /> <br /><br /> <img src="scor060411ma.jpg" width="400" height="248" alt="Scott's Oriole" id="scottsoriole"><br /> Scott's Oriole, adult male<br /> <br /><br /> <img src="scor-fem.jpg" width="260" height="215" alt="female Scott's Oriole" id="femalescottsoriole"> <img src="femscot3-28.jpg" width="228" height="302" alt="female Scott's Oriole" id="femalescottsoriole"><br /> First year male and female Scott's Oriole have variable black <br /> on face, throat, and breast, females methinks increasing with age.<br /> <br /><br /> First spring/summer birds are very variable (yearlings).<br /> Males return looking similar to adult females, and over <br /> the summer molt into looking more like males.&nbsp; Both sexes<br /> in first spring and summer have wings that are worn brown with<br /> wingbars NOT of equal width, unlike earlier plumages and most books.<br /> I recorded a date of July 6 for a first summer male getting<br /> its first adult type tail feather of yellow base with black tip,<br /> about 2/3 the way grown in maybe at that date.<br /> <br /><br /> <img src="syScott0523c2.jpg" width="243" height="422" alt="Scott's Oriole" id="scottsoriole"><br /> Scott's Oriole, first spring bird, presumed female just <br /> getting some black on lower throat and breast.&nbsp; It was<br /> all yellow when it returned in April&nbsp; The reddish tones<br /> on the breast is reflection from the hummingbird feeder.<br /> <br /> <img src="syScott0523d2.jpg" width="424" height="253" alt="Scott's Oriole" id="scottsoriole"><br /> same bird as above, May 23, 2011<br /> <br /><br /> <img src="scor0617z9.jpg" width="232" height="393" alt="Scott's Oriole" id="scottsoriole"><br /> A first spring/summer female, June 17. <br /> Note black in back not readily apparent,<br /> wingbars worn off, wings worn brown.<br /> Note bill size, shape, and structure.<br /> <br /><br /> <img src="scor0619n6.jpg" width="205" height="262" alt="Scott's Oriole" id="scottsoriole"><br /> A June 19 first summer male.<br /> <br /><br /> <img src="scor0701zj.jpg" width="333" height="418" alt="Scott's Oriole" id="scottsoriole"><br /> first summers easily aged by worn off wingbars,<br /> brown flight feathers (primaries esp.) on wing.<br /> Note black in back not readily apparent.<br /> This one July 1.<br /> <br /> Note the brown wing with worn off bars seems typical<br /> for most first spring/summer orioles here, see the <br /> first spring/summer Hooded Orioles below. <br /> <br /><br /> <img src="scorjvma6.jpg" width="402" height="317" alt="Scott's Oriole" id="scottsoriole"><br /> juvenile (HY - hatch year) Scott's Oriole, probably male.<br /> The reddish tone on underparts is feeder reflection.<br /> <br /><br /> <img src="scorjvma060411e.jpg" width="415" height="351" alt="Scott's Oriole" id="scottsoriole"><br /> juvenile Scott's Oriole, probably male.<br /> <br /><br /> <img src="syscor080611x7.jpg" width="259" height="457" alt="Scott's Oriole" id="scottsoriole"><br /> And here's one for the plumage particulars people.<br /> I would hate to find something like this where it was<br /> a vagrant and have to write a feather by feather description<br /> of it.&nbsp; The good news is you can't see this on a CBC.<br /> Tertial 1 was black and white, tertial 2 was missing, <br /> tert 3 was brown, oh man it's gonna be a long night.... <br /> and the moral is carry a camera.<br /> <br /> August 6 is the date, a first summer male showing great <br /> contrast in the old worn dull brown year-old feathers in<br /> wing, and some brand spankin' new first adult type black <br /> feathers with crisp white edges, paint just dried.....<br /> One retained juvenile rectrix (tail feather), bunch of new<br /> black adult types coming in.&nbsp; Ohhhh baby what a beauty.<br /> Two ages of tertials, new secondaries, old primaries....<br /> Bet you feather freaks are pretty excited over this one?<br /> :)<br /> yeah me too....<br /> <br /> Scott's Oriole is one of America's greatest songsters.<br /> Many variations of a series of 3-6 whistled fluted notes<br /> run together as to be slurred or bubbly.