Puerto Rican Oriole
Icterus portoricensis
A sleek inhabitant of wooded areas that ventures into gardens and parks searching for flowers and fruit; prefers areas with palms. The adult is distinctively all black except for its yellow vent, rump, and shoulders. No similar species occur within its range. Immatures are yellow to yellow-orange and resemble immature Baltimore Orioles, but have thicker and blacker bill and lack the white wingbars seen on Baltimore Orioles. Full song is fluid series of whistled upslurred and down-slurred notes. Calls include a buzzy “zzwhi” and an emphatic “tchu.”
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Icterus portoricensis
- Authority
- Bryant, H, 1866
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Icteridae
- Genus
- Icterus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Long-tailed Shrike
Lanius schach
A large, noisy shrike typical of open habitats across Asia. Adults have a dark mask and a light gray upper back with a variable amount of orange on lower back and flanks. Eastern subspecies has complete black cap; melanistic form has more extensive dark mask and is darker overall. Smaller Bay-backed Shrike has thicker black mask; Gray-backed Shrike has darker gray back and lacks orange coloration and white in wings. Juveniles difficult to separate from other juvenile shrikes. Gives loud, screeching calls; also mimics other birds.
Subalpine Robin
Petroica bivittata
A small bird of upper montane forest canopy. Black upperparts and bib with white belly extending to the sides of the chest, and white forehead spot. Note the white edging to the flight feathers and corners to the tail. Female is slightly duller. Somewhat similar to White-winged Robin, but Subalpine has a white rather than black belly. Song is a series of chipping notes changing pitch up and down slightly.
Far Eastern Curlew
Numenius madagascariensis
This very large curlew wields a remarkable scimitar-like bill, used to extract invertebrates from deep burrows. Typically found in small to mid-sized groups on expansive mudflats. Similar to Eurasian Curlew, but Far Eastern is far more warmly colored, with a light brown (not white) rump and heavily marked underwings, unlike the unmarked white underwings of Eurasian. Calls similar to Eurasian but deeper in tone.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.