African Golden Oriole

Overview

The African golden oriole, or African oriole, is a passerine bird in the family Oriolidae that serves as a resident breeder across Africa south of the Sahara desert. It exists as two recognised subspecies, the Senegal golden oriole and the South African golden oriole.

Identification

• Males display striking Oriolus auratus plumage that is predominantly yellow with solid black only in the flight feathers and tail centre, featuring notable gold in the wings.
• Females appear as a drabber green, distinguished by more contrasting wings and black around the eye.
• The song is described as a beautiful fluting 'fee-ooo fee-ooo', which is unmistakable once heard.
• Flight is strong and direct with shallow dips over longer distances, somewhat resembling that of a thrush.

Habitat

This species inhabits thick bush and other well-wooded areas, with its range extending from Senegal and Gambia to western Ethiopia and southern Somalia in the north, and from Angola to central Mozambique in the south.

Diet

The bird feeds on insects and fruit, especially figs, which it finds within the tree canopies where it spends the majority of its time.

Did you know?

The common name 'oriole' is believed to be onomatopoeic, originating from the Latin 'oriolus' recorded by Albertus Magnus around 1250 to mimic the bird's song.