Subject: Streak-backed Oriole
Date: Apr 7 12:02:41 2000
From: Robert Sundstrom - ixoreus at home.com


Oriole buffs,

My first e-mail lacked the required sender's address. This one has it.

For a good review of subspecies differences in Streak-backed Oriole consult
Howell and Webb's A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central
America.

Bob Sundstrom

> Gary Felton wrote:
>
> "Peterson, in both his Western NA and Mexican guides, pictures
> the main body (back, breast, belly, sides and flanks) of a male,
> Streak-backed Oriole as being mostly yellowish and contrasting
> sharply to the orangish head. On the other hand, the third edition
> NGS guide pictures the main body of the bird as orangish with
> much less contrast to the head.
>
> Would someone who has actually seen the bird, let me know
> which it is, more yellowish or more orangish? Which guide
> is more accurate in this regard?"
>
> There are three photos of Streak-backed Oriole in the Thayers birds of
North
> America CD. Two show yellow to yellow-orange on the body with gradual
> grading to more orange-yellow on the head, much like Peterson's drawing.
One
> shows a bird with more intense orange on the head, neck and breast with
more
> of a sharp demarcation to the surrounding plumage, much like the NGS field
> guide picture. I would assume that there is significant variation in
> plumage, reflected in the different renditions you noticed. Just one more
> reason to have more than one field guide! I have also found that while
> photos are a poor choice for a primary field guide, they are often very
> useful for sorting out subtle distinctions like this question.
>
>
>
> Jack Stephens
> Edmonds, WA
> jsteph02 at sprynet.com
>

Bob Sundstrom
Seattle, WA
mailto:ixoreus at home.com