Western Oriole

Overview

The western oriole, also known as the western black-headed oriole, is a species of bird in the family Oriolidae native to Africa. It is currently rated as a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species.

Identification

• Adult upperparts are yellow-olive with black heads extending to the upper breast, and yellow underparts.
• A small white patch marks the periphery of the wings, while the black tail feathers feature broad yellow tips.
• Measures 21 cm in length with a brownish-pink beak; juveniles possess olive upperparts and a black-streaked breast.
• Produces fluty vocalisations such as uoo-uoo and whoo-lioo, along with a harsh whit-cheeew-cheeew.

Habitat

Native to the tropical rainforests of West and Central Africa, including Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Benin, Ghana, and regions extending to Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Angola. It inhabits canopies of lowland primary and secondary forests, forest clearings with shrubs, and forest edges, usually occurring individually or in pairs.

Did you know?

Genetic data indicates that the western oriole and the green-headed oriole are sister species.