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Yellow Oriole Icterus nigrogularis Scientific name definitions

Rosendo Fraga
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated January 1, 2011

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Introduction

Although it does have black in its plumage, the Yellow Oriole derives its common name from the  large extent of yellow in its plumage relative to all other orioles, with its black restricted to the tail, a narrow yellow bib, and the wings. The Yellow Oriole is a common resident in lowlands below 500 m in northern South America and adjoining Caribbean islands from northeastern Colombia to the mouth of the Amazon. It occurs in a variety of open forest habitats such as deciduous woodland, scrub, and in urban areas. This is the only icterid in its range with the combination of an all yellow back and white wing bars.

Field Identification

20–21 cm; male average 39·5 g, female average 37·4 g (Suriname). Male nominate race has black area around eye and lores (mask) and in narrow band from chin to upper breast (bib); remainder of head and body bright orange-yellow; wing and tail black, lesser and median wing-coverts yellow, greater coverts tipped white, primaries edged white basally, inner secondaries and tertials edged white; iris dark brown; bill black, blue-grey at base of lower mandible; legs grey. Female is similar to male, but with olivaceous tinge in yellow areas of plumage. Juvenile is duller and greenish, lacking black mask and bib, and with greenish tail. Races differ mainly in size, bill size and plumage coloration: curasoensis is paler yellow overall than nominate, with more white in wing, longer bill; helioeides is larger and stronger-billed than nominate, plumage more orange-tinged, has most white in wing; trinitatis resembles previous, but bill on average smaller, and has least white in wing (lacking on primaries).

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.

Four subspecies recognized.

Subspecies


SUBSPECIES

Icterus nigrogularis nigrogularis Scientific name definitions

Distribution

NW and NE Colombia (Caribbean region S to middle Magdalena Valley, and in Meta and Vichada), Venezuela (from Zulia E, mostly N of R Orinoco, to Delta Amacuro), Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana, and N Brazil (Roraima and Amapá).

SUBSPECIES

Icterus nigrogularis curasoensis Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Leeward Antilles (Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire).

SUBSPECIES

Icterus nigrogularis helioeides Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Margarita I, off N Venezuela.

SUBSPECIES

Icterus nigrogularis trinitatis Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Trinidad, and nearby NE Venezuela (Paria Peninsula).

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

In Caribbean region mostly in arid to semi-arid woodland and scrub, with cacti, mesquite (Prosopis) and acacia (Acacia); in seasonally dry Llanos del Orinoco of interior Colombia and Venezuela frequents open woodland and edges of gallery forest; in Trinidad avoids unbroken forest and dry savannas. In Suriname found mostly in mangroves. Also cultivated land with trees and shrubs, riparian habitat, parks and gardens in towns. Lowlands below 800 m, but reported at up to 1800 m.

Movement

Apparently resident.

Diet and Foraging

Stomach contents of 14 birds from Netherlands Antilles all included animal matter, and in eight cases also vegetal matter. Insects were mostly small beetles (Coleoptera), flies (Diptera), lepidopteran caterpillars, with some cicadas (Cicadidae) and grasshoppers (Orthoptera); other arthropods were spiders (Araneae) and wind scorpions (Solifugae). Feeds also on fruits of Barbados cherry (Malphigia punicifolia) and date palms (Phoenix dactylifera). Takes nectar from flowers of the trees Erythrina fusca and Pithecellobium saman. Usually in pairs or small groups.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Song relatively soft, consists of repeated flute-like notes mixed with buzzes and harsher notes. Mimicry of other birds reported. Alarm call “chet-chet-chet”.

Breeding

Season Jan–Aug in Trinidad, Feb–Aug in Suriname, and May–Sept in llanos of Venezuela. Apparently monogamous and territorial. Solitary nester. Nest a pendent pouch 25–50 cm long, 11 cm in diameter at bottom, woven from diverse plant fibres, mostly grass and palm fibres (colour of nest varies from greyish-brown to reddish-brown), sometimes fragments of plastic or paper, or string, incorporated, nest walls thicker at bottom, which contains lining of softer materials; attached to tree or shrub branch, often high in tamarind (Tamarindus indica) in Netherlands Antilles, or to Avicennia mangrove elsewhere; reported as nesting also in coconut palm (Cocos nucifera); may build close to older, disused nests; in Venezuela may nest close to aggressive birds, such as Great Kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus) or colonies of Cacicus cela. Nests usurped by Piratic Flycatcher (Legatus leucophaius) in Trinidad, possibly also in Venezuela. Clutch usually 2–3 eggs, in Santa Marta region of Colombia ten nests had 3 eggs, six held 2 eggs, and one 5 eggs (perhaps from two females), greenish-white or creamy white with sparse spotting and blotching in brownish, mauve and black, mean dimensions 24·6 × 16·6 mm (ten eggs from Trinidad average 27·1 × 17·9 mm); no information on incubation and nestling periods and on roles of sexes in parental care. Nests parasitized by Molothrus bonariensis in Trinidad.
Not globally threatened. Common throughout most of range. Very abundant in N Venezuela and on nearby islands; also numerous in parts of Netherlands Antilles, but rare on Bonaire.
Distribution of the Yellow Oriole - Range Map
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Distribution of the Yellow Oriole

Recommended Citation

Fraga, R. (2020). Yellow Oriole (Icterus nigrogularis), 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.yelori1.01
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