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Orange-crowned Oriole | Icterus auricapillus
Oranjekaptroepiaal | Turpial coroninaranja
The Orange-crowned Oriole is a South American oriole that in the guide area occurs only in eastern Panama. It is recognised by the orange crown and sides of the head, which contrast with the black mask and black back. It lives high in the canopy of forest edges and semi-open woodland.
Voice
The song is a series of clear, varied whistles, often repeated in short phrases. Calls include a dry chek and a nasal chatter.
Recording: Rosa Elena Albornoz — CC0 · shortened to the first 60 s, mono · xeno-canto
Identification
19–21 cm. Crown, nape and sides of the head deep orange; forehead, lores, area around the eye and throat to upper breast black. Back, wings and tail black, with a yellow shoulder patch and no white wing bars. Underparts and rump yellow, with an orange tinge on the breast. Bill black and fairly slender. Male and female are alike; young birds are olive-yellow with a smaller black mask and little orange on the head.
Confusion species
Yellow-tailed Oriole Icterus mesomelas has a yellow head without an orange crown and yellow in the tail. Yellow-backed Oriole Icterus chrysater has a yellow back. The male Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula, also in Panama in winter, has an all-black head and a white wing bar.
Habitat
Edges of humid lowland forest, open woodland, gallery forest along rivers, secondary forest and semi-open country with tall trees, mostly below 600 m. It lives in pairs or small groups high in the canopy, where it searches for insects, fruit and nectar.
Where the bird is most at home, classified by the vegetation units of Mexico and Central America.
Range and movements
In the guide area only in eastern Panama, mainly in Darién and the east of Panamá province. Outside the guide area in northern Colombia and in Venezuela.
- Resident
- dark = core range, pale = thinly spread
How and when to look
Best looked for along forest edges and clearings in Darién and around Lake Bayano. Watch for pairs keeping high in flowering trees.
Conservation status
Not threatened (LC). In the guide area local and rather scarce; elsewhere in its range fairly common.
Scientific name
Icterus auricapillus | Cassin, 1848
Cassin described the species in 1848 and placed it straight away in the genus where it still stands. The genus Icterus was introduced in 1760 by Brisson. Icterus is from Ancient Greek ikteros, a yellow bird usually taken to be the golden oriole, the sight of which was thought to cure jaundice. auricapillus is Latin, from aurum 'gold' and capillus 'hair of the head', after the orange-yellow crown. The specimen the first description was based on came from Santa Marta, Colombia (originally also, in error, 'Mexico').