From Opus

Icterus cucullatus

Photo by Marysan: adult male at Mission Trails Regional Park, San Diego, CA

[edit] Identification

112-128 cm (7-8 in.) Orange -yellow head and nape, and black back, face, throat, and upper breast. Downward curved bill. Black wings have two white bars. Tail is black. Female has olive-grey upperparts and yellow-green underparts. Juvenile is similar to female; male may show black on throat.

On males notice the black facial mask goes down perpedicular to the line from eye to upper bill, so that the black area constitutes a square. Similar, black-faced, species have an angle smaller than 90 dg.

[edit] Distribution

Hooded Oriole Breeding Adult: Breeds from central California, Nevada, central Arizona, southern New Mexico, and southern Texas southward through Mexico to Belize. Some of the Mexican breeders seems to have bred already in the same summer in the US before migrating to Mexico for their second round of nesting.

A few spend winters in southern California and southern Texas, most of the rest winter in Mexico. Casual vagrant to Oregon and Washington. Accidental vagrant to Ontario, Quebec, and Louisiana.

[edit] Taxonomy

Currently, seven subspecies (cucullatus, restrictus, nelsoni, sennetti, californicus, trochiloides, and igneus) are recognized, with several others considered synonyms.

[edit] Habitat

Deciduous and riparian woodlands and human habitations, often near ranches or towns.

[edit] Behaviour

Their nests in California become parasitized by both the Bronzed Cowbird and Brown-headed Cowbird.

Diet includes fruit, nectar, and insects.

The nests can be found in a tall tree, preferably in a fan palm or cottonwoods, sycamores, live oaks, and eucalyptus. The nest is cupshaped and hang from branches. They are made of vegetation by the female. 3-5 white, pale yellow or pale blue eggs are laid. Incubation is about 12-14 days, by the female.

[edit] References

1. Clements, James F. 2007. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2007. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. ISBN 9780801445019
2. Paper describing migration to second breeding area

• List of references

[edit] External Links