Epaulet Oriole!

This is the Epaulet Oriole, a plain looking bird with a remarkable sound.

The Epaulet Oriole (Icterus cayanennis) is a simple looking medium size black bird. At first sight you can confuse them with the Yellow-rumped Cacique, but the moment these Orioles start to sing, there is no doubt who can whistle better (in my opinion)

For years I have heard the Epaulet Oriole's pleasant whistle, always early in the mornings or late in the afternoons. But since it is also a shy bird by heart, it was difficult to spot them immediately. As they like to roost in palm trees, I kept looking in that direction. A dark shadow that quickly flies for its safety to hide between the palm leaves. But finally we met ..... between February and March, this year, as the Monkey brush vines were in blossom. This means lots of colorful branches on the river edge or near the lodge. That is when I got lucky. On the beach of the River cabin there is such a Monkey brush vine in full bloom. 

At first I was just focussing on the Crimson Topaz and didn't bother about the black bird on the branch. Untill it started to whistle .... unmistakable sound. By looking at the pictures you can see a simple looking black bird with a small yellow patch on each side of its wings. Nothing special, but wait until it starts to open its beak.

The Epaulet Oriole forages quietly for invertebrates, fruit and nectar. And since the Monkey brush vine was in full bloom, it was an easy target for me to, finally, photograph this shy bird. 

I managed to record its sound during an early morning hike. Enjoy!

You may also like the following post:

Green Ibis!