&nbsp; The birds on <br /> east side of the valley do not sing like the ones on the west<br /> side, or those at Lost Maples.&nbsp; Much individual variation.<br /> Like most bird songs, species tonal quality and timbre is unique,<br /> i.e., it's not what they say, it's how they say it. <br /> Common calls are blackbird like, either an &quot;ing&quot; note<br /> or also often a loud guttaral &quot;chuck&quot; is given.<br /> <br /> That's enough of Scott's for now....<br /> On to Orchard Oriole.....<br /> <br /> ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ <br /> <br /> Orchard Oriole - Icterus spurius<br /> <br /> Orchard is much smaller than all the other orioles,<br /> so you might not think it an oriole at first glance.<br /> But structurally it is clearly a small compact oriole,<br /> that goes 'chuck', or 'chuck-chuck' or 'mew', often.&nbsp; They <br /> have a great flight song display if you get lucky.<br /> They arrive in late April, and still nest in seemingly<br /> OK numbers, but are decidedly less common than in say <br /> the late 1980's.&nbsp; Flocks of 10-20 may be seen in<br /> spring or fall migration, peak fall for them being August<br /> to early September here.<br /> <br /> <img src="oor.jpg" width="203" height="285" alt="Orchard Oriole" id="orchardoriole"> <img src="orchor.jpg" width="178" height="258" alt="Orchard Oriole" id="orchardoriole"><br /> Orchard Oriole, adult male, the first year males <br /> are green above and yellower below like female, <br /> but with black bibs and lores (as young male Hooded below),<br /> but real green and yellow-green overall.<br /> <br /><br /> <img src="orchorb.jpg" width="239" height="322" alt="Orchard Oriole" id="orchardoriole"><br /> Orchard Oriole, adult male, note the very<br /> short bill is slightly decurved.&nbsp; These are<br /> Texas Orchard Oriole (Oberholser) with a shorter<br /> exposed culmen than the nominate Eastern Orchard, and<br /> always has a distinct downcurved kink or droop near tip.<br /> <br /> On Orchard note little round ping-pong ball shaped head<br /> and very narrow depth of bill, nowhere near as deep based<br /> as other orioles.&nbsp; The depth of bill at distalmost<br /> feathering at base is barely wider than eye, coupled with<br /> short tail creating the oft-cited &quot;warbler-ish&quot;look.<br /> <br /> Females and immatures look closest to juvenile Hooded <br /> with olive above and yellower green below, but are much<br /> smaller, and especially of bill and tail, than Hooded.<br /> <img src="oror0812a.jpg" width="351" height="311" alt="Orchard Oriole" id="orchardoriole"><br /> A worn adult female methinks, August 12.<br /> Note short tail seems shorter than wing.<br /> <br /> <br /> <img src="orio080911x.jpg" width="308" height="224" alt="Orchard Oriole" id="orchardoriole"><br /> <br /> I'm not sure of this one.... it was August 9,<br /> so it must be a 60-70 day old immature male as it<br /> seems a little black around the bill.&nbsp; Orchard<br /> returns in late April, the earliest young out in <br /> early June usually.<br /> <br /> The Orchard Orioles I recorded singing here only finished <br /> songs with the downslurred wheer note typical of Eastern <br /> nominate birds 20% of songs, while 20% ended in scratchy<br /> notes as Howell says they do in Mexico, while 60% ended in<br /> piping whistled notes, apparently the Texas Orchard ending.<br /> Calls are a &quot;chuck&quot; often doubled, and a mew note<br /> reminiscent of grosbeak or tanager flight calls.<br /> <br /> Finally, let me (probably not be the first to) say <br /> I think the choice of specific epitaph was spurius.<br /> <br /> :) <br /> <br /> ~ ~ ~ <br /> <br /> Hooded Oriole - Icterus cucullatus <br /> <br /> I must say the Hooded Oriole here is a beast <br /> compared to the southern California ones I grew up <br /> with.&nbsp; It really seems a different animal to me.<br /> The bill approaches a thrasher bill at times, a sense<br /> one would never get from a Nelson's Hooded out west.<br /> Male's bill is often noticeably larger than females.