Black-cowled Oriole
Icterus prosthemelas
The black-cowled oriole is a medium-sized passerine, ranging in length from 18.5 to 21 cm (7.3 to 8.3 in). Males are larger and heavier than females, averaging 32.5 g (1.15 oz) while females average only 27.5 g (0.97 oz). In the north of the range, males and females are sexually dimorphic, while in the south, their plumages are similar. In both sexes, the bill is slender, slightly decurved, and black, with a silvery base to the lower mandible. The adult male's plumage is mostly black, with bright yellow patches on the shoulder, rump, and uppertail coverts. Voice: The bird's song is a fairly quiet, complicated series of soft, whistled notes and harsher chattering. These are described as being variously clear, metallic, slurred and mellow, and are delivered in an apparently random order. Its calls include a scratchy, rising weet, a nasal deep, a nasal eeaahnk, a quiet tee-u, and a sharper beehk or bihk.
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Spot-breasted Oriole
Icterus pectoralis
The spot-breasted oriole is about 21 cm (8.3 in) long. Its wing chord is 8.8 to 11.4 cm (3.5 to 4.5 in), its tail 8.5 to 11.2 cm (3.3 to 4.4 in), its culmen 1.9 to 2.4 cm (0.75 to 0.94 in), and its tarsus 2.6–3 cm (1.0–1.2 in). Males weigh an average of about 53 g (1.9 oz) and females about 45 g (1.6 oz). The sexes have the essentially same plumage though females are duller than males. Adults of the nominate subspecies I. p. pectoralis have a mostly deep orange head and nape. They have a black "mask", throat, "bib" on the upper breast, mantle, and back. Their rump is orange. Voice: The spot-breasted oriole's song is "a sweet, melodic rising and falling series of repeated clear whistles: eeeep!-weu'peeer-eeeep!-weu'peeer-eeeep!-weu'peeer..." and its calls include "a harsh, scratchy, nasal raannk...and a hoarse chatter".
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Where you might meet both
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Play today's Daily BirdPhotos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Black-cowled Oriole and Spot-breasted Oriole.