{{Short description|Species of bird}} {{Speciesbox | image = IcterusLaudabilisSmit.jpg | status = EN | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 17 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2020 |title=''Icterus laudabilis'' |volume=2020 |article-number=e.T22724153A181021974 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22724153A181021974.en |access-date=17 November 2021}}</ref> | taxon = Icterus laudabilis | authority = Sclater, PL, 1871 | synonyms = | range_map = Icterus laudabilis map.svg }}

The '''Saint Lucia oriole''' '''(''Icterus laudablis)''''' is a species of songbird endemic to Saint Lucia. Locally known as the Corouge,<ref name=":1" /> it is in the family Icteridae and the genus ''Icterus'' (or New World orioles). Due to human development, this species of Oriole (a long with many others in the Caribbean) has seen significant population decline due to invasive species and habitat loss.

== Geography & Habitat == St. Lucia orioles are endemic to, and exclusively found on the main island of St. Lucia located in the Lesser Antilles. The Saint Lucia Oriole does not migrate. They are the only resident orioles on the island, however, Baltimore and Orchard orioles may be found in the region as vagrants.<ref name=":0" />

St. Lucia orioles are known to inhabit mountain rainforests, dry coastal scrub forests, primary and secondary forests, the edges of certain plantations (such as banana citrus and coconut) and mangroves (particularly those that adjoin coastal scrub). They appear to prefer humid mountain forests over the dry coastal scrub forests. The regions which are inhabited by St. Lucia orioles range from sea level up to 700m in elevation.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title = New World Blackbirds|last = Jamarillo and Burke|publisher = A & C Black|year = 1999}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book|title = Birds of the West Indies|last = Bond|first = James|publisher = Houghton Mifflin Company|year = 1999|location = 0-618-00210-3}}</ref>

== Conservation == Recently, there has been a decline in both the population size and distribution, as the St. Lucia orioles have become more scarce and localized. In 2022, the IUCN Red List changed their status to “Endangered” with a population estimated at over 1,000 adults (although not drastically over). There are many factors that may pose a threat to the species. Potential hazards include habitat loss, pesticide spraying, and parasitism by Shiny Cowbirds (''Molothrus bonariensis).'' Shiny Cowbirds are increasingly invasive species found in most of the Caribbean and southern Florida.<ref>Lowther, P. E., & Post, W. (2020, March 4). ''Shiny cowbird (molothrus bonariensis), version 1.0''. Birds of the World. <nowiki>https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/shicow/cur/introduction</nowiki></ref> More studies are needed to understand the effects they have on St. Lucia oriole populations.<ref name=":2" />

== Physical description == Like many species of Caribbean Orioles, the Saint Lucia Oriole is ''not'' sexually dimorphic. These birds are identified as slim, long billed and largely black with flashes of russet orange on the shoulders, rump, belly and vent. The upper ridge of the beak, or culmen, is straight. The adult females are morphologically similar to males but with slightly paler orange patches with more orange yellow. Adults molt once a year after their breeding season. They go through one pre-basic molt which replaces some feathers across the body, wings, and tail.<ref name=":0" />

Immature orioles are mostly chestnut colored and have a golden-olive where the mature orioles are orange. Immature males are like adult males, where the orange replace with a golden olive. Immature females are more chestnut brown on the upperparts of their bodies, with duller colors on their epaulet.<ref name=":0" />

This particular species is roughly 20 to 22&nbsp;cm in head to body length with an average mass of 36.9 gram (both male and female measurements are included). Males and females have average wingspans of 98.7mm and 94.0mm, respectively.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title = St Lucia Oriole (Icterus laudabilis) - BirdLife species factsheet|url = http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=9700|website = www.birdlife.org|access-date = 2016-01-29}}</ref>

== Vocalizations == The song of the St. Lucia orioles is a series, composed of two second long varied whistles played in a sequence.<ref>Raffaele, H. A., Wiley, J. W., Garrido, O. H., Keith, A. R., & Raffaele, J. I. (2025). ''Birds of the west indies''. Princeton University Press, Credo Reference.</ref> It is not known whether the species produces different series with unique variations of whistles or merely repeats the same sequence each time. The song is comparable to that of the Orchard Oriole, with one distinction being that it is weaker. Most tropical orioles have both male and female song.<ref>Moyer, M. J., Ocasio, M. D., Lehnert, E. F., Nieves Colón, N. A., Osorio, E., Bare, E. K., de León Laguna, A. P., Molake, B. A., Costas Sabatier, M. J., Evans, B. S., Morales Pérez, A. L., & Omland, K. E. (2024). Acoustic features, syllable usage, and song rates of male and female songs in a tropical island songbird, the Puerto Rican oriole. ''Ethology'', ''131''(3). <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.1111/eth.13534</nowiki></ref> However, publications do not indicate whether or not the female of this species sing.

There are also two distinct calls of the St. Lucia orioles. These are a harsh ''chwee'' and a soft ''chup''.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

== Behavior == Typical of the Icterid family, St. Lucia orioles exhibit wide range of foraging adaptations. They feed on both fruits and insects. St. Lucia orioles are often found in pairs foraging in trees. However, small groups (of up to ten individuals) have been observed. They have also been observed stripping oak bark to that of a similar manner to their relatives the Jamaican oriole.<ref name=":0" />

They produce a typical hanging oriole nest, which is basket shaped, and woven from plant fibers. The St. Lucia oriole nests under large fronds of banana plants and in coconut palms. Females lay 2–3 eggs at a time. Males do not feed the female during nesting, but they may aid in provisioning the young. Nesting occurs through April to early June.<ref>{{Cite book|title = The Encyclopedia of Birds|last = Perrins|first = Christopher|publisher = OUP Oxford|year = 2009|isbn = 978-0-19-956800-0}}</ref> Between late June – August, juveniles (some being fed by adults) have been observed.<ref>Babbs, S., Ling, S., Robertson, P. and Wood, P. (1988). Report of the 1987 University of East Anglia-ICBP Saint Lucia Oriole Expedition. ICBP Study Report 33. International Council for Bird Preservation, Cambridge, UK.</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

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Saint Lucia Oriole Saint Lucia Oriole Category:Endemic birds of the Caribbean Category:Birds of Saint Lucia Saint Lucia oriole Saint Lucia oriole Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Category:Endemic birds of Saint Lucia