<br /> <br /> <br /> <img src="hoorma-g.jpg" width="240" height="306" alt="Hooded Oriole" id="hoodedoriole"><br /> Hooded Oriole, adult male, these are the<br /> Sennett's Hooded Oriole, much darker orange tone<br /> than the far-western Nelson's type male which is<br /> quite yellow tawny orange.<br/ > <br /><br /> <img src="hoor032009e.jpg" width="400" height="392" alt="Hooded Oriole" id="hoodedoriole"><br /> Hooded Oriole, adult male<br /> Always note decurved bill in Hooded Oriole.<br /> My those are thick sturdy legs.<br /> <br /><br /> <img src="hoor060411e.jpg" width="217" height="421" alt="Hooded Oriole" id="hoodedoriole"><br /> Hooded Oriole, adult male<br /> <br /><br /> <img src="femTXHOOR-b.jpg" width="338" height="245" alt="Hooded Oriole" id="hoodedoriole"><br /> Hooded Oriole, female, worn off wingbars<br /> indicate a first-summer roughly a year-old.<br /> <br /><br /> <img src="hoor082910b.jpg" width="271" height="292" alt="Hooded Oriole" id="hoodedoriole"><br /> Many females in first spring/summer wear to having almost <br /> no wingbars, brown wings, and the central underparts (belly)<br /> go pale much like Bullock's females.<br /> <br /><br /> <img src="hoor0716a.jpg" width="472" height="263" alt="Hooded Oriole" id="hoodedoriole"><br /> Hooded Oriole, female, worn off wingbars<br /> indicate a first-summer roughly a year-old.<br /> <br /><br /> <img src="hoorjv21b.jpg" width="230" height="283" alt="Hooded Oriole" id="hoodedoriole"> <img src="femhoor9-2-9d.jpg" width="215" height="257" alt="Hooded Oriole" id="hoodedoriole"><br /> Hooded Oriole, juveniles <br /> These are just out of the nest with bills <br /> not yet fully grown.<br /> <br /><br /> <img src="jvhoor073110b.jpg" width="354" height="408" alt="juvenile Hooded Oriole" id="juvenilehoodedoriole"><br /> Another juvenile showing wingbars.<br /> Olive above, yellower below with wingbars is a <br /> standard theme among non-adult male orioles.<br /> <br /><br /> <br /> <img src="hyHood0915b.jpg" width="400" height="256" alt="Hooded Oriole" id="hoodedoriole"><br /> Hooded Oriole, juvenile male probably 3-5 months old (Sept.)<br /> starting to get black bib, which will extend to <br /> include lores by time it returns at nearly a year old.<br /> <br /> Our imm. male Hooded comes in two color types or phases,<br /> orangish below (and grayer above) as above bird <br /> with male-like colors, and they may also be olive<br /> above and yellow below, like a female, but both<br /> will have the telltale black bib and lores their <br /> first spring and summer (throat in first fall - at<br /> least for the male-like orange birds).&nbsp; Both types <br /> occur together here.<br /> <br /> Note field guides usually only show one type and <br /> don't mention the other, as can be seen perusing <br /> the various guides over the years, in case you were<br /> wondering why you were confused.&nbsp;&nbsp; :)<br /> <br /> Here's a recap of what you learned for bibbed imm. males:<br /> <br /> Starting with Petersen, his Eastern guide shows a basic<br /> green above yellow below bird (female type).&nbsp; Then<br /> interestingly in the Mexican Petersen, he splits from his <br /> green/yellow Eastern version, with an orange below bird <br /> for an imm. male.&nbsp; I'll dig up some western Petersen<br /> and update with what they show, I think green/yellow type.<br /> <br /> Then the Golden Guide in the revised edition has an orange<br /> below bird (male type).&nbsp; I thought the original was<br /> a female type green/yellow bird.&nbsp; Nat. Geo. Soc. (1st ed.)<br /> looks like they couldn't decide what they looked like<br /> and split the difference.&nbsp; The NGS 3rd edition shows <br /> a female type green above yellow below bird, the kind we <br /> were supposed to confuse with Orchard Oriole.<br /> <br /> Note Nat.Geo. first-years may seem cartoonish if you know <br /> the birds well.&nbsp; Note the strange similarity between <br /> juvenile/immature/female wings and first year male wings,<br /> quite unlike those shown here on this page.&nbsp; Seems a bib<br /> colored on other ages and sexes was called a first-spring?