{{Short description|Species of bird}} {{more citations needed|date=May 2024}} {{Speciesbox | image = Orchard Oriole by Dan Pancamo 1.jpg | image_caption = Adult male ''I. s. spurius'' | image2 = Orchard Oriole.ogg | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 18 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2016 |title=''Icterus spurius'' |volume=2016 |article-number=e.T103793298A94850686 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T103793298A94850686.en |access-date=18 November 2021}}</ref> | taxon = Icterus spurius | authority = (Linnaeus, 1766) | range_map = Icterus_spurius_map.svg | range_map_caption = Range of ''I. spurius'' {{leftlegend|#FFFF00|Breeding range|outline=gray}}{{leftlegend|#0000FF|Wintering range|outline=gray}} | synonyms = ''Oriolus spurius'' {{small|Linnaeus,&nbsp;1766}} }} thumb|male, Guatemala The '''orchard oriole''' ('''''Icterus spurius''''') is the smallest species of icterid. The subspecies of the Caribbean coast of Mexico, ''I. s. fuertesi'', is sometimes considered a separate species, the '''ochre oriole''' or '''Fuertes's oriole'''.

The orchard oriole is a small bird with a length of 5.9-7.1 inches, a weight of 0.6-1.0 ounces, and a wingspan of 9.8 inches. Adult males have chestnut or ochre underparts, while adult females and juveniles have olive-green upper parts and yellowish breasts and bellies. They inhabit semi-open areas with deciduous trees in eastern North America, southern Tamaulipas, and Veracruz. Their winter range extends from central Sinaloa and southern Veracruz to northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela.

Orchard orioles prefer living near lakes and streams, nesting in tightly woven pouches attached to horizontal tree branches. They are nocturnal migrants and feed on insects, spiders, fruit, nectar, and seeds depending on the season. During flight, they usually swoop close to the ground and fly at or below treetop level. Courtship displays include bowing, seesawing, and begging. The species name "spurius" refers to their original misidentification as female Baltimore orioles, and they are sometimes mistaken for New World warblers.

==Description== thumb|left|First-year male in New York City thumb|left|Female on milkweed plant, Delaware '''Measurements''':<ref>{{Cite web|title=Orchard Oriole Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology|url=https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Orchard_Oriole/id|access-date=2020-09-30|website=www.allaboutbirds.org|language=en}}</ref>

* '''Length''': 5.9–7.1 in (15–18 cm) * '''Weight''': 0.6–1.0 oz (16–28 g) * '''Wingspan''': 9.8 in (25 cm)

The bill is pointed and black with some blue-gray at the base of the lower mandible.<ref name=howellwebb1995>{{cite book|last1=Howell|last2=Webb|first1=Steve N.G.|first2=Sophie|title=A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America|year=1995|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=0-19-854013-2|chapter=American Blackbirds and Orioles: Icteridae|pages=744–745}}</ref> The adult male of the nominate subspecies has chestnut on the underparts, shoulder, and rump, with the rest of the plumage black. In the subspecies ''I. s. fuertesi'', the chestnut is replaced with ochre.<ref name=howellwebb1995/> The adult female and the juvenile of both subspecies have olive-green on the upper parts and yellowish on the breast and belly. All adults have pointed bills and white wing bars. (Orchard orioles are considered to be adults after their second year.{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}) One-year-old males are yellow-greenish with black lores and bib.<ref name=howellwebb1995/>

