| Saint Lucia oriole | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Icteridae |
| Genus: | Icterus |
| Species: | I. laudabilis |
| Binomial name | |
| Icterus laudabilis Sclater, PL, 1871 | |
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The Saint Lucia oriole (Icterus laudabilis) is a species of bird, in the family Icteridae and genus Icterus (or American Orioles). It is endemic to Saint Lucia.
St. Lucia orioles are known to inhabit mountain rainforests, dry coastal scrub forests, primary and secondary forests, the edges of certain plantations (such as banana citrus and coconut) and mangroves (particularly those that adjoin coastal scrub). They appear to prefer humid mountain forests over the dry coastal scrub forests. The regions which are inhabited by St. Lucia orioles range from sea level up to 700m in elevation. [2] [3]
St. Lucia orioles are endemic to, and exclusively found on the main island of St. Lucia. They are the only resident orioles on the island, however, Baltimore and Orchard orioles may be found in the region as vagrants. [2]
These birds are identified as slim, long billed and largely black with flashes of russet orange on the shoulders, rump, belly and vent. The upper ridge of the beak, or culmen, is straight. The adult females are morphologically similar to males but with slightly paler orange patches. Immature orioles, in comparison to their mature counterparts, are mostly chestnut colored and have a golden-olive where the mature orioles are orange.
This particular species is roughly 20 to 22 cm in head to body length with an average mass of 36.9 gram (both male and female measurements are included). Males and females have average wingspans of 98.7mm and 94.0mm, respectively. [2] [4]
Typical of the Icterid family, St. Lucia orioles exhibit wide range of foraging adaptations. They feed on both fruits and insects. St. Lucia orioles have been observed stripping bark while foraging, in the manner of the Jamaican Oriole.
They produce a typical hanging oriole nest, which is basket shaped, and woven from plant fibers. The St. Lucia oriole nests under large fronds of banana plants and in coconut palms. Females lay 2-3 eggs at a time. Males do not feed the female during nesting, but they may aid in provisioning the young. Nesting occurs through April to early June. [5]
The song of the St. Lucia orioles is a series, composed of two second long varied whistles played in a sequence. It is not known whether the species produces different series with unique variations of whistles or merely repeats the same sequence each time. The song is comparable to that of the Orchard Oriole, with one distinction being that it is weaker.
There are also two distinct calls of the St. Lucia orioles. These are a harsh chwee and a soft chup. [2] [3]
Recently, there has been a decline in both the population size and distribution, as the St. Lucia orioles have become more scarce and localized. They are currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List with a population estimated at over 1,000 adults (although not drastically over). There are many factors that may pose a threat to the species. Potential hazards include habitat loss, pesticide spraying, and parasitism by shiny cowbirds (Molothrus bonariensis). More studies are needed to understand the effects they have on St. Lucia oriole populations. [4]
Icterids or New World blackbirds make up a family, the Icteridae, of small to medium-sized, often colorful, New World passerine birds. Most species have black as a predominant plumage color, often enlivened by yellow, orange, or red. The species in the family vary widely in size, shape, behavior, and coloration. The name, meaning "jaundiced ones" comes from the Ancient Greek ikteros via the Latin ictericus. This group includes the New World blackbirds, New World orioles, the bobolink, meadowlarks, grackles, cowbirds, oropendolas, and caciques.
The Altamira oriole is a New World oriole. The bird is widespread in subtropical lowlands of the Mexican Gulf Coast and northern Central America, the Pacific coast and inland. They have since spread to southern Texas, but this was not until 1939.
The Baltimore oriole is a small icterid blackbird common in eastern North America as a migratory breeding bird. It received its name from the resemblance of the male's colors to those on the coat-of-arms of 17th century Lord Baltimore. Observations of interbreeding between the Baltimore oriole and the western Bullock's oriole, Icterus bullockii, led to both being classified as a single species, called the northern oriole, from 1973 to 1995. Research by James Rising, a professor of zoology at the University of Toronto, and others showed that the two birds actually did not interbreed significantly.
