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Rare bird

I am not a "Birder" and I took this photo of a bird in my back yard only because it is so colorful.  I see a few every winter and just assumed that they are a common Baltimore Oriole.  I sent the pic to a friend of mine who is an avid bird watcher and he identified it as a Lichtenstien's Oriole which is very rare and is know to exist only around Brownsville, Texas.  He claims they have never been spotted outside their small home range and is all excited that they migrate to Fort Lauderdale every winter.   What can I say...we got great weather down here. 
Can anyone confirm that his identification is correct?

oriole_a.sized.jpg
 
I can make a confirmation. Judging by it's beak,tail and wings I can say 100%, without a doubt, that you have taken a pic of a bird.
Seriously, if this is true it'll be a great find. It's pretty too.
 
I saw the typical Oriole up near Buffalo, NY while Turkey hunting in the spring. When I saw your photo of this Lichstein's Oriole I almost thought, thats what i saw, but it must have been a typical Oriole up here!
smile.gif
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (0zzy @ Feb. 28 2005,6:12)]I can make a confirmation. Judging by it's beak,tail and wings I can say 100%, without a doubt, that you have taken a pic of a bird.
I'd add a 1% margin of error for the possibility of a pterodactyl.
 
Here's a pic of Lichtenstein's Oriole I found on Google.
Lichtenstein's_Oriole.GIF


Whereas here's a regular one:
h5070pi.jpg


So, I'd say, given the orange head, that you have one of the rare ones!

Capslock
 
According to my aduoban burd guide, thats a female Altamira Orile. Alternate names aside, they are both Icterus gularis.  Lichtenstien's is i improper name of incommon useage.

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]to exist only around Brownsville, Texas

Your freind, while in good intentions, is incorrect in this regard.The Altamira Oriole is a bird of Mexico and Central America whose range just reaches into southern Texas, so in spotting in in the area, you are lucky.
species profile. this species is common in the southern part of its range, but certainly not here. For shure species identification in the future, try to find out its latin name as common names are many and apt to regional differences.
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]I see a few every winter and just assumed that they are a common Baltimore Oriole.
How could you mistake that bird for a Baltimore Oriole? Here is what one actually looks like:
J7wNdSN3.jpg
 
  • #10
oh by the way, there is no such bird. intensivly pouring trough several referances and guides a week on Us. birds  
[b said:
Quote[/b] ] am not a "Birder" and I took this photo of a bird in my back yard only because it is so colorful.  I see a few every winter and just assumed that they are a common Baltimore Oriole.  I sent the pic to a friend of mine who is an avid bird watcher and he identified it as a Lichtenstien's Oriole which is very rare and is know to exist only around Brownsville, Texas.  He claims they have never been spotted outside their small home range and is all excited that they migrate to Fort Lauderdale every winter.   What can I say...we got great weather down here.
Can anyone confirm that his identification is correct?

oh by the way, there is no such bird. intensivly pouring trough several referances and guides a week on Us. birds, i notend every rare species, and there is NO bird found exlusivly around brownsvill, texas. The Only orile with a really restricted range is the introduced spotted Oriole (or spott-breasted) in southern florids, a rather similar bird to the Altamira Orile. The most restricted range birds in northamerica are Kirtland's warbler in mishigan, Golden-cheeked warbler in texas, the Rosy finches of the rockies, amd The islamd jay.... that i forget the name of. Around St. Louis exlusivly is the eurasian tree sparrow, a very lose vut peacfull reletive of the houseparrow, the skylark on vancoover island, crested mynah, and a few other introductions
 
  • #11
Well, it sure doesn't look like the Baltimore Orioles we see up here, if that helps any
 
  • #12
It's almost certainly the Spot-breasted Oriole, Icterus pectoralis ?

This Mexican and Central American species is introduced and established in Southern Florida. The extensive white on the primaries (flight feathers to non birders) fits Spot-breasted more than any of the native US Oriole species, as does the location. It would be nice to see a good photogragh of the breast, there's a hint of spotting, but it's not that clear in your photo.

Vic
 
  • #13
spotted- spot breasted, the basic way to tell the very similar species apart are thes potts on the breast and the white edges, wich, by the way, both species have. Because we cant see that, id been telling em apart by ranges. Lauderdales in florida? LOL i was the one messed up. I tought it was in texas.
 
  • #14
Thanks for all of the opinions guys.  I have forwarded this thread to my friend and will let him sort it out since he is the "birder", not me.

By the way...since we have such nice weather down here, I am going to offer my back yard, free of charge,  to Sports Illustrated to shoot their 2006 Swimsuit issue.  Am I a nice guy or what?
biggrin.gif
 
  • #15
i too am, a 'birder' and am quite good at what i do, iv meomorzed the id aspects for the species around here, but not elsewhere
 
  • #16
My only guess is the Lichenstens(sp.) oriole is a subspecies of sorts?
 
  • #17
It's a very nice bird!That's all I got to say about that
smile_m_32.gif
*Niki*
 
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