==Habitat and range== The breeding habitat is semi-open areas with deciduous trees. ''I. s. spurius'' breeds in spring across eastern North America from near the Canada–United States border south to central Mexico. A 2009 study also found breeding in the thorn forest of Baja California Sur and the coast of Sinaloa during the summer "monsoon"; this region had previously been thought to be only a migratory stopover.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Rohwer|first1=Sievert|last2=Hobson|first2=Keith A.|last3=Rohwer|first3=Vanya|year=2009|title=Migratory double breeding in Neotropical migrant birds|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|doi=10.1073/pnas.0908121106|volume=106|issue=45|pages=19050–19055|doi-access=free|pmid=19858484 |pmc=2776443|bibcode=2009PNAS..10619050R }}</ref> ''I. s. fuertesi'' breeds from southern Tamaulipas to Veracruz.<ref name=howellwebb1995/> There is a record of a specimen of ''fuertesi'' from Cameron County, Texas.<ref>{{cite book|last=Oberholser|first=Harry C.|title=The Bird Life of Texas|chapter=Meadowlarks, Blackbirds, and Orioles: Icteridae|pages=802–844|others=Paintings by Louis Agassiz Fuertes|editor-last1=Kincaid, Jr.|editor-first1=Edgar B.|editor-last2=Winckler|editor-first2=Suzanne|editor-last3=Rowlett|editor-first3=John L.|volume=2|year=1974|isbn=0-292-70711-8|lccn=73-21216|publisher=University of Texas Press}}</ref>{{rp|815}} These birds prefer living in shaded trees within parks along lakes and streams. The nest is a tightly woven pouch attached to a fork on a horizontal branch. Their nests tend to sit close together.

The nominate subspecies' winter range extends from the coastal lowlands of central Sinaloa and southern Veracruz south to northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela (Scharf and Kren 1996). The ochre subspecies has been observed in winter on the Pacific slope of Mexico.<ref name=howellwebb1995/>

Nominate orchard orioles depart from their winter habitats in March and April and arrive in their breeding habitats from late April to late May. Usually, they leave their breeding territories in late July and early August and arrive on their winter territories in mid August. These birds are nocturnal migrants.

==Diet== While in breeding season, they eat insects and spiders. When the season changes, their diet also includes ripe fruit, which quickly passes through their digestive tract. During the winter, their diet consists of fruit, nectar, insects and seeds.

==Behavior== When in flight, orchard orioles generally swoop close to the ground and fly at or below treetop level.

During courtship, females display themselves in three ways. The first is by bowing their head and torso toward the male. Seesawing, the second courtship display, involves repetitively alternating lowering and raising the head and tail. The third display is begging, which is fast-paced fluttering of wings halfway extended, followed by a high whistle.{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}

==Etymology== The specific name ''spurius'' refers to the original misidentification of the male as a female Baltimore oriole. These birds are sometimes mistakenly identified as New World warblers.

==References== <!-- Condor109:692. WilsonBull18:47 (compare to current Ohio checklist http://www.ohiobirds.org/publications/OBRClist.pdf). --> {{Reflist}} * Foster, Mercedes S. (2007): The potential of fruiting trees to enhance converted habitats for migrating birds in southern Mexico. ''Bird Conservation International'' '''17'''(1): 45–61. <small>{{doi|10.1017/S0959270906000554}}</small> [http://journals.cambridge.org/production/action/cjoGetFulltext?fulltextid=936412 PDF full text] * Hilty, Steven L. (2003): ''Birds of Venezuela''. Christopher Helm, London. <small>{{ISBN|0-7136-6418-5}}</small> * Scharf, William C. & Kren, Josef (1996). Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: [https://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/255 full text (subscription required)] * Stiles, F. Gary & Skutch, Alexander Frank (1989): ''A guide to the birds of Costa Rica''. Comistock, Ithaca. <small>{{ISBN|0-8014-9600-4}}</small>

==External links== {{Commons category|Icterus spurius|the orchard oriole}} {{Wikispecies|Icterus spurius}} * [https://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Orchard_Oriole.html Orchard oriole] - Cornell Lab of Ornithology * [https://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i5060id.html Orchard oriole - ''Icterus spurius''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527130623/http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i5060id.html |date=2010-05-27 }} - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter * {{InternetBirdCollection|orchard-oriole-icterus-spurius|Orchard oriole}} * {{VIREO|Orchard+Oriole|Orchard oriole}} * [http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/wwwsounds/birds/hardy88sh.wav Orchard oriole sound] at Florida Museum of Natural History

<!-- work into text ==Further reading== ===Book===

* Scharf, W. C., and J. Kren. 1996. ''Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius)''. In ''The Birds of North America'', No. 255 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.

