Salineno, Starr Co., TX, USA - November 20, 2011
Credit: Bill Bouton

North American field guide

Audubon's Oriole

Icterus graduacauda

Also known as:Black-headed Oriole

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Identification

Field notes

24 cm (9-10") Uncommon. Southern Texas. Dense woods and thickets. Secretive, often forages on the ground.

Black head, throat, upper breast, wings and tail. Whole back is olive-green. Belly is yellow. Similar Scott's Oriole has a black upper back. 

Was called Black-headed Oriole.

Song: low soft whistle.

 

Watch and learn

Videos

2 videos
Bird Advisor Identification rules 2 variants 4 rules

These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.

Audubon's Oriole (Male)

2 rules
Rule 1 16 criteria confidence 1
What was the sex of the bird ?
Male · Unknown
What colour was the SIDE ?
Yellow · Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was on the BACK ?
Uniform · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?
Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?
Yellow · Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?
Yellow · Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?
Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BILL ?
Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?
Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Conical and thick · Downcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?
Short · Medium · Long · Unknown
What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ?
Light area between the bill and the eye · Light area running up the side of the neck or head · Sideburn stripe running down beneath the eye · Dark area behind, under, through or around the eye · Crest of feathers on top of the head · Ear "tufts" or horns · NONE of the above or a PLAIN unmarked FACE · Unknown
What colour were the EYES ?
Brown or blackish brown · Black or dark gray · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?
Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?
Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?
Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHERE was the bird seen ?
Southwestern United States
result:1007-audubons-oriole-male:1:1 Source: 1007 Audubon's Oriole (Male), row 1
Rule 2 7 criteria confidence 1
What was the sex of the bird ?
Male · Unknown
Was the bird seen best or only on the ground ?
No
How BIG was the bird ?
Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
List any unique feeding behaviour observed ?
Feeding at flowers
What TYPE of bird was seen ?
Identify from a Unique Behaviour
What type of environment was the bird seen in?
Urban or residential area or at a feeder · Open area: field, prairie, meadow, farmland, tundra · Thickets or shrubs · Deciduous forest · Coniferous forest · Mixed forest · Wooded freshwater habitat · Freshwater marsh or wetland · Freshwater shoreline · Saltwater marsh or wetland · Flat saltwater shore; beach · Rocky saltwater shore; cliff · Only or mostly in flight over freshwater · Only or mostly in flight over land
WHERE was the bird seen ?
Southwestern United States
result:1007-audubons-oriole-male:2:1 Source: 1007 Audubon's Oriole (Male), row 2

Audubon's Oriole (Female)

2 rules
Rule 1 16 criteria confidence 1
What was the sex of the bird ?
Female · Unknown
What colour was the SIDE ?
Yellow · Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was on the BACK ?
Streaked, mottled, spotted, or barred · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?
Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?
Yellow · Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?
Yellow · Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?
Yellow · Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the BILL ?
Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?
Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Conical and thick · Downcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?
Short · Medium · Long · Unknown
What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ?
Light area between the bill and the eye · Light area running up the side of the neck or head · Sideburn stripe running down beneath the eye · Dark area behind, under, through or around the eye · Crest of feathers on top of the head · Ear "tufts" or horns · NONE of the above or a PLAIN unmarked FACE · Unknown
What colour were the EYES ?
Brown or blackish brown · Black or dark gray · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?
Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?
Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?
Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHERE was the bird seen ?
Southwestern United States
result:1008-audubons-oriole-female:1:1 Source: 1008 Audubon's Oriole (Female), row 1
Rule 2 7 criteria confidence 1
What was the sex of the bird ?
Female · Unknown
Was the bird seen best or only on the ground ?
No
How BIG was the bird ?
Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
List any unique feeding behaviour observed ?
Feeding at flowers
What TYPE of bird was seen ?
Identify from a Unique Behaviour
What type of environment was the bird seen in?
Urban or residential area or at a feeder · Open area: field, prairie, meadow, farmland, tundra · Thickets or shrubs · Deciduous forest · Coniferous forest · Mixed forest · Wooded freshwater habitat · Freshwater marsh or wetland · Freshwater shoreline · Saltwater marsh or wetland · Flat saltwater shore; beach · Rocky saltwater shore; cliff · Only or mostly in flight over freshwater · Only or mostly in flight over land
WHERE was the bird seen ?
Southwestern United States
result:1008-audubons-oriole-female:2:1 Source: 1008 Audubon's Oriole (Female), row 2