ML168861581

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

This is an exotic escapee, but a spectacular bird none-the-less. Originally entered as zero count. Changed to count of 1 on 5/14/2023. A stunning black and orange icterid, much heavier body and larger overall than HOORs on site. Initial views of head pattern suggested hybrid Baltimore X Bullock’s, or even a Hooded Oriole hybrid because of long, lanky entirely black tail. Pattern of black and orange head pattern with blue accents suggest the outfit and face paint of a medieval jester - perhaps even the original inspitration for the jesters custume. Black continuous from crown, sides of face, broadly on throat and sides of neck, and expanding across chest. Black foreparts contrast with briiliant yellow-orange that is continuous from hind crown down the nape to base of neck on sides and rear; on the underparts a necklace of black spikes mark the interface between the black chest and orange breast; otherwise the lower breast, belly, and undertail coverts are brilliant orange shading somewat to yellow-orange. Wing panel is black w/ very broad diagonally oriented band of white extends across wing coverts and onto the inner flight feather; an orange wedge intrudes from the shoulder on the forepart of white band. The upper back is crossed by a broad black band between the shoulders; the mid and lower back and rump are yellow-orange; the rectrices are black top and bottom, from insertion to tip. The iris was pale; an odd bluish spotaccented the rear of the eye and the thinest trace of a bluish arc accented the top of the eye. The bill was oriole-like: stout at the base, pointed at the tip, shiny black with a broad patch of bluish sheen on the proximal section of the lower mandible. Voice - It called several times with loud whistles, including a series that sounded similar to the accented whee-cheer calls of NOCA. It first caught my attention while perched at distance in ash trees lining the west fenceline of the soccor field. It flew south to the fan palm along entrance road; then in and around the olive trees and back up into the palm - all over 5-10 minutes. It then flew WSW for several hundred meters, crosssing the SE corner of the air field ag fields, and landed on the utility lines along Lampson Ave at Heather. It dropped down to trees lining the street below a time or two as it moved west. it was no more than a distant speck in my binoculars when I lost sight of it. It matched Venezuelan Troupial in my initial brief search. an obvious escapee - still spectacular.

Technical information

Model

Canon PowerShot SX50 HS

ISO

80

Focal length

215 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/6.5

Shutter speed

1/320 sec

Dimensions

1823 pixels x 2204 pixels

Original file size

997.84 KB