Rivalry

by Blair Wainman

Title

Rivalry

Artist

Blair Wainman

Medium

Photograph - Print

Description

Yellow Oriole Icterus nigrogularis.is one of several varieties of orioles that live in the mountainous region of Colombia. Often found feeding on yellow flowers, this is a rather ironic characteristic of colored birds in general...red birds seem to be drawn to red flowers and so on. It is thought that it is a built in defense mechanism and camouflage behavior to avoid exposure to predators while feeding.

Although it does have black in its plumage, the Yellow Oriole derives its common name from the large extent of yellow in its plumage relative to all other orioles, with its black restricted to the tail, a narrow yellow bib, and the wings. The Yellow Oriole is a common resident in lowlands below 500 m in northern South America and adjoining Caribbean islands from northeastern Colombia to the mouth of the Amazon. It occurs in a variety of open forest habitats such as deciduous woodland, scrub, and in urban areas. This is the only icterid in its range with the combination of an all yellow back and white wing bars.

This one was captured feeding in the Jose Celestino Mutis Botanical Gardens of Bogot'a, Colombia.

Uploaded

December 18th, 2010

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