New World oriole

New World orioles, comprising the genus Icterus, are a group of birds in the blackbird family. They are not related to Old World orioles, which are in the family Oriolidae, but are strikingly similar in size, diet, behaviour and in their strongly contrasting plumage, and are a good example of convergent evolution. Almost inevitably, the two took the same vernacular name.

The males are typically black and yellow or orange, with white markings; the plumage of females and immature birds is duller. These birds go through one moult in a year. They are generally slender with long tails and a pointed bill. They mainly eat insects, but also enjoy nectar and fruit. The nest is a woven, elongated pouch. Several species are easy to attract to birdtables by the provision of cut oranges and grape jelly. Species nesting in areas with cold winters (including most of the United States) are strongly migratory, while subtropical and tropical species are more sedentary.

The name "oriole" was first recorded (in the Latin form oriolus) by Albertus Magnus in about 1250, and was stated by him to be onomatopoeic, from the song of the European Golden Oriole.

The genus name Icterus as used by classical authors, referred to a bird with yellow or green plumage. In modern times this has been identified as the golden oriole. Brisson re-applied the name to the New World birds because of their similarity in appearance.

Provisional species list
This species list is provisional. The exact delimitation of several taxa is unclear, and hybridization seems to be a significant confounding factor, for example in the Baltimore and Bullock's Oriole:


 * Scott's Oriole, Icterus parisorum
 * Audubon's Oriole, Icterus graduacauda
 * Yellow-backed Oriole, Icterus chrysater
 * Baltimore Oriole, Icterus galbula
 * Bullock's Oriole, Icterus bullockii
 * Black-backed Oriole, Icterus abeillei
 * Streak-backed Oriole, Icterus pustulatus
 * Jamaican Oriole, Icterus leucopteryx
 * Grand Cayman Oriole, Icterus leucopteryx bairdi - extinct (mid-20th century)
 * Orange Oriole, Icterus auratus
 * Yellow Oriole, Icterus nigrogularis
 * Altamira Oriole, Icterus gularis
 * Yellow-tailed Oriole, Icterus mesomelas
 * Spot-breasted Oriole, Icterus pectoralis
 * White-edged Oriole, Icterus graceannae
 * Campo Troupial, Icterus jamacaii
 * Venezuelan Troupial, Icterus icterus
 * Orange-backed Troupial, Icterus croconotus
 * Bar-winged Oriole, Icterus maculialatus
 * Black-vented Oriole, Icterus wagleri
 * Hooded Oriole, Icterus cucullatus
 * Black-cowled Oriole, Icterus prosthemelas
 * Orchard Oriole, Icterus spurius
 * Ochre Oriole, Icterus fuertesi
 * Cuban Oriole, Icterus melanopsis
 * Bahama Oriole, Icterus northropi
 * Martinique Oriole, Icterus bonana
 * Puerto Rican Oriole, Icterus portoricensis
 * Montserrat Oriole, Icterus oberi
 * Hispaniolan Oriole, Icterus dominicensis
 * St. Lucia Oriole, Icterus laudabilis
 * Orange-crowned Oriole, Icterus auricapillus
 * Epaulet Oriole, Icterus cayanensis
 * Moriche Oriole, Icterus cayanensis chrysocephalus - recently merged into I. cayanensis
 * Variable Oriole, Icterus pyrrhopterus