===Thesis===

* Enstrom DA. Ph.D. (1990). ''Investigations of delayed plumage maturation in the orchard oriole''. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States, Illinois. * Witt JW. Ph.D. (2005). ''Shrub and grassland birds at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge in northern Virginia and the influence burning and mowing has had upon their distribution and abundance''. George Mason University, United States, Virginia.

===Articles===

* Baker JM, Lopez-Medrano E, Navarro-Siguenza AG, Rojas-Soto OR & Omland KE. (2003). ''Recent speciation in the Orchard Oriole group: Divergence of Icterus spurius spurius and Icterus spurius fuertesi''. Auk. vol '''120''', no 3. p.&nbsp;848-859. * Beaton G. (1994). ''Late Orchard Oriole found in Clayton County''. Oriole. vol '''59''', no 1. p.&nbsp;25-26. * Binford LC. (1971). ''Roadrunner Captures Orchard Oriole in California''. California Birds. vol '''2''', no 4. * Bjorklund CF. (1990). ''Bromhead Saskatchewan Canada Rare Bird Records''. Blue Jay. vol '''48''', no 4. p.&nbsp;212-217. * DePaul L & Kopitzke D. (1998). ''Incentives for savanna protection on private lands: Past, present, and future''. Transactions of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences Arts & Letters. vol '''86''', no 0. p.&nbsp;47-56. * Elliott PF. (1978). ''Cowbird Parasitism in the Kansas USA Tall Grass Prairie''. Auk. vol '''95''', no 1. p.&nbsp;161-167. * Enstrom DA. (1992). ''Breeding Season Communication Hypotheses for Delayed Plumage Maturation in Passerines Tests in the Orchard Oriole Icterus-Spurius''. Animal Behaviour. vol '''43''', no 3. p.&nbsp;463-472. * Enstrom DA. (1992). ''Delayed Plumage Maturation in the Orchard Oriole Icterus-Spurius Tests of Winter Adaptation Hypotheses''. Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology. vol '''30''', no 1. p.&nbsp;35-42. * Enstrom DA. (1993). ''Female choice for age-specific plumage in the orchard oriole: Implications for delayed plumage maturation''. Animal Behaviour. vol '''45''', no 3. p.&nbsp;435-442. * Garvin MC, Szell CC & Moore FR. (2006). ''Blood parasites of Nearctic-Neotropical migrant passerine birds during spring trans-gulf migration: Impact on host body condition''. Journal of Parasitology. vol '''92''', no 5. p.&nbsp;990-996. * Goertz JW. (1977). ''Additional Records of Brown-Headed Cowbird Nest Parasitism in Louisiana''. Auk. vol '''94''', no 2. p.&nbsp;386-389. * Hill RA. (1976). ''Host Parasite Relationships of the Brown-Headed Cowbird in a Prairie Habitat of West Central Kansas USA''. Wilson Bulletin. vol '''88''', no 4. p.&nbsp;555-565. * Hilton GM, Atkinson PW, Gray GAL, Arendt WJ & Gibbons DW. (2003). ''Rapid decline of the volcanically threatened Montserrat oriole''. Biol Conserv. vol '''111''', no 1. p.&nbsp;79-89. * Hofmann CM, Cronin TW & Omland KE. (2006). ''Using spectral data to reconstruct evolutionary changes in coloration: Carotenoid color evolution in new world orioles''. Evolution. vol '''60''', no 8. p.&nbsp;1680-1691. * Hopkins MJ. (1968). ''A Disputed Nest Site Tyrannus-Tyrannus Icterus-Spurius Behavior''. Oriole. vol '''33''', no 3. p.&nbsp;37-38. * Leck C. (1974). ''Further Observations of Nectar Feeding by Orioles''. Auk. vol '''91''', no 1. p.&nbsp;162-163. * Lee JH, Hassan H, Hill G, Cupp EW, Higazi TB, Mitchell CJ, Godsey MS, Jr. & Unnasch TR. (2002). ''Identification of mosquito avian-derived blood meals by polymerase chain reaction-heteroduplex analysis''. American Journal of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene. vol '''66''', no 5. p.