Hooded Orioles are migratory, arriving in March or very late February, departing in late August and early September. They feed on both insects and flower nectar. These are Bushtits, the smallest birds in California except for hummingbirds. They are very social, living in flocks all year except when nesting. Their nest is unique, a large bag of soft material with a roof and entrance on the side near the top.
Bushtits feed entirely on minute insects.
Unfortunately, smuggling parrots out of Mexico is a big business. Probably birds released by or escaped from smugglers have joined with birds escaped from cages north of the border. Some species of parrots are seriously threatened by destruction of their native forest habitat simultaneously with trapping of the young for cage birds. Other species are possible, and more than one species may flock together. An exact description of the wing and head pattern is essential for identification.