Bird Guide

Scott's Oriole vs Yellow-backed Oriole

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
Yellow-backed Oriole (Icterus chrysater)

Yellow-backed Oriole

Icterus chrysater

Small53 gWoodland

Yellow-backed orioles are a yellow-bodied, sexually monomorphic species. They average 21.5 cm (8.5 in) in length from beak to tail; making it a relatively medium-sized oriole species. Exposed skin and claws are bluish-black; in adults, the bill is black, with the base of the mandible becoming bluish-grey. Adult males display strongly contrasting yellow and black plumage. The wings, tail, shoulders, throat, and face are all black; by contrast, the back and underparts are an extremely bright yellow. Adult females closely resemble males, but yellow parts appear slightly greenish.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recording: JUAN ANTONIO ALONSO DE JUAN · CC BY 4.0
Photo: gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K · 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: Scott's Oriole and Yellow-backed Oriole.