<br /> No one did a better job of mis-leading me, or mis-construing<br /> the birds, than Nat. Geo., again.&nbsp; Nat. Geo's first spring <br /> orioles are unicorns, there is no such animal.<br /> <br /> More recently then Kaufman and Sibley show orange below birds<br /> with no mention of female types.&nbsp; The old Pough Audubon<br /> guide only describes it as "like female with bib" so green/yellow.<br /> Howell and Webb's Mexico field guide shows a green above <br /> yellow below type for Nelson's (far western subsps.) and an<br /> orange below type for the Yucatan Peninsula variety. <br /> <br /> So one was left wondering if they changed from green and<br /> yellow female plumage to orangeish male-like plumage as they <br /> matured, or what because no one discusses two types of imm. males.<br /> <br /> Perhaps some (unmated males?) change substantially over the <br /> summer here, but it is not common or all of them.&nbsp; Perhaps<br /> after breeding and departing this can happen on the winter grounds<br /> in Mexcio?&nbsp; I've seen nice green and yellow birds with bibs <br /> stay that way all summer into September.<br /> <br /> What I hadn't seen before was mention that while in some cases<br /> there may be subspecies-specific reasons, also a) they can <br /> be color phases or morphs within the same population, and <br /> b) both may occur together side by side such as here in Utopia.<br /> <br /> Through the first summer the green and yellow usually one stays<br /> that way as does the orangish one.&nbsp; Particularly if mated,<br /> no molt takes place.&nbsp; The orange below types can turn <br /> (wear) to a more brownish tone over gray-olive on upperparts<br /> in first spring.&nbsp; The yellow below ones stay more green above. <br /> At the end of summer some (mostly unmated ones) molt into their <br /> first adult male type plumage.&nbsp; Some in September may still<br /> be green/yellow with bibs, and unmolted still. <br /><br /><br /> <img src="hoorSY060411.jpg" width="294" height="370" alt="sub-adult Hooded Oriole" id="subadulthoodedoriole"><br /> Here's a first spring male about a year old with black lores.<br /> It showed up in April like this, messy bib, and is mated.<br /> Usually the bib is neater and shaped more like adult male's.<br /> <br /> <img src="hoorSY0606b.jpg" width="245" height="419" alt="Hooded Oriole" id="hoodedoriole"> <img src="hoorSY060611a.jpg" width="240" height="341" alt="Hooded Oriole" id="hoodedoriole"><br /> Another first summer (SY) Hooded Oriole, with neater bib <br /> and more green above and yellower below like female. <br /> Reddish is feeder reflection.<br /> <br /><br /> You might find the bibbed plumages in books called anything<br /> like first-spring or first-summer, but also called immature male<br /> or sub-adult male commonly, acceptable and correct.&nbsp; Might <br /> also be called SY - for second year, by banders, and another<br /> terminology scheme calls them first-alternate.&nbsp; So just<br /> to prove there is still room for more confusion, in simple <br /> layfolk terms, they're yearlings or tweenagers.&nbsp;&nbsp; :)<br /> <br /><br /> <img src="syhoor080611x2.jpg" width="256" height="237" alt="Hooded Oriole" id="hoodedoriole"><br /> August 6<br /> <br /> Another picture for the plumage particulars people,<br /> here's a first summer male on August 6 with new adult<br /> type feathers coming in (black greater coverts and rex)<br /> and quite obvious against the old dull worn feathers of <br /> the first year on wing, and yellow ones in tail.<br /> <br /> <img src="syhoorpair0809.jpg" width="622" height="224" alt="Hooded Oriole" id="hoodedoriole"><br /> <br /> Now they make a lovely pair, don't they?&nbsp; &nbsp; :)<br /> This is a mated pair of first-years also on August 6<br /> as above bird, and note they have barely begun molting,<br /> as they are still feeding young.&nbsp; So know timing of<br /> molt can be governed in part by biology, like whether<br /> or not the first-year bird is mated, most females are,<br /> many males are not.