African Golden Oriole
Oriolus auratus
Typical Old World oriole with mostly yellow plumage and a red bill. Note the small black mask around the eye and the black wing that is heavily edged in yellow. Male is brighter yellow than female. Found in thick woodland and some forests. Song is a series of liquid whistles. Common call is an upslurred mew. Similar to Eurasian Golden Oriole, but the wing feathers have yellow edging, and the black face mask extends well behind the eye.
Identification
The male is striking in the typical oriole black and yellow plumage, although the plumage is predominantly yellow, with solid black only in the flight feathers and tail centre. There is a great deal of gold in the wings, which is a distinction from the Eurasian golden oriole, which winters in Africa.<p>The female is a drabber green bird, distinguished from the European species by more contrasting wings and black around the eye. Orioles are shy, and even the male is remarkably difficult to see in the dappled yellow and green leaves of the canopy.<p>The flight is somewhat like a thrush, strong and direct with some shallow dips over longer distances.<p>The call is a screech like a jay, but the song is a beautiful fluting fee-ooo fee-ooo, unmistakable once heard.
Taxonomy
The name "oriole" was first recorded (in the Latin form oriolus) by Albertus Magnus in about 1250, and was stated to be onomatopoeic, from the song of the golden oriole.<p>The New World orioles are similar in appearance to the Oriolidae, but are icterids unrelated to the Old World birds.<p>Two subspecies are recognized:
- Scientific name
- Oriolus auratus
- Authority
- Vieillot, 1817
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Oriolidae
- Genus
- Oriolus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
Migration pattern: Complete migrants.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Blue-tailed Trogon
Trogon comptus
Colorful trogon of lowland and foothill rainforest in western Ecuador and western Colombia. Both sexes have conspicuous white eyes, unmarked black tail, red belly, and mostly yellow bill. Male is green with a black face. Female is gray with a dark top to her yellow bill. Differs from Slaty-tailed Trogon by yellow (not orange) bill. Also similar to Ecuadorian Trogon, but lacks white on breast. Perches high in the trees for long periods, occasionally sallying out to take fruits or insects. Often first detected by song, a lazy series of 20 or more mellow whistles.
Red-legged Partridge
Alectoris rufa
Distinctive gamebird of farmland, grassy fields, and open heathland. Seen mainly as pairs and small groups, often along the edges of fields. Plumage is ornate and handsome, with a red bill, white throat, black streaked necklace, boldly barred flanks, and buffy belly. Other similar species (such as Chukar) do not overlap in native range, but can escape from collections or be introduced for hunting; all lack the diagnostic black-streaked necklace of Red-legged. Song is a dry, rasping “wa-cha-cha-wa-cha-cha” or “wi’ch-ch’ch.”
African Pied Wagtail
Motacilla aguimp
The only black-and-white wagtail in Africa shows a bold white eyebrow and wing panels and a broad black throat patch. The juvenile is brownish. Pairs and family groups frequent a broad range of habitats, including human-altered environments, but in drier areas they are associated with waterside habitats. The species runs on the ground foraging for insects, characteristically wagging its tail up and down in an exaggerated motion. The juvenile African Pied Wagtail may resemble the Cape Wagtail, but has extensive white panels in the wings.
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