Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius), Mesa, Maricopa County

This Orchard Oriole was found and photographed by Jim Taylor on 27 January 2019

Casual migrant and winter visitor statewide.

Females can be very similar to Hooded Orioles, and size is one of the best distinguishing characters. Note the fairly small size relative to White-crowned Sparrow, making the bird appear at first glance to be an Orange-crowned Warbler - a typical impression of Orchard Oriole! In these photos, also note the short relatively straight bill and the wing pattern: dark base color with narrow, well-defined wing-bars.

27 January 2019, photo by Jim Taylor

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