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Oriole Finch Linurgus olivaceus Scientific name definitions

Peter Clement
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated June 25, 2013

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Originally Appeared in

HBW Alive

Field Identification

12–13 cm; 18–29·5 g. Small to medium-sized, brightly coloured finch with conical bill. Male nominate race has entire head to hindcrown, chin and upper throat jet-black, nape and lower side of neck bright yellow, lower nape to back and scapulars, also lesser and median upperwing-coverts, yellowish-green, becoming yellow across lower back to rump and uppertail-coverts; tail light olive, broadly fringed yellow; greater upperwing-coverts blackish, broadly edged greenish-yellow and tipped bright yellow, flight-feathers black, tips of secondaries and tertials broadly fringed yellow, tips of lower tertial, outer secondaries and primaries creamy white; underparts golden-yellow, tinged orange on upper breast and greenish on flanks; iris black; bill bright orange-yellow; legs orange-brown. Female has forehead to nape, face, chin and throat dull grey to olive-green, upperparts, including lesser and median coverts, and tail dull greenish-olive, or slightly paler on rump and uppertail-coverts; greater coverts blackish, finely edged green and broadly tipped yellow, flight-feathers also blackish, secondaries and tertials broadly edged green or yellowish-green and tipped bright yellow; underparts greenish or yellowish-green, brighter yellow on undertail-coverts; bill more yellowish, less orange, than male's. Juvenile is similar to female, but head more uniform or only slightly greyer than duller green upperparts and streaked finely darker on crown and face, yellow tips of greater coverts and edges of flight-feathers duller, underparts pale yellow or yellowish-buff, streaked finely brownish on breast and flanks, bill brown or blackish-brown. Race prigoginei lacks yellow collar below black head, has underparts tinged orange-brown; elgonensis has entire upperparts bright golden-yellow, tinged brown or golden-brown on mantle, back and scapulars, broad silvery white on inner webs of secondaries and tertials, creamy white on tips of primaries, bright yellow tail and underparts, female similar to nominate but with outer webs of secondaries bright yellow and underparts dull olive with yellowish wash; kilimensis is darker olive above and below, black of head often extends to centre of upper breast, and tail almost entirely dark olive, edged and finely tipped yellow, female has lores dark grey, face dark grey with olive-green flecks, chin olive-green.

Systematics History

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Present arrangement of races possibly comprises more than one species, with nominate and kilimensis being quite divergent genetically (others not sampled) (1), but a more detailed and comprehensive analysis of all populations is required before determining species limits. Four subspecies recognized.

Subspecies

SUBSPECIES

Linurgus olivaceus olivaceus Scientific name definitions

Linurgus olivaceus olivaceus
L. o. olivaceus +1

Distribution

SE Nigeria, W Cameroon and Bioko.
SUBSPECIES

Linurgus olivaceus prigoginei Scientific name definitions

Distribution

E DRCongo, extreme SW Uganda, W Rwanda and W Burundi.
SUBSPECIES

Linurgus olivaceus elgonensis Scientific name definitions

Linurgus olivaceus elgonensis
L. o. elgonensis

Distribution

SE South Sudan, E Uganda and W and C Kenya.
SUBSPECIES

Linurgus olivaceus kilimensis Scientific name definitions

Linurgus olivaceus kilimensis
L. o. kilimensis

Distribution

extreme SC Kenya (Mt Ol Doinyo Orok, in Namanga Hills), Tanzania and N Malawi.

Distribution

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Habitat

Inhabits undergrowth, clearings and edges of lower montane and submontane evergreen forest and cloudforest at altitude range of 1700–3000 m; also occurs in damp riverine forests, eucalypt (Eucalyptus) plantations, thickets, ravines, gardens, scrub and areas of long grass; can be found in dwarf trees and stunted bamboo above tree-line. Nominate race occurs down to 1000 m on Mt Cameroon.

Movement

Resident and partial migrant; small numbers of high-elevation breeders wander or move erratically to lower levels in non-breeding season.

Diet and Foraging

Mostly seeds of trees and large shrubs, including albizias, millet, nettles, figs (Ficus), cultivated tobacco plants (Nicotiana) and grasses; also algae, taken from sides of pools and slow-moving rivers; also occasionally caterpillars. Forages low down in undergrowth, in scrub or to middle or canopy level of cloudforest and bamboo clumps; takes seeds from tree foliage, saprophytic orchids, lianas and along liana-covered branches, and feeds at flowerheads; shy and restless, most often recorded at forest edge. Forages alone, in pairs and in small loose or scattered groups.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Song a series of variably rapid and slow musical trills interspersed with longer drawn-out whistled "seeeeeeee", a chattering "tsaa-tsaa-tsaa" or "tsee-too, tsee-too", also a soft churring concluding with a soft or melodic whistle; song of race kilimensis similar, "cheep cheep cheep cheep tsee tsee tsee tsee chureeeeeee swee tsip-tsip-tsip-tsip chereeeep", the long middle and final notes upslurred; song of elgonensis more variable, a short and rapid "tsew-tsew-tsew siiiiiiiiiii" which may conclude with thin or high-pitched notes, or several high-pitched notes terminating in thin twitter, "seet-seet, seet-seet-seet-sweeet, suweet sieu-sieu, cheew chew-chew-chew titititititi". Calls include high-pitched or wheezing "tssip", "twee", "tzit-tzit" and "sip-sip".

Breeding

Season Nov–Feb. Presumed monogamous and solitary. Nest built by female, a shallow untidy cup of moss, lichens, plant fibres and plant down, placed within 1·5 m of ground in bush. Clutch 2–3 eggs, white, sometimes sparsely speckled or finely lined reddish-brown. No further information.

Conservation Status

Conservation status on Birdlife LC Least Concern
Not globally threatened. Reckoned to be generally uncommon throughout, although locally common in some parts. Described as not uncommon in W portion of range (nominate race).
Distribution of the Oriole Finch - Range Map
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  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the Oriole Finch

eBird and Macaulay Library

Recommended Citation

Clement, P. (2020). Oriole Finch (Linurgus olivaceus), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.orifin1.01
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