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Altamira Oriole

Icterus gularisOrder: PASSERIFORMESFamily: Blackbirds and Orioles (Icteridae)

Altamira Oriole Breeding Male Portrait
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Altamira Oriole Variations

Altamira Oriole: Juvenile
Default description
Altamira Oriole: Juvenile
Altamira Oriole: Immature
Default description
Altamira Oriole: Immature
Altamira Oriole Breeding: Male
Default description
Altamira Oriole Breeding: Male

General

Altamira Oriole: Largest North American oriole, with brilliant yellow-orange body and black back, mask, bib, and tail. Wings are black with white bar and feather edges. Female is duller, with dark brown wings and olive-yellow back. Juvenile is duller and appears more yellow, with dark brown wings and olive-yellow back; lacks black mask during first summer.

Range and Habitat

Altamira Oriole: Native of Mexico; has small range in the southern tip of Texas. Preferred habitats include riparian woodlands, open woodlands, arid scrub, and mesquite in the lower Rio Grande Valley of southeastern Texas.

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"chee-choo", "yehuk"

Interesting Facts

  • Altamira orioles are seasonally monogamous and may be for life. They are almost always seen in pairs.
  • They seem to prefer the northwest quadrants of trees, as 9 out of 10 nests observed have been built in that part of a tree's canopy.
  • Their singing is described as being "a loud, musical, but hesitant series of whistles, reminiscent of an inexperienced human whistler."
  • A group of orioles are collectively known as a "pitch" and a "split" of orioles.


Author

Gary Owen Dick

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Range Map for Altamira Oriole
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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.
Family Orioles and Blackbirds (Icteridae)_blue
Species Icterus gularis
Length9 - 10 Inches
Wingspan14.25 Inches

Altamira Oriole

Altamira Oriole: Largest North American oriole, bright yellow-orange body, black back, mask, bib, and tail. Bill is black. Wings are black with white bar and feather edges. Gray legs and feet. Feeds on caterpillars, insects, fruits, and berries. Swift, strong flight on rapid wing beats.

● Song: "chee-choo", "yehuk"

● Foraging & Feeding: Altamira Oriole: Feeds on insect, spiders, and fruits such as figs and berries.

● Breeding & nesting: Altamira Oriole: Three to four white eggs heavily marked with brown are laid in a fibrous nest made of grass and plant materials, and suspended from a tree branch or utility wire. Incubation ranges from 12 to 14 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Altamira Oriole: Hooded Oriole Breeding Adult has a smaller bill and white, not yellow, shoulder patches.

Flight Pattern

Swift flight with rapid wing beats.
Altamira Oriole Breeding: Male
● Range & Habitat: Altamira Oriole: Native of Mexico; has small range in the southern tip of Texas. Preferred habitats include riparian woodlands, open woodlands, arid scrub, and mesquite in the lower Rio Grande Valley of southeastern Texas.
BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester
PopulationYes but uncommon
MigrationNonmigratory
Weight2.1 Ounces