Hooded Oriole

Overview

Hooded Oriole: Medium oriole with bright orange-yellow head and nape, and black back, face, throat, and upper breast. Bill is slightly decurved. Black wings have two white bars. Tail is black. Forages in trees and bushes. Eats insects, caterpillars, and nectar. Strong direct flight.

Range and Habitat

Hooded Oriole: Breeds from central California, Nevada, central Arizona, southern New Mexico, and southern Texas southward. A few spend winters in southern California and southern Texas. Found in deciduous and riparian woodlands and human habitations, often near ranches or towns.

INTERESTING FACTS

The Hooded Oriole is a social species. They tend to flock with related birds such as the Bullocks Oriole.

When the nest is suspended from palm leaves, the female pokes holes in the leaf from below and pushes the fibers through, effectively sewing the nest to the leaf.

A group of orioles are collectively known as a "pitch" and a "split" of orioles.

The Hooded Oriole has a large range, estimated globally at 1,100,000 square kilometers. Native to North America, this bird prefers subtropical or tropical forest ecosystems but has been known to live in urban areas. The global population of this bird is estimated to be 610,000 individuals and does not show signs of decline that would necessitate inclusion on the IUCN Red List. For this reason, the current evaluation status of the Hooded Oriole is Least Concern.