Audubon's Oriole

Audubon's Oriole is a striking but often elusive oriole named in honor of naturalist John James Audubon. Adults show a solid black hood covering the head and throat, a black tail, and black wings with a yellow shoulder patch, contrasting with an otherwise greenish-yellow body. Unlike many orioles, males and females look essentially alike, and the species tends to be quieter and more skulking than its showier relatives.

In the United States, Audubon's Oriole is restricted to dense woodlands and thorn scrub of the lower Rio Grande Valley in south Texas, where it is considered a local specialty much sought after by birders, while the species is more widespread through the woodlands of eastern and southern Mexico.

Key Field Marks

• Solid black hood covering the entire head and throat
• Greenish-yellow body, black wings and tail, yellow shoulder patch
• Stocky build with a fairly heavy, straight bill
• Sexes similar in appearance

Similar Species

• Scott's Oriole has a black back in addition to the black hood, with more sharply demarcated lemon-yellow (not greenish-yellow) underparts, and prefers arid yucca habitat rather than dense woodland.
• Altamira Oriole is larger and brighter orange rather than greenish-yellow, without a full black hood extending as far down.

Habitat

Audubon's Oriole favors dense riparian woodland, thorn forest, and brushy understory, generally staying low and hidden within thick vegetation rather than the open canopy favored by many other orioles.

Range

In the U.S., restricted to the lower Rio Grande Valley of south Texas; more broadly distributed through the woodlands of eastern and central Mexico.

Migration

Non-migratory (resident) throughout its range.

Behavior

More retiring than most orioles, Audubon's Oriole tends to stay low in dense cover and can be difficult to observe despite its bold plumage, often detected first by voice.

Voice

The song is a slow, deliberate series of clear, whistled notes with a somewhat hesitant, halting quality, quite different from the faster warbling songs of most other orioles.

Feeding

Feeds on insects, fruit, and nectar gleaned from dense shrub and understory vegetation.

Nesting & Breeding

Builds a shallow, cup-shaped hanging nest (less elongated than many oriole nests), typically placed in dense foliage. The female incubates the eggs while remaining well hidden from view.