Spot-breasted Oriole (Icterus pectoralis)

Spot-breasted Oriole

[order] PASSERIFORMES | [family] Icteridae | [latin] Icterus pectoralis | [UK] Spot-breasted Oriole | [FR] Troupiale a poitrine tachee | [DE] Tropfentrupial | [ES] Bolsero pechimanchando | [NL] Vlekborsttroepiaal

Subspecies

Genus Species subspecies Breeding Range Breeding Range 2 Non Breeding Range
Icterus pectoralis MA widespread
Icterus pectoralis carolynae
Icterus pectoralis espinachi
Icterus pectoralis guttulatus
Icterus pectoralis pectoralis

Physical charateristics

Florida only. Note the orange crown, black bib, and black spots on the sides of the breast. Much white in the wing. No other oriole in the East has an orange crown.

Listen to the sound of Spot-breasted Oriole

[audio:http://www.aviflevoland.nl/sounddb/S/Spot-breasted Oriole.mp3]

Copyright remark: Most sounds derived from xeno-canto

wingspan min.: 34 cm wingspan max.: 38 cm
size min.: 21 cm size max.: 24 cm
incubation min.: 12 days incubation max.: 14 days
fledging min.: 13 days fledging max.: 15 days
broods: 1   eggs min.: 3  
      eggs max.: 6  

Range

Middle America : widespread

Habitat

Tall trees, suburbs.
In our area, found only in suburbs of southern Florida, in neighborhoods with many exotic trees and shrubs bearing berries and flowers at all seasons. In native range in the tropics, found mostly in dry woods, thorn scrub, trees along rivers, trees in to
wns.

Reproduction

In spring, male sings rich, whistled song to defend nesting territory; female may also sing at times.
Nest:
Placed in tree, near end of slender branch and often well above ground (in the tropics, may also nest in yuccas or other low plants). Nest (apparently built by female) is long hanging pouch, woven of grass, palm fibers, and other plant fibers, with its r
im firmly attached to branch and the rest hanging free.
Eggs: Probably about 2-5. Whitish to pale blue, marked with brown and black. Incubation is probably by female, but incubation behavior and timing are not well known.
Young: Both parents bring food to the nestlings. Age at which the young leave the nest is not well known. Young may stay with parents for some time after fledging.

Feeding habits

Includes berries, nectar, insects.
Diet has not been studied in detail, but includes many berries and small fruits, also some cultivated fruit. Takes nectar from flowers and may eat parts of the flowers as well. Also eats many insects.
Behavior: Forages mostly by moving rather slowly and deliberately among branches and foliage of trees. Often visits flowers; may use its bill to break off long blossoms to get at nectar at the base.

Conservation

This species has a very large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is very large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Spot-breasted Oriole status Least Concern

Migration

Southwestern Mexico to northwestern Costa Rica. Recently established in southeastern Florida. Migration: Apparently a permanent resident throughout its tropical range, and introduced population in Florida is resident also.

Distribution map

Spot-breasted Oriole distribution range map

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