Hooded Oriole (Icterus cucullatus)
Hooded Oriole, male - Morongo Valley, CA
© Tom Benson
Hooded Oriole, male - Morongo Valley, CA
© Tom Benson
The Hooded Oriole is an uncommon migrant and breeding bird on campus from mid March to August. The best place to search for this bird on campus is the bottlebrush trees along Sierra Drive or outside the Foundation Building, or around fan palms where they build their nests. It is a common migrant and breeding resident in southern California at desert oases and in the coastal lowlands.
High Count: 6, Average Count: 1-3
Adult male Hooded Orioles have bright yellow-orange underparts and head with a black face and throat, black back, wings, and tail, and two white wing bars. Females and immature males have a yellow head, underparts, and tail, and gray back and wings.