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McGILL BIRD OBSERVATORY |
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SY male Baltimore Orioles are largely black on the head and back, but usually there is some orange spotting within one or both areas. When perched, brown juvenile feathers on the wing may contrast visibly with the newly replaced black adult feathers.
SY Baltimore Orioles typically show conspicuous molt limits on the wings, most commonly within the greater coverts. The new black feathers with distinct white edges contrast sharply with the older uniformly brown feathers that they replace. The location of the molt limit varies between individuals, and over time. In the first photo below, the molt is relatively advanced, with all greater coverts and the tertials replaced; in the second it has only just begun, with two new greater coverts.
Usually at least the central pair of rectrices on SY males are black, and often others also have black patches. The extent of tail replacement varies greatly between individuals. Some, such as the first photo below, have replaced almost all of their rectrices by May (only r5 and r6 on the left side are retained juvenile feathers), while others, such as the second photo below, still have mostly brown juvenile feathers. While the specific patterns vary, any mixture of brown and black rectrices is very likely to indicate SY male.
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