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Winter: Mexico. Breeding habitat Desert grassland prairies and mountain canyons, particularly if yucca or palms are present. Pinyon-juniper woodlands, sycamores, and cottonwoods are frequently used as nesting trees. They always live within range of a reliable water source, but are not normally found in humid, forested mountains and the high plains areas. They are most common on and near the desert foothills and mountains of southern and southwestern New Mexico. Conservation status Although a locally common breeder in proper habitat, the Scott’s Oriole is showing a steady populations decline across its small U.S. breeding range. It is listed as a priority species by Arizona Partners in Flight. This oriole’s precise breeding requirements and sensitivity to disturbance are poorly known, and further study will be important for maintaining healthy populations and reversing declines. Description Male: A black hood covers the head, face, mantle, throat, and central breast; lower breast, belly, and undertail are bright lemon-yellow, as is the rump and a patch on the upper wing. Wings, the central tail feathers, and a wide band at the tip of the tail are also black, 1 slender white wing bar. Female: Upperparts are olive with dark streaks on back, underparts are dull greenish-yellow with a variable amount of black on the throat. Wings show two white wing bars. Juvenile: Head and upperparts are grayish, some dusky streaking on back; underparts are drab grayish-yellow, brightest on belly. Vocalizations Songs: Low, clear whistles with slightly gurgling quality, reminiscent of Western Meadowlark but pitch remains level or rises slightly. Calls: A harsh, relatively low-pitched cherk, jug, or shack. "Flight call" is a husky, low zhet. Foraging strategy Frequently observed climbing in drooping branches and twigs, and along delicate yucca flowers. Probes flowers for nectar and gleans the small insects the flower attracts; gleans available fruit. Diet Mainly insects, including grasshoppers, small beetles, caterpillars, butterflies and insect larvae, berries and cactus fruit; also flower nectar. Behavior and displays Courtship Nesting Nest site: Will use the branches of almost any available shrub or tree, suspending the nest from the branch base. Often found in the dead portion of a yucca underneath the live crown, laced to the dead blades. The color of these dried leaves acts as camouflage, the leaves provide protection from bad weather and potential predators. Height: Ranges from 3-25 feet (1-7.5 meters). Nest: Female constructs a pendant nest woven through overhanging leaves or suspended from twigs. Nest materials include yucca and palm fibers, fine grass; cup is lined with fine grass, cotton waste, hair. Eggs: 2-5, usually 3-4 pale bluish-white eggs blotched, streaked, and spotted with brown, black, purple, and gray. Incubation period: 12-14 days, solely by female. Nestling period: Both parents tend to the young. Fledgling period: Young leave nest at 14 days. Broods: Double brooded. Cowbird Parasitism: Rare host of Bronzed Cowbird. |
western Colorado, central New Mexico and
west Texas; south into Mexico, where it is present year-round in the central and southern
regions. 
