A group of five hooded orioles stopped at our nectar feeders yesterday. I managed to get a few shots of the adult male and a juvenile before they flew off.
Hooded orioles are very distinctive. Males are easy to spot with their
flashy colors. Adult males tend to be bright yellow or orange over most
of their body with black wings and white wingbars, a distinctive black
face and throat with a hood of orange or yellow-orange. Females are less
colorful with mostly dull yellow bodies and gray wings.
Though it may look like a female, the bird in the photos above is of a juvenile hooded oriole. It's definitely less sleek than an adult female and has a shorter bill. It's behavior was also indicative of a juvenile unable to figure out the ports at the feeder. It stood in the middle and drank water from the center ant moat.
These birds could be on their on their way south, en route to their wintering grounds in Mexico, and Central and South America. They generally migrate in late August or early September.
Happy birding!
J.J.
No comments:
Post a Comment