Eurasian Golden Oriole

Oriolus oriolus

Least ConcernCommonOmnivoreWoodlandCup nestMedium · 79 g

About the Eurasian Golden Oriole

The Eurasian golden oriole, also known as the common golden oriole, is a species of passerine bird and the only Old World oriole breeding in Northern Hemisphere temperate regions. It is a summer migrant in Europe and the Palearctic and spends the winter season in central and southern Africa.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

ID tip

The male is striking in the typical oriole black and yellow plumage, but the female is a drabber green bird. Orioles are shy, and even the male is remarkably difficult to see in the dappled yellow and green leaves of the canopy. In flight they look somewhat like a thrush, strong and direct with some shallow dips over longer distances. Its call is a harsh "kweeaahk", but the song is a fluting weela-wee-ooo or or-iii-ole, unmistakable once heard, often with subtle variations between each phrase.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

What the Eurasian Golden Oriole sounds like

Recording: Christian Kahle · CC0 · via xeno-canto
Recording: Christian Kahle · CC0 · via xeno-canto
Recording: Thomas Jansson · CC0 · via xeno-canto

Where it lives

Regular rangeRare visitor

Recorded as a rare visitor in India, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Guinea, Seychelles, Tajikistan, Gibraltar, Gabon, Mayotte, Sierra Leone.

When to see it

Peak activity in May · a summer visitor species across most of its range

Easily confused with

Side by side: Black-hooded Oriole vs Eurasian Golden Oriole · Eurasian Golden Oriole vs Indian Golden Oriole · Eurasian Golden Oriole vs Olive-backed Oriole

Learn the Eurasian Golden Oriole for real

BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.

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