- Icterus pectoralis
Identification
Length 21-24cm.
Adult - Bright orange, black back, mask, throat, and spots on breast; wings are black with large white patches. Tail is black. Long, pointed black bill with silvery base to lower mandible, long tail, dark eyes, blue grey legs. Sexes similar.
Immature - similar to adult, but paler yellow-orange, with olive-green back and tail, dusky wings, and little or no black on face, throat, or breast.
Distribution
Mexico, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Introduced to Florida.
Taxonomy
Two subspecies are recognized:[1]
- I.p. pectoralis - Pacific slope from southern Mexico to northern Nicaragua
- I.p. espinachi - Pacific coast from southern Nicaragua to northwestern Costa Rica
Habitat
Open woodlands, dry scrub, forest edges, and around ranches and villages, parks, suburbs, and gardens.
Behaviour
- Diet: Forages in shrubs and trees for insects, fruits, berries and nectar.
- Breeding: Builds a long, hanging pouch woven of fibres and thin roots, suspended in the fork of a tree branch. The eggs are white with black and purple scrawls.
References
- Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Spot-breasted Oriole. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 18 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Spot-breasted_Oriole
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