Bullock's oriole is a small New World blackbird. At one time, this species and the Baltimore oriole were considered to be a single species, the northern oriole. This bird is named after William Bullock, an English amateur naturalist.
The orchard oriole is the smallest species of icterid. The subspecies of the Caribbean coast of Mexico, I. s. fuertesi, is sometimes considered a separate species, the ochre oriole or Fuertes's oriole.
The hooded oriole is a medium-sized New World oriole. The male of this species ranges in color from a bright orange to a paler yellow, with a black back, face, tail and bib, with the wing containing two white bars. The female is more of an olive color with some yellow accents.
The Venezuelan troupial is the national bird of Venezuela. It is found in Colombia, Venezuela, and the Caribbean islands of Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, Trinidad, and Puerto Rico. Together with the orange-backed troupial and Campo troupial, it was previously part of a superspecies simply named the troupial that was split.
The yellow-tailed oriole is a passerine bird in the New World family Icteridae. It breeds from southern Mexico to western Peru and northwestern Venezuela; in Peru it also lives in a river valley corridor.
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The Hispaniolan woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola.
Audubon's oriole, formerly known as the black-headed oriole, is a New World passerine inhabiting the forests and thickets of southeastern Texas and the Mexican coast. It is the only species to have a black hood and yellow body. It is divided into four subspecies and two allopatric breeding ranges. The westernmost range extends from Nayarit south to southern Oaxaca, whereas the eastern range stretches from the lower Rio Grande valley to northern Querétaro. The most common in the western range are the subspecies I. g. dickeyae and I. g. nayaritensis; I. g. graduacauda and I. g. audubonii can be found in the eastern range. Like most Central American birds, it is not a migratory species and does not display significant sexual dimorphism. DNA analysis of the ND2 and cyt-b genes strongly suggests that I. graduacauda is most closely related to I. chrysater, the yellow-backed oriole. It is a member of the genus Icterus and therefore should not be confused with the Old World orioles.
The whistling warbler is a species of bird in the New World warbler family. It is monotypic within the genus Catharopeza. It has a dark back that fades into a lighter gradient going towards the chest. It also has a dark head, a dark strip on the breast, and a light orbital. Both male and female have the same plumage. It is endemic to the island of Saint Vincent in the Lesser Antilles. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest. It is threatened by habitat loss. This habitat loss is due to volcanic activity and deforestation. Whistling warblers have cup-shaped nests, and spotted eggs. Their diet primarily consists of insects.
The Martinique oriole is a species of bird in the family Icteridae. It is endemic to Martinique, French West Indies. Martinique is a part of the Lesser Antilles, and is located in the Eastern Caribbean.
The yellow-backed oriole is a species of bird in the family Icteridae.
The black-cowled oriole is a species of bird in the family Icteridae. It is common and widespread in the Caribbean lowlands and foothills from southern Mexico to western Panama. It lives primarily in humid or semihumid forest, as well as in clearings, along forest edges, in plantations, in semi-open areas with scattered trees and bushes, and in gardens. The adult male is black, with yellow on the belly, shoulder, rump, wing lining, and crissum. The female's plumage varies depending on location. In the south of its range, it is similar to that of the male. In the north, its crown and upperparts are olive-yellow, while its face, throat, upper breast, wings, and tail are black.
The mao or ma'oma'o is a passerine bird belonging to the genus Gymnomyza in the honeyeater family Meliphagidae. It is an endangered species and is endemic to the Samoan Islands.
The Hispaniolan oriole is a species of bird in the family Icteridae. It is endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola.
The Cuban oriole is a species of songbird in the family Icteridae. It is endemic to Cuba.
The Bahama oriole is a species of songbird in the New World blackbird family Icteridae. It is endemic to the Bahamas, and listed as endangered by the IUCN Red List.
The Puerto Rican oriole is a species of bird in the family Icteridae, and genus Icterus or New World blackbirds. This species is a part of a subgroup of orioles that includes the North American orchard oriole, Icterus spurius, and the hooded oriole, Icterus cucullatus.
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