Home Application Download FAQ
English
English
繁體中文
日本語
Español
Français
Deutsch
Pусский
Português
Italiano
한국어
Nederlands
العربية

Altamira Oriole

A species of New world orioles
Scientific name : Icterus gularis Genus : New world orioles

Altamira Oriole, A species of New world orioles
Botanical name: Icterus gularis
Genus: New world orioles
Altamira Oriole (Icterus gularis) Photo By Don Faulkner , used under CC-BY-SA-2.0 /Cropped and compressed from original

Description

Both males and females have a black mandible and throat, as well as a black back and long black tail. Wings are black, but the remiges and rectrices (flight feathers) are fringed with white. These form a single white wing bar and white wing spots when folded. The secondary coverts form orange epaulets. The underside is almost uniformly orange or yellowish-orange. In general, immature specimens have an olive back, and a dull yellow on its head and its body. The first-year bird is similar to the adult, but it has an olive, not black, back, and yellow-olive tail.
Size
23-25 cm (9-10 in)
Life Expectancy
13 years
Nest Placement
Tree
Clutch Size
2 - 6 eggs
Feeding Habits
Altamira Oriole's diet comprises nectar, insects, and various fruits, including hackberry and anagua. Altamira Oriole forages through the tree foliage and on the ground, capturing prey such as ants and crickets, and may also drink nectar by bill insertion or nectar robbing. They frequent feeding stations for fruits and sunflower seeds.
Habitat
Altamira Oriole typically inhabit open tropical woodlands and edges, thriving in lightly wooded areas, particularly in the Rio Grande Valley. They favor riparian corridors, thorn forests, and well-wooded suburbs, even adapting to human-altered landscapes like orchards and farms. Preferred vegetation includes Mexican ash and mesquite trees. Though widespread from the coastal plains, their elevation range extends up to 5,000 feet, with a presence in forested habitats that have been altered by agricultural deforestation.
Nest Behavior
Altamira Oriole's females create nests over water or clear ground, mostly on the northwestern branch side. They participate in nest-building, egg-laying, and nurturing the young. The timing and pattern of these activities align with the species' reproductive cycle, which is typical for orioles.
Nest Characteristics
Altamira Oriole constructs a distinctive long, hanging, pear-shaped bag nest. These are woven from materials like vines, palm frond strips, grasses, and bark strips. The interior is padded with softer elements such as plant down, straw, or feathers. The entrance is at the top, with nests averaging 1 to 2 feet in length and up to 6 inches wide, often suspended 30 feet high.
Dite type
Insectivorous

General Info

Feeding Habits

Bird food type
Bird Feeder Type
Platform

Sounds

Call
Recording location: Mexico
Call
Recording location: Mexico

Behavior

Altamira Oriole are typically monogamous, staying with their partners throughout the year. They engage in cooperative foraging and communication through distinct calls. Unlike their behavior in Mexico, in the United States, they do not form flocks, though post-nesting family groups may forage together. Males play a sentinel role during the nesting period, which females construct over about three weeks. While females are solely responsible for incubation and brooding, males assist in feeding both the female and the offspring. Although not highly territorial, altamira Oriole do exhibit defensive posturing in the rare event of nest intrusion by their own kind. Interestingly, they often nest in proximity to more aggressive bird species for added protection against common threats.

Species Status

Not globally threatened.
Altamira Oriole (Icterus gularis) Altamira Oriole (Icterus gularis) Photo By Don Faulkner , used under CC-BY-SA-2.0 /Cropped and compressed from original
Download Picture Bird
Identify any bird by photo or sound in seconds
Cookie Management Tool
In addition to managing cookies through your browser or device, you can change your cookie settings below.
Necessary Cookies
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.
Analytical Cookies
Analytical cookies help us to improve our application/website by collecting and reporting information on its usage.
Cookie Name Source Purpose Lifespan
_ga Google Analytics These cookies are set because of our use of Google Analytics. They are used to collect information about your use of our application/website. The cookies collect specific information, such as your IP address, data related to your device and other information about your use of the application/website. Please note that the data processing is essentially carried out by Google LLC and Google may use your data collected by the cookies for own purposes, e.g. profiling and will combine it with other data such as your Google Account. For more information about how Google processes your data and Google’s approach to privacy as well as implemented safeguards for your data, please see here. 1 Year
_pta PictureThis Analytics We use these cookies to collect information about how you use our site, monitor site performance, and improve our site performance, our services, and your experience. 1 Year
Cookie Name
_ga
Source
Google Analytics
Purpose
These cookies are set because of our use of Google Analytics. They are used to collect information about your use of our application/website. The cookies collect specific information, such as your IP address, data related to your device and other information about your use of the application/website. Please note that the data processing is essentially carried out by Google LLC and Google may use your data collected by the cookies for own purposes, e.g. profiling and will combine it with other data such as your Google Account. For more information about how Google processes your data and Google’s approach to privacy as well as implemented safeguards for your data, please see here.
Lifespan
1 Year

Cookie Name
_pta
Source
PictureThis Analytics
Purpose
We use these cookies to collect information about how you use our site, monitor site performance, and improve our site performance, our services, and your experience.
Lifespan
1 Year
Marketing Cookies
Marketing cookies are used by advertising companies to serve ads that are relevant to your interests.
Cookie Name Source Purpose Lifespan
_fbp Facebook Pixel A conversion pixel tracking that we use for retargeting campaigns. Learn more here. 1 Year
_adj Adjust This cookie provides mobile analytics and attribution services that enable us to measure and analyze the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, certain events and actions within the Application. Learn more here. 1 Year
Cookie Name
_fbp
Source
Facebook Pixel
Purpose
A conversion pixel tracking that we use for retargeting campaigns. Learn more here.
Lifespan
1 Year

Cookie Name
_adj
Source
Adjust
Purpose
This cookie provides mobile analytics and attribution services that enable us to measure and analyze the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, certain events and actions within the Application. Learn more here.
Lifespan
1 Year
Download