Hooded Oriole,  Icterus cucullatus

Number of accepted Hooded Oriole records for Louisiana = 6 as of as of 25th Report of the LBRC (2022)



One adult male (87-24) on 20 Apr. 1987, Cameron: HMBS; Diane E. Loria (netted, ph.), HK, WY, JA (Imhof 1987, p. 447, Cardiff et al 1991). This is the first record for Louisiana.

First spring male Hooded Oriole (1989-116) on 29 April 1989, Cameron: Cameron, vicinity of Cameron Parish Courthouse; David P. Muth, Robert D. Purrington, B. Mac Myers III, Phillip A. Wallace, Curtis C. Sorrells, and Paul Sunby.

Photos by B. Mac Myers III

One adult male (1994-129: formerly 93-61) from 21 Jan.-26 Feb. 1994, East Baton Rouge: Baton Rouge, 704 7th Street (residence of Pat McDonald); Jim Lee (ph), John P. Sevenair, Joseph P. Kleiman, Charles E. Lyon, and Paul E. Conover (ph)(FN 48(2):218). This record is the first winter record for the state.

Video still by Paul Conover

One male (99-12) in first basic plumage from 6 Feb-23 Mar 1999; East Baton Rouge: Baton Rouge, 6822 S. Woodgate Ct.; Antoinette De Bosier (ph), Gayle Strickland (ph), Donna L. Dittmann and Steven W. Cardiff (ph taken 4 Mar); NAB 53(2): 176, NAB 53(3): 291, LOS News 187: 4.

One immature female (01-23) on 4-7 Feb 2001, St. James: Gramercy, 524 North Millet Street; Thomas A. Sylvest (LSUMZ 173222; Donna L. Dittmann). This is the first state specimen, and the first record of a female.

One immature male/female (2021-079) on 27 November 2021-to at least 20 February 2022, Lafourche: Thibodaux, Waverly Oaks subdivision, 206 Pamela Place; Beth H. Maniscalco (ph) and Daniel F. Lane (ph). This becomes the sixth accepted state occurrence.

Photo by Beth H. Manscalco

Unaccepted Records

One immature male (1989-080) on 29 April 1989, Cameron: Cameron, N. side of courthouse. This bird was located several hours after another Hooded Oriole (1989-116) was reported, and this may or may not have been the bird reported earlier that day. In considering it as a separate bird/stand-alone report, most Members were unwilling to accept because the description did not convincingly eliminate Orchard Oriole.

One female (2001-080) on 13 April 2001, St. James: Gramercy. All Members agreed that Orchard Oriole was not satisfactorily eliminated from consideration by the relatively brief description. This would have been just the sixth state occurrence and the second female for Louisiana.

One adult male (2001-17) on 28 Apr 2001, Beauregard: DeRidder airport. Only one of three observers submitted a report for this observation. Although the description was suggestive of this species, it was considered too superficial to provide adequate documentation to support identification of Hooded Oriole and exclude other similar species (e.g., Altamira or Streakbacked orioles). In particular, the observer did not describe overall size, bill shape, facial pattern, back color, or wing bar pattern.

One immature male (90-35) on 28 Apr. 1990, Cameron: East Jetty Woods. The description and accompanying sketch were suggestive of this species, but there were a number of inconsistencies in the description, e. g., the shape of the black throat pattern, the pattern and coloration of the back and rump, and the color of the tail did not fit this species. The voice was noted as "difficult to describe"; some attempt at a rendition of the voice might have greatly strengthened this record.

One adult male (2018-039) on 16 June 2018, Cameron: Grand Chenier, Rockefeller Refuge, Price Lake Rd. All Members agreed that the circumstances of the observation (brief sighting of a bird seen in flight only) did not permit the amount of careful study that would be required for acceptance of only the fifth state occurrence.