Orioles are dramatic and vibrantly colored songbirds that live across North America. Orioles are often described as “flame-colored”, due to their beautiful bright yellow and orange feathers. These interesting birds eat fruit, insects and nectar, and weave hanging baskets for nests. Out of the 16 species of orioles found across North America, we are going to look at the nine types of orioles found in the United States.
9 Types of Orioles in the United States
Out of the many oriole species that can be found in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, only nine of them are regular visitors to the United States. Let’s take a closer look at each of these nine species, and then stay tuned at the end of the article for tips on how to attract orioles to your yard.
1. Audubon’s Oriole
Scientific name: Icterus graduacauda
The Audubon’s oriole is native to Mexico and parts of southern Texas. Both males and females have the same plumage, which is unusual for orioles. Their body is lemon yellow, while their head, wings and tail is black. Both sexes also sing songs, especially during the mating season.
These insect eating orioles live in the open woodlands common to these areas. They prefer to glean insects off of leaves and branches in the thickets of tropical and semitropical forests. Despite their bright color, they blend in easily with thick foliage.
2. Hooded Oriole
Scientific name: Icterus cucullatus
The hooded oriole has a longer and more slender body shape than many other oriole species. Males have black and white wings, yellow to orange bodies and a black patch that extends from their face down onto their chest. Females are olive-yellow all over with gray wings.
Instead of building a nest on top of a branch or leaf, they build a suspended net-like basket that is made of plants and grasses. They are sometimes called ‘palm-leaf orioles’ because they hang these nest-baskets from the underside of palm fronds.
Hooded orioles can be found in coastal and southern California, southern Nevada, and parts of southern Arizona and New Mexico during the summer. They move further south to Mexico for the winter.