Eurasian golden oriole

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Eurasian golden oriole
Loriot d'Europe - Flickr - Philippe Garcelon, crop.jpg
Male
Oriolus oriolus Ayodar 2.jpg
Female
Song and call recorded in Russia
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Oriolidae
Genus: Oriolus
Species:
O. oriolus
Binomial name
Oriolus oriolus
Oriolus oriolus distribution map.png
     Summer     Winter
Synonyms
  • Coracias oriolusLinnaeus, 1758
  • Oriolus galbula
    Linnaeus [2]

The Eurasian golden oriole (Oriolus oriolus), also called the common golden oriole, is the only member of the Old World oriole family of passerine birds breeding in Northern Hemisphere temperate regions. It is a summer migrant in Europe and Palearctic and spends the winter season in central and southern Africa.

Contents

Taxonomy and systematics

The Eurasian golden oriole was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae and given the binomial name Coracias oriolus. [3] The species is now placed in the genus Oriolus that Linnaeus introduced in 1766. [4]

The Eurasian golden oriole and the Indian golden oriole were formerly considered conspecific, but in 2005 they were treated as separate species by the ornithologists Pamela Rasmussen and John Anderton, in the first edition of their Birds of South Asia . [5] [6] Support for this split was provided by a molecular phylogenetic study published in 2010, [7] and most ornithologists now treat the Indian golden oriole as a separate species. [8] Alternate names for the Eurasian golden oriole include the European golden oriole and Western Eurasian golden oriole. The species is monotypic. [4]

Etymology

The name "oriole" was first used in the 18th century and is an adaptation of the scientific Latin genus name, which is derived from the Classical Latin "aureolus" meaning golden. Various forms of "oriole" have existed in Romance languages since the 12th and 13th centuries. [9] Albertus Magnus used the Latin form oriolus in about 1250 and erroneously stated that it was onomatopoeic because of the golden oriole's song. In medieval England its name, derived from the song, was the woodwele.

Description

The male is striking in the typical oriole black and yellow plumage, but the female is a drabber green bird. Orioles are shy, and even the male is remarkably difficult to see in the dappled yellow and green leaves of the canopy. In flight they look somewhat like a thrush, strong and direct with some shallow dips over longer distances.

Its call is a harsh "kweeaahk", but the song is a fluting weela-wee-ooo or or-iii-ole, unmistakable once heard, often with subtle variations between each phrase. [10]

The male of the Indian golden oriole (Oriolus kundoo) has a black eye-stripe extending behind the eye, has a longer and paler red bill and has more yellow in the plumage. [11] [12]

Distribution and habitat

The breeding range of this species spans from western Europe and Scandinavia east to China. They winter in central and southern Africa. [1] They generally migrate during the night, but may travel during the day in the spring migration. During the autumn migration they migrate via the Eastern Mediterranean where they feed on fruit; they are often considered a pest in this region because of this. [13] They formerly bred in Great Britain; the last confirmed breeding was in 2009 in East Anglia. [14] [15]

The Eurasian golden oriole inhabits a range of habitats. In Western Europe they prefer open broadleaf forests and plantations, copses, riverine forests, orchards, large gardens; in Eastern Europe they may inhabit more continuous forests as well as mixed or coniferous forests. They generally avoid treeless habitats but may forage there. In their wintering habitat they are found in semi-arid to humid woodland, tall forests, riverine forest, woodland/savanna mosaic and savanna. [13]

Behaviour and ecology

Nest placed in fork Oriolus oriolus 2.jpg
Nest placed in fork
Eggs of Oriolus oriolus Oriolus oriolus MHNT 232 Foret de la Mamora Maroc RdN.jpg
Eggs of Oriolus oriolus

Breeding

Eurasian golden orioles may delay breeding until they are 2 or 3 years of age. Males usually arrive at breeding area several days before the females. The fidelity to a territory or even to a specific nest site suggests that the pair-bond may continue from one breeding season to the next. [16] The nest is placed high in a tree towards the edge of the crown. The deep cup-shaped nest is suspended below a horizontal fork of thin branches. It is built by the female, but the male will sometimes gather some of the material. The nest is held in place by plant fibres up to 40 cm (16 in) in length and lined with fine grass, feathers and wool. The clutch is usually between 3 and 5 eggs. These are laid at daily intervals early in the morning. The eggs are on average 30.4 mm × 21.3 mm (1.20 in × 0.84 in) with a calculated weight of 7.3 g (0.26 oz). They can be white, cream or very pale pink and are decorated with black marks which are sometimes concentrated at the larger end. The eggs are mainly incubated by the female but the male will incubate for short periods to allow the female to feed. The eggs hatch after 16–17 days. The young are fed by both parents but are mostly brooded by the female. The young fledge after 16–17 days. The clutch is only rarely lost to predators as the parents vigorously defend their nest. [17]

The greatest recorded age for a Eurasian golden oriole is 10 years and 1 month for a male that was ringed in Lincolnshire in 1986 and seen alive in Cambridgeshire in 1996. [18] [19]

Feeding

They feed on insects and fruit, using their bills to pick insects out of crevices.

