Oriole

oriole, common name applied to various perching birds of the Old (family Oriolidae) and New (family Icteridae) Worlds. The European orioles are allied to the crows, while the American orioles, of the hangnest group, belong to the blackbird and meadowlark family. Old World orioles are found in forests and are large birds (8–12 in./20–30 cm). They are swift fliers. Orioles have clear calls and some are very good mimics. Mainly insectivorous, the Old World orioles also eat fruits, mainly berries. These orioles build cup-shaped nests in which to lay their clutches of two to five eggs. Both sexes incubate the eggs. The golden oriole of Europe is a beautiful orange-yellow bird with black wings and tail that ranges from England to Siberia and winters in Africa. The related mango bird inhabits India, and allied species are found in Africa and Australia. The black-naped oriole, Oriolus chinensis, is a black and yellow bird found from India to the Philippines. The New World orioles are considerably smaller than the Old World birds. In the male Baltimore oriole of E North America the head, throat, shoulders, wings, and tail are black and the rest of the plumage is orange. Its nest, a deep, woven bag, is suspended from the tip of a high branch. New World orioles also feed chiefly on insects and fruit. In the orchard oriole, chestnut replaces the brilliant orange of the Baltimore oriole. Bullock's oriole, of W North America, has orange markings on the head. New World orioles lay four to six eggs per clutch and both sexes incubate the eggs. Orioles are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Aves, order Passeriformes, families Icteridae (New World orioles) and Oriolidae (Old World orioles).

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oriole

Golden oriole (Oriolus oriolus)

(credit: (Top) H. Schrempp—Bruce Coleman Inc., (bottom) R. Austing—Bruce Coleman Inc.)

Any songbird of 24 species in the Old World genus Oriolus (family Oriolidae) or 30 species in the New World genus Icterus (family Icteridae). Males typically are black and yellow or black and orange, with some white. Females are less colourful. Orioles are not easily seen but may be detected by their loud whistling and jarring notes. All are insect eaters (several species also eat fruit) in woodlands and gardens, chiefly in warm regions. The only European species is the 9.5-in. (24-cm) golden oriole (O. oriolus). Other Oriolus species are found in Africa, Asia, and Australia. The Baltimore oriole (I. galbula) breeds in North America east of the Rocky Mountains.

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oriole

1. any songbird of the mainly tropical Old World family Oriolidae, such as Oriolus oriolus (golden oriole), having a long pointed bill and a mostly yellow-and-black plumage

2. any American songbird of the family Icteridae, esp those of the genus Icterus, such as the Baltimore oriole, with a typical male plumage of black with either orange or yellow

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Oriole 

(Oriolus oriolus), a bird of the order Passeriformes. Length, approximately 25 cm. The male’s plumage is golden yellow with black markings, and the female and young are greenish with spotted breasts. The oriole is prevalent in northwest Africa, Europe, and Asia; in the USSR it lives in deciduous and mixed forests. Orioles reproduce once a year. They build hanging nests attached to the forks of trees at a height of 1.5–20 m. The female lays three to five eggs. The oriole’s song is flutelike, and its loud cry sounds like the meowing of an angry cat. The oriole feeds on insects, and less often on berries. It is a bird of passage, wintering in Africa.

A similar species is found in the Far East: the Chinese oriole (Oriolus chinensis).