&nbsp;599-604. * Lloyd-Evans TL & Atwood JL. (2004). ''32 years of changes in passerine numbers during spring and fall migrations in coastal Massachusetts''. Wilson Bulletin. vol '''116''', no 1. p.&nbsp;1-16. * Lohrer FE. (1977). ''Orchard Oriole Holding Food with the Feet''. Florida Field Naturalist. vol '''5''', no 2. * Luterbach B. (1999). ''Orchard Orioles increase within Tyvan area, Saskatchewan''. Blue Jay. vol '''57''', no 3. p.&nbsp;150-151. * Mills ED & Rogers DTJ. (1990). ''Nearctic Passerine Fall Migration in Central Belize''. Wilson Bulletin. vol '''102''', no 1. p.&nbsp;146-150. * Morton ES. (1979). ''EFFECTIVE POLLINATION OF ERYTHRINA-FUSCA BY THE ORCHARD ORIOLE (ICTERUS-SPURIUS) - CO-EVOLVED BEHAVIORAL MANIPULATION''. Ann Mo Bot Gard. vol '''66''', no 3. p.&nbsp;482-489. * Parkes KC. (1990). ''Additional Record of Birds from the Distrito Federal Mexico Including a Possible Hybrid Spizella''. Condor. vol '''92''', no 4. p.&nbsp;1080-1081. * Quintana-Barrios L, Ruiz-Campos G, Unitt P & Erickson RA. (2006). ''Update on the birds of Isla Guadalupe, Baja California''. Western Birds. vol '''37''', no 1. p.&nbsp;23-36. * Schaefer VH. (1976). ''Geographic Variation in the Placement and Structure of Oriole Nests''. Condor. vol '''78''', no 4. p.&nbsp;443-448. * Scharf WC & Kren J. (1997). ''Summer diet of orchard orioles in southwestern Nebraska''. Southwestern Naturalist. vol '''42''', no 2. p.&nbsp;127-131. * Sealy SG. (1980). ''Breeding Biology of Orchard Orioles Icterus-Spurius in a New Population in Manitoba Canada''. Canadian Field Naturalist. vol '''94''', no 2. p.&nbsp;154-158. * Sealy SG & Underwood TJ. (2004). ''Accepters and rejecters of cowbird parasitism in the New World orioles (Icterus spp.)''. Ornitologia Neotropical. vol '''15''', no 3. p.&nbsp;331-347. * Short LL. (1974). ''Nesting of Southern Sonoran Birds During the Summer Rainy Season''. Condor. vol '''76''', no 1. p.&nbsp;21-32. * Stevenson HM. (1979). ''Southward Extension of Orchard Oriole Icterus-Spurius Breeding Range in Florida USA''. Florida Field Naturalist. vol '''7''', no 1. p.&nbsp;10-11. * Twedt DJ & Somershoe SG. (2003). ''Breeding birds on reforested bottomlands in forested and agricultural landscapes''. Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting Abstracts. vol '''88''', no 339. * Van Dyke F, Van Kley SE, Page CE & Van Beek JG. (2004). ''Restoration efforts for plant and bird communities in tallgrass prairies using prescribed burning and mowing''. Restoration Ecology. vol '''12''', no 4. p.&nbsp;575-585. * VanderWerf EA & Freed LA. (2003). ''Elepaio subadult plumages reduce aggression through graded status-signaling, not mimicry''. Journal of Field Ornithology. vol '''74''', no 4. p.&nbsp;406-415. * Whitehead MA, Schweitzer SH & Post W. (2002). ''Cowbird/host interactions in a southeastern old-field: A recent contact area?''. Journal of Field Ornithology. vol '''73''', no 4. p.&nbsp;379-386. * Wormington A & Lamond W. (1987). ''Orchard Oriole New to Northern Ontario Canada''. Ontario Birds. vol '''5''', no 1. p.&nbsp;32-34. -->

{{Taxonbar|from=Q1586976}}

orchard oriole orchard oriole Category:Native birds of the Eastern United States Category:Birds of Mexico Category:Birds of the Caribbean orchard oriole Category:Animal taxa named by Carl Linnaeus