Photo by Dick Fogle

The first time I saw a Streaked-backed Oriole was in February, 2001, on my first trip to Alamos, Mexico. At that time, I was a fairly new birder with only about 200 birds on my life list and I didn’t even know that this was a bird that could be seen in Arizona although rarely. Our guide, David MacKay, took us to a tree just outside of Alamos and there we saw about 7-8 flitting around in this one tree. What a treat!

Dick Fogle didn’t have to go that far as he took the above picture out at Gilbert Water Ranch Ponds not too long ago.

Description:   It’s similar to a Bullock’s Oriole, but doesn’t have the black eye-line. It also looks a little like the Hooded and Orchard Oriole except the wing bars are quite different and the head is orange. Then of course, the strong streaks on its back (more so than a Bullock’s) gives the oriole its name. It’s a medium sized bird (8.25” long) of the oriole family and a little stocky.

Habitat:   They like scrubby woods, gardens and orchards. Their range is mostly down in Mexico and all the way to El Salvador; however, they can sometimes drift up into SE Arizona and even into our area..

Diet:  Their diet is similar to other orioles consisting of insects and fruit.

If you look in Sibley’s Guide to Birds, you’ll notice there are 9 orioles including the Streak-backed Oriole.