Streak-backed Oriole Flying Above Cerro Lodge

A Streak-backed Oriole passes across an opening with its orange head held forward and both patterned wings spread against the blue sky at Cerro Lodge and the Carara area in Costa Rica. Flame-orange head and body, a black bib and strongly streaked black-and-white back identify this Pacific dry-forest oriole. The exposure of 1/4000 sec, f/5.6 and ISO 5000 freezes the decisive body position and separates the principal wing and tail feathers while retaining only fine traces of motion at the fastest edges; the photograph was made in natural light without flash.