help id this bird from mexico

[Gato Moteado]

a friend of mine lives in oaxaca, mexico and she sent me some photos of birds she'd taken recently. here's one i couldn't identify. it looks like some sort of tanager but i'm not sure. anyone out here that knows what this is, please help us out:

http://i55.photobucket.com.nyud.net:8090/albums/g138/GatoMoteado/yellow3compri.jpg

[semillama]

1. I could be wrong

But I'm pretty sure that's an Altamira Oriole, based on the black bib and the orange extending into the shoulder.

Here's a pair for comparison that was photographed in Texas from realbirder.com:

[XemaSab]

2. That's what I'm leaning towards with Streak-backed Oriole as another possibility

I've never seen a Streak-backed, so I'm not really sure how to tell them apart. :shrug:

[ailsagirl]

3. Could it be a Hooded Oriole?

[XemaSab]

4. That's another good call

My birds of Mexico shows that Altamira and Streak-backed have yellow/orange extending onto the wing bars (tertials), whereas Hooded would only have white wing bars.

The picture at the top is a little hazy, but I was interpreting it as showing color on the wings.

Irritatingly enough, the other features one would hope to see, such as size and decurvature of the bill and the full wing pattern are not visible from this angle. But I guess that's how birding goes sometimes. :)

[semillama]

5. Another thing that argues against Hooded

is how the black on the face extends down the breast in nearly a straight line, whereas with Altamira and Streak-backed, the black curves away from the back of the head on the neck and back in on the breast, which is visible in the original photo. Also, I don't think Hooded has as bright a burning orange color, but I could be wrong.

On edit: here's a streak-backed Oriole for comparison to the other orioles. I think that after comparing all three possibilities to the original photo, Altamira Oriole is the most probable species. You can see in the original photo how the black on the back extends up to the nape of the neck, whereas with Streak-backed, that same area should have appeared a dull orange. Of course, having never seen any of these orioles in the wild, I could be completely off.

[ailsagirl]

6. Wow, you people have SHARP EYES

Which, of course, you need when you're a birder.

I didn't even check if Hooded Orioles are found that far south. I've seen
them here (Northern California).

:)

[semillama]

7. It's easy when it's a pictture

Live birds flying away from you? not so much!

[ailsagirl]

8. Don't be humble-- birding is a challenging and rewarding hobby

BTW, have you ever <i>heard</i> the sounds a Hooded Oriole makes??
Indescribable!!

[Theres-a]

9. Off topic,but

My friend just came back from Costa Rica,and she saw toucans! Blows me away. I hope she got a photo of one! Also she saw wild monkeys and 2 varieties of sloth. Man I am jealous.

[semillama]

10. You and me both! Costa Rica- what a trip

Perhaps when I am old and grey, I may be able to go. Hopefully there will still be rain forests around.