Black-backed Oriole vs Red-bellied Grackle

Black-backed Oriole

Icterus abeillei

Small33 gForest

The black-backed oriole is 18 to 20.5 cm (7.1 to 8.1 in) long and weighs 31 to 37 g (1.1 to 1.3 oz). Adult males are black on the crown, sides of the head, nape, and upperparts. They have an orange line above the lores, thin orange crescents above and below the eye, and orange cheeks. Their upperwing is mostly black with wide white edges on the flight feathers. The wing's median and greater coverts are white and show as a large patch on the closed wing. Their tail's three outer pairs of feathers are yellow with black tips and the rest are black. Voice: The black-backed oriole's song is "a rich warble, often with some scratchy notes" that covers a rather wide frequency range. Its calls include a "loud chatter and nasal chay".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Jer Clarke · CC BY 4.0

Red-bellied Grackle

Hypopyrrhus pyrohypogaster

Medium258 gForest

The male red-bellied grackle grows to about 30 cm (12 in) and the female about 27 cm (10.6 in). The sexes are similar in appearance being entirely black apart from a red belly and red under-tail coverts. The bill is conical in shape and the irises are white or yellow. When held in the hand it is possible to see that the feathers of the head, neck and throat have shiny, naked shafts and thick, narrow webs.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: russnamitz · CC0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Black-backed Oriole and Red-bellied Grackle.