&nbsp; The unmated male looks buff,<br /> in much better condition, well into body molt with the<br /> rump becoming fairly orange now (since you can't see it)<br /> probably having a good time, whilst the mated male appears<br /> bedraggled and haggard by any standard, as though he's <br /> been rode hard and put up wet.<br /> <br /> If all of a sudden there are no more birdnews page updates,<br /> it is probably because my wife found this page.<br /> :) <br /> <br /> <img src="hoor0820z2.jpg" width="261" height="397" alt="Hooded Oriole" id="hoodedoriole"><br /> August 20, some first-summers molt late in first summer<br /> into their first adult plumage, and it gets pretty ratty.<br /> <br /><br /> <img src="hoor091211z3.jpg" width="325" height="411" alt="Hooded Oriole" id="hoodedoriole"><br /> Adult male September 12 has acquired 'winter' plumage<br /> with broad buffy edges to black back feathers.<br /> These wear off over winter to give us the black back<br /> in spring, but meanwhile making them standout less.<br /> Crown and nape have olive tips dulling them up too.<br /> All new wing feathers with big bright crisp white edges.<br /> <br /> ~ ~ ~ ~ <br /> <br /> Baltimore and Bullock's Oriole - Icterus galbula and I. bullockii<br /> <br /> Baltimore and Bullock's Orioles are superficially similar,<br /> Bullocks has an orange face with a black throat, eyeline and<br /> crown, and a big white upper-wing patch.&nbsp; Bullock's can be a<br /> scarce nester in big old mesquites here, especially where there <br /> are hackberries too, and are very common along roads just off the<br /> escarpment to our south, I see a number as roadkill each year.<br /> <br /> <br /> Sorry about this fuzzy Bullock's picture, <br /> but you get the idea.... &nbsp; it has a black crown.<br /> <br /> <img src="bullorma.jpg" width="239" height="300" alt="Bullock's Oriole" id="bullocksoriole" /><br /> Bullock's Oriole male <br /> <br /> Bullock's is the western version and Baltimore the<br /> eastern version of two sister species, that were for <br /> a while ridiculously lumped (AOU) as Northern Oriole.<br /> <br /> <img src="baor9-1-9f.jpg" width="407" height="230" alt="Baltimore Oriole" id="baltimoreoriole" /><br /> Baltimore Oriole, male about to sample <br /> one of our fine Texas Persimmons.<br /> <br /><br /> <img src="BAOR.jpg" width="308" height="270" alt="Baltimore Oriole" id="baltimoreoriole" /><br /> female Bullock's or Baltimore Oriole (both similar)<br /> <br /><br /> Baltimore is a scarce but regular migrant in spring,<br /> and sometimes in fall (Aug.-Sep.) one can encounter flocks <br /> 10-20 birds, often with other types of orioles mixed in, <br /> and which can move fairly quickly across the landscape.<br /> The flocks love to follow the line of the fading sun<br /> across the terrain as it sets, getting those last bugs.<br /> <br /> <br /> ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ <br /> <br /><br /> So there is a 101 primer on the orioles of Utopia.<br /> The plumages aren't too hard to learn once you study<br /> a little.&nbsp; :) &nbsp; It can get pretty exciting in <br /> late August or early September when I've had flocks of<br /> 20, 30, 40 or more orioles of 4-5 or more species moving<br /> through, seemingly coinciding with the ripening of the <br /> Texas Persimmon perfectly.<br /> <br /> ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~<br /> <br /> Ya want orioles?&nbsp; OK, as long as you don't take <br /> mine...... there is a hummingbird feeder they sell at<br /> supermegamart that has elliptical openings instead <br /> of small round holes (as you can see in one of the pictures).<br /> The orioles will learn to use these, though I wonder if<br /> Orchard's tongue is too short to reach the fluid, or <br /> are they too impatient to figure it out?<br /> <br /> The best thing to feed is just like for hummingbirds,<br /> sugar water at 1 part (cup) sugar to 4 parts (cups) water.<br /> This most closely matches real actual nectar in flowers.<br /> It may take you a while to catch them, but once you do<br /> you can't get rid of 'em.&nbsp; 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