Bird GuideBlackbirds and OriolesStreak-backed Oriole

Streak-backed Oriole

Streak-backed Oriole
Icterus pustulatus
At a Glance Range & Identification Conservation Back to Top

At a Glance

Dry tropical forests, from northwestern Mexico to Costa Rica, are the usual haunts of this colorful oriole. The bird is a rare stray into the Southwest, mostly southern Arizona and southern California. Most records in the past were for fall and winter, but recently a couple of pairs have stayed through the summer and have even nested in Arizona.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
Blackbirds and Orioles, Perching Birds
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Arroyos and Canyons, Desert and Arid Habitats, Forests and Woodlands, Shrublands, Savannas, and Thickets
Region
California, Southwest
Behavior
Direct Flight, Rapid Wingbeats

Range & Identification

Description

7 1/2-9" (19-23 cm). Adult male rich orange with narrow black throat, much white in wings, narrow black streaks on back. Hooded Oriole has scaly pattern on back in winter. Female duller; some young females not safely separated from some female Bullock's Orioles (which can have streaked back).
Size
About the size of a Robin
Color
Black, Green, Orange, Red, White, Yellow
Wing Shape
Rounded
Tail Shape
Rounded, Square-tipped

Songs and Calls

Song generally similar to Northern Oriole; includes an unmelodious warble, dry chattering; also makes a series of clear wheet call notes, softer than the call of the Hooded.
Call Pattern
Falling, Flat, Undulating
Call Type
Buzz, Chatter, Chirp/Chip, Whistle

Conservation

Conservation Status