Orange-crowned Oriole

Overview

The orange-crowned oriole is a species of bird in the family Icteridae, found in Colombia, Panama, and Venezuela. It is considered a common year-round resident in its range, with a stable population of at least 50,000 mature individuals.

Identification

• Adults have an orange-red crown, nape, and sides of the head, contrasting with a black face, throat, and breast.
• The lower back, rump, and underparts below the breast are yellow, with black wings featuring a yellow epaulet.
• Measures 18 to 20 cm long with a black bill, brown iris, and gray legs.
• Song is a loud, musical, whistled "werr, chéet-your-kurr" accompanied by slower, rambling series.

Habitat

It inhabits various semi-open landscapes, including the edges of mesic to humid forest, gallery forest, secondary forest, and ranches or farmed areas with trees in tropical and subtropical zones. Its range spans eastern Panama, northern Colombia, and northern Venezuela, generally up to 1,900 m elevation, though elevational limits vary by location.

Diet

Feeds primarily on insects and other arthropods, with smaller amounts of fruit and nectar. It forages in pairs or family groups within the forest canopy, often in the company of other orioles.

Did you know?

The shiny cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis) acts as a brood parasite of this species, laying its eggs in the orange-crowned oriole's nest.