Orchard Oriole
Icterus spurius
The Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius) is a common new world blackbirds, troupials, and alli found in 21 countries, weighing about 19 g. The orchard oriole is the smallest species of icterid.
About the Orchard Oriole
The orchard oriole is the smallest species of icterid. The subspecies of the Caribbean coast of Mexico, I. s. fuertesi, is sometimes considered a separate species, the ochre oriole or Fuertes's oriole.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
Measurements: Length: 5.9–7.1 in (15–18 cm) Weight: 0.6–1.0 oz (16–28 g) Wingspan: 9.8 in (25 cm) The bill is pointed and black with some blue-gray at the base of the lower mandible. The adult male of the nominate subspecies has chestnut on the underparts, shoulder, and rump, with the rest of the plumage black. In the subspecies I. s. fuertesi, the chestnut is replaced with ochre. The adult female and the juvenile of both subspecies have olive-green on the upper parts and yellowish on the breast and belly. All adults have pointed bills and white wing bars.
What the Orchard Oriole sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in U.S. Virgin Islands.
When to see it
Best months: April, May, June, July, August, with peak activity in May. It is a summer visitor species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify an Orchard Oriole?
- Measurements: Length: 5.9–7.1 in (15–18 cm) Weight: 0.6–1.0 oz (16–28 g) Wingspan: 9.8 in (25 cm) The bill is pointed and black with some blue-gray at the base of the lower mandible. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is an Orchard Oriole?
- The Orchard Oriole is a small sized bird weighing about 19 g.
- Where can you see an Orchard Oriole?
- The Orchard Oriole occurs in 21 countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Belize and Guatemala.
- What does an Orchard Oriole sound like?
- You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Orchard Oriole on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to an Orchard Oriole?
- The Orchard Oriole is most easily confused with the Hooded Oriole, the Altamira Oriole and the Streak-backed Oriole.
Learn the Orchard Oriole for real
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