Bird Guide

Oriole Blackbird vs Screaming Cowbird

Oriole Blackbird (Gymnomystax mexicanus)

Oriole Blackbird

Gymnomystax mexicanus

Medium98 gForest

The oriole blackbird grows to a length of nearly 30 cm (12 in). The sexes are similar in appearance. The head, neck, shoulders and underparts are bright yellow; the back, wings, rump and tail are black, apart from the lower wing-coverts showing a strip of yellow. The eye is brown and is surrounded by a black eye ring, and the large bill and feet are blackish. The voice consists of several loud, scratchy calls, uttered from elevated perches or emitted when on the wing. One is a screech that resembles the sound made by a rusty hinge.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Paolo Costa Baldi · CC BY 3.0
Screaming Cowbird (Molothrus rufoaxillaris)

Screaming Cowbird

Molothrus rufoaxillaris

Small48 gUrban

The screaming cowbird has mildly iridescent black plumage; the lesser under-wing coverts are rufous. The female is slightly duller in colour than the male. The legs are black and the iris is reddish brown. Adult body length is 18–21 cm and mean adult weight is 58 g for males and 48 g for females. The call of the screaming cowbird was first described as "impetuous screaming notes"; however, a more useful description for field identification is noisy, explosive and piercing with rasp-like calls also produced. Screaming cowbirds are mostly seen in pairs or small flocks.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Screaming Cowbird
Recorded by Gabriele Magurno · Song · Ezeiza, Ezeiza Partido, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Irisfz · CC BY 4.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Oriole Blackbird and Screaming Cowbird.