Icterus pustulatus
The Streak-backed Oriole (Icterus pustulatus) is a strikingly colorful member of the New World blackbird family (Icteridae), renowned for its unique plumage that sets it apart from many of its congeners. Males are instantly recognizable by their brilliant orange-yellow bodies, contrasted with a distinctive black-streaked back, a prominent black bib extending to the upper breast, a black mask, and black wings adorned with two crisp white wing bars. Measuring approximately 19-22 cm (7.5-8.7 in)...
This adaptable oriole thrives in arid and semi-arid environments, favoring open woodlands, thorn scrub, gallery forests along rivers, and cultivated areas like orchards and gardens. It can be found from sea level up to elevations of approximately 2000 meters.
Their diet primarily consists of a wide array of insects and other arthropods, supplemented significantly by nectar from flowering plants, and various ripe fruits, particularly during non-breeding seasons. They forage by gleaning from vegetation and probing flowers.
Streak-backed Orioles are primarily diurnal, spending their days actively foraging and their nights roosting, often solitarily or in small family units, concealed within dense tree canopies. Their foraging strategy is diverse, involving meticulous gleaning of insects from foliage and branches, pr...
The Streak-backed Oriole's extensive core breeding range stretches from western Mexico, encompassing states from Sonora south through Sinaloa, Nayarit, Jalisco, Michoacán, Oaxaca, and Chiapas, and continues into northern Central America, including Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. ...
Least Concern
- The Streak-backed Oriole is one of the few species in the diverse *Icterus* genus that prominently displays streaking on its back, a key identifying feature. - It is a highly anticipated vagrant in the southwestern United States, with birders often traveling great distances to spot one in state...