Orchard Oriole

Orchard Oriole, adult male, TX, April

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Orchard Oriole, female, FL, May

Orchard Oriole, male,1st year plumage

Orchard Oriole nest

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

The smallest North American oriole, the Orchard Oriole is found nesting in shade trees along streams, rivers and lakes, and on farms and parklands. The rich chestnut color of the adult male can be so dark that he may appear all black before you get your binoculars on him.

Description

• Small oriole, medium-sized songbird.
• Long tail.
• Thin, pointed bill.
• Wingbars.
• Adult male deep brick red with all-black head, back, and tail.
• Female and yearling male yellow-green, male with black bib.

• Size: 15-18 cm (6-7 in)
• Wingspan: 25 cm (10 in)
• Weight: 16-28 g (0.56-0.99 ounces)

Sex Differences

Adult male deep brick red with black head. Female all greenish yellow. Yearling male yellow with black bib.

Sound

Song a rich, whistled warbling with some guttural notes, ending with a slurred "wheer." Calls include a soft "chuk" and a rapid chatter.

Conservation Status

Generally common, but may be declining in some areas.

Other Names

Oriole des vergers (French)
Bolsero castaño, Calandria café, Pararo de huertos, Turpial de huertos (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• Only loosely territorial, the Orchard Oriole is often described as a "semicolonial" species in areas of prime habitat, but it is relatively solitary in marginal habitats. In areas of dense nesting, one tree may contain multiple nests.
• The Orchard Oriole is a rather late spring migrant, but it heads back southward quickly. Some orioles may return to their wintering grounds as early as mid-July.

• The Orchard Oriole eats nectar and pollen from flowers, especially during the winter. It is an important pollinator for some tropical tree species, transferring the pollen from flower to flower on its head.

Sources used to construct this page:

Scharf, W. C., and J. Kren. 1996. Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius). In The Birds of North America, No. 255 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.