Maroon Oriole Oriolus traillii Scientific name definitions

25·5–28 cm; 67–81 g. Male nominate race has head and neck to upper mantle and upper breast entirely glossy black, rest of body deep metallic maroon; upperwing glossy black, tail pale maroon; iris creamy white; bill pale blue-grey; legs pale blue. Female has head blackish brown, merging above into dark brown mantle (sometimes with maroon wash), rump maroon-chestnut; wing dark brown with paler edging, central tail feathers maroon-brown, outer rectrices paler brownish-maroon on inner webs; throat, breast and belly whitish with traces of maroon wash, all heavily streaked with blackish, undertail-coverts maroon; in some birds, chin to upper breast black; bare parts as male. Immature male is similar to female, but head and throat black, back darker than female, and chest to belly streaked maroon and black; iris brown. Male <i>robinsoni</i> is smaller and a lighter, more crimson maroon than nominate; nigellicauda differs from nominate in being bright crimson with little gloss, rather than metallic glossy maroon; <em>ardens</em> is like previous but larger, and with rather stouter bill.

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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.

Dense moist deciduous, semi-evergreen or evergreen forests and forest edge, e.g. oak (Quercus) forests or subtropical pine (Pinus) forests; moves into more deciduous forests and adjacent plantations in winter. Up to 4000 m in China, but only to 2500 m in Nepal and Bhutan, and 2100 m in Thailand; lower in non-breeding season, e.g. 1200–2100 m in winter in Nepal.

Some altitudinal movement. In cold weather and during winter, individuals move from summer elevations to lower altitudes (below 1800 m), so that some passage or wintering birds regularly found in lowlands of Bangladesh, N Laos, Tonkin, N Annam or Thailand.

Nectar, berries, fruits, especially figs (Ficus), and invertebrates, e.g. caterpillars. Forages secretively, alone, in pairs or in small flocks, from middle storey up to canopy; sometimes descends to understorey or ground. Often joins mixed-species flocks.

Harsh “kee-ah” or “ko-kay-wa”, usually followed by rich liquid fluty whistles , “pi-io-io”; also a nasal miaowing “nyaooooow”.

Breeds Apr–Jun in India and Mar in Myanmar. Nest, built by both sexes, a deep cup woven from bark and other vegetable fibres, grass stems, tendrils, bamboo sheaths, leaves and green mosses, lined with fine grasses and rootlets, bound with cobwebs, external diameter 12·7 cm, height 7–8·9 cm, internal diameter 8·3–10·1 cm, depth 5·1–6·4 cm, suspended hammock-like from thin, horizontal forked branch usually high in outer edge of well-foliaged tree canopy. Clutch 2–3 eggs, white with creamy or pink tinge, with reddish-brown, dark purplish-brown or blackish spots and streaks concentrated at obtuse end and surrounded by brownish-red haloes, dimensions 26·3–30·7 × 18·1–21·7 mm; both sexes incubate eggs and tend chicks, no information on duration of incubation and nestling periods.

Not globally threatened. Fairly common to common in most parts of its range of c. 1,000,000–10,000,000 km². Occurs in various protected areas in breeding range, e.g. Diding Nature Reserve (Guangxi).