- Icterus icterus
Description
Photo taken in Aruba (formerly one of the Netherlands Antilles) in Jan 2004.
Fieldmarks
9.75 ins (25cm). A large member of the oriole family with a black head and upper breast; orange-yellow belly and back; black tail and black wings with large white wing patches. Large pointed grey bill and grey orbital ring extending into a point behind the yellowish eye.
Voice
a clear whistle: troup, troup.... or troup-ial, troup-ial......
Habitat
mainly arid scrublands in the West Indies. Also found in parks and urban areas. Woodlands near rivers in South America.
Range
Netherlands Antilles and Margarita Island, off Venezuela. Trinidad. Introduced to Puerto Rico, inc. Mona Is., Virgin Is. on St Thomas. Venezuela north of the Orinoco River and NE Colombia from the Guajira Peninsula to SE base of Santa Marta Mtns. and in N Arauca. S Guyana & adjacent N Brazil; SE Colombia in Putumayo & Amazonas, E Ecuador, E Peru, N, E Bolivia south to Chuquisaca, W, C Amazonian Brazil mostly south of the Amazon, east to near mouth of the lower Rio Tapajos and south to W Mato Grosso in Paraguay River drainage, W Paraguay and N Argentina in Formosa. NE brazil in Maranhao, Ceara & Pernambuco south & west to Goias, Minas Gerais and Bahia.
Taxonomy
The Troupial has now been split into three sub-species, which are Venezuelan Troupial (Icterus icterus), Orange-Backed Troupial, (I. Croconotus) and Campo Troupial (I. Jamaicaii). This Troupial was seen in the ABC islands (formerly the Netherlands Antilles), and should therefore be the ridgwayi subspecies of the Venezuelan Troupial (I.i.ridgwayi). See http://www.ibispub.com/updates.html
