Bird Guide

Altamira Oriole vs Scott's Oriole

Altamira Oriole (Icterus gularis)

Altamira Oriole

Icterus gularis

Small55 gWoodland

Both males and females have a black mandible and throat, as well as a black back and long black tail. Wings are black, but the remiges and rectrices (flight feathers) are fringed with white. These form a single white wing bar and white wing spots when folded. The secondary coverts form orange epaulets. The underside is almost uniformly orange or yellowish-orange. In general, immature specimens have an olive back, and a dull yellow on its head and its body. The first-year bird is similar to the adult, but it has an olive, not black, back, and yellow-olive tail. Voice: The song of the Altamira oriole is a series of clear, slow musical whistles. In contrast, the Altamira's calls are harsh whistles, rasping chatter, and nasal "ike"s.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Dennis Vollmar · CC BY 4.0
Scott's Oriole (Icterus parisorum)

Scott's Oriole

Icterus parisorum

Small36 gShrubland

Scott's oriole is about 23 cm (9.1 in) long with a wingspan of 32 cm (13 in); it weighs 32 to 41 g (1.1 to 1.4 oz). Adult males in breeding plumage have a black head, back, scapulars, throat, and breast. Their rump, uppertail coverts, and underparts below the breast are lemon yellow. Their wings are black with pale yellow lesser and median coverts that show as an epaulet. The wing's greater coverts have white tips that show as a wing bar. Their tail feathers are mostly black with yellow bases and white tips, both of which are larger towards the outer feathers. Voice: The song of Scott's oriole is a "series of varied, short notes...; pure whistles (notes with a single dominant frequency) interspersed with notes that are rapidly modulated in frequency, some ascending, some descending, and some with both ascending and descending portions". Both sexes sing but female song is usually not as complex as male song.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recording: steve · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Seabamirum on Flickr · CC BY 2.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Altamira Oriole and Scott's Oriole.