Conservation

Golden orioles have an extremely large range with large populations that are apparently stable. Therefore, they are evaluated as least concern by BirdLife International. [1]

Related Research Articles

<i>Oriolus</i> Genus of birds

Orioles are colourful Old World passerine birds in the genus Oriolus, the type genus of the corvoidean family Oriolidae. They are not closely related to the New World orioles, which are icterids that belong to the superfamily Passeroidea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old World oriole</span> Family of birds

The Old World orioles (Oriolidae) are an Old World family of passerine birds. The family contains 41 species which are divided in 4 genera. The family includes two extinct species from New Zealand that are placed in the genus Turnagra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western marsh harrier</span> Species of bird

The western marsh harrier is a large harrier, a bird of prey from temperate and subtropical western Eurasia and adjacent Africa. It is also known as the Eurasian marsh harrier. Formerly, a number of relatives were included in C. aeruginosus, which was then known as "marsh harrier". The related taxa are now generally considered to be separate species: the eastern marsh harrier, the Papuan harrier of eastern Asia and the Wallacea, the swamp harrier of Australasia and the Madagascar marsh harrier of the western Indian Ocean islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European roller</span> Species of bird

The European roller is the only member of the roller family breeding in Europe. Its range extends into the Maghreb, West Asia and Central Asia. It winters in southern Africa, primarily in dry wooded savanna and bushy plains. It occurs in a wide variety of habitats, but avoids treeless plains. It usually nests in tree holes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosy starling</span> Species of bird

The rosy starling is a passerine bird in the starling family, Sturnidae, also known as the rose-coloured starling or rose-coloured pastor. The species was recently placed in its own monotypic genus, Pastor, and split from Sturnus. This split is supported by recent studies, though other related species within its new genus are not yet known for certain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tufted duck</span> Species of bird

The tufted duck is a small diving duck with a population of close to one million birds, found in northern Eurasia. They are partially migratory. The scientific name is derived from Ancient Greek aithuia, an unidentified seabird mentioned by authors including Hesychius and Aristotle, and Latin fuligo 'soot' and gula 'throat'. It is a game bird.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurasian oystercatcher</span> Species of bird

The Eurasian oystercatcher also known as the common pied oystercatcher, or just oystercatcher, is a wader in the oystercatcher bird family Haematopodidae. It has striking black and white plumage, a long straight orange-red bill, red eyes and relatively short dull pink legs. The sexes are similar in appearance but the bill of the female is longer than that of the male.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little bittern</span> Species of bird

The little bittern is a wading bird in the heron family, Ardeidae. This species was formerly placed in the genus Ixobrychus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Velvet scoter</span> Species of bird

The velvet scoter is a large sea duck, which breeds over the far north of Europe and the Palearctic west of the Yenisey basin. The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek melas "black" and netta "duck". The species name is from the Latin fuscus "dusky brown".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hawfinch</span> Species of bird

The hawfinch is a passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It is the only species placed in the genus Coccothraustes. Its closest living relatives are the Chinese grosbeak and Japanese grosbeak of East Asia, the evening grosbeak of North America, and hooded grosbeak of Central America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baltimore oriole</span> Species of bird

The Baltimore oriole is a small icterid blackbird common in eastern North America as a migratory breeding bird. It received its name from the resemblance of the male's colors to those on the coat-of-arms of 17th-century Lord Baltimore. Observations of interbreeding between the Baltimore oriole and the western Bullock's oriole Icterus bullockii, led to both being classified as a single species, called the northern oriole, from 1973 to 1995. Research by James Rising, a professor of zoology at the University of Toronto, and others showed that the two birds actually did not interbreed significantly.

<i>Coracias</i> Genus of birds

Coracias is a genus of the rollers, an Old World family of near passerine birds related to the kingfishers and bee-eaters. They share the colourful appearance of those groups, blues and browns predominating. The two outer front toes are connected, but not the inner one.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common emerald dove</span> Bird species

The emerald dove or common emerald dove, also called Asian emerald dove and grey-capped emerald dove, is a widespread resident breeding pigeon native to the tropical and subtropical parts of the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. The dove is also known by the names of green dove and green-winged pigeon. The common emerald dove is the state bird of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The Pacific emerald dove and Stephan's emerald dove were both considered conspecific.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-hooded oriole</span> Species of bird

The black-hooded oriole is a member of the oriole family of passerine birds and is a resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from India and Sri Lanka east to Indonesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giant cowbird</span> Species of bird

The giant cowbird is a large passerine bird in the New World family Icteridae. It breeds from southern Mexico south to northern Argentina, and on Trinidad and Tobago. It may have relatively recently colonised the latter island. It is a brood parasite and lays its eggs in the nests of other birds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-naped oriole</span> Species of bird

The black-naped oriole is a passerine bird in the oriole family that is found in many parts of Asia. There are several distinctive populations within the wide distribution range of this species and in the past the slender-billed oriole was included as a subspecies. Unlike the Indian golden oriole which only has a short and narrow eye-stripe, the black-naped oriole has the stripe broadening and joining at the back of the neck. Males and females are very similar although the wing lining of the female is more greenish. The bill is pink and is stouter than in the golden oriole.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurasian penduline tit</span> Species of bird

The Eurasian penduline tit or European penduline tit is a passerine bird of the genus Remiz. It is relatively widespread throughout the western Palearctic. It is migratory in the northern part of its range but resident in the southern part.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethiopian oriole</span> Species of bird

The Ethiopian oriole is a species of bird in the family Oriolidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian golden oriole</span> Species of bird

The Indian golden oriole is a species of oriole found in the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia. The species was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the Eurasian golden oriole, but is now considered a full species. Adults can be told apart from the Eurasian golden oriole by the black of the eye stripe extending behind the eye.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hispaniolan oriole</span> Species of oriole endemic to Hispanola

The Hispaniolan oriole is a species of bird in the family Icteridae. It is endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola.

References

  1. 1 2 3 BirdLife International (2017). "Oriolus oriolus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2017: e.T103692938A111783061. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T103692938A111783061.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. "Oriolus oriolus (Linnaeus, 1758) - Eurasian Golden Oriole". Natural History Museum, London . Retrieved 2019-08-07.
  3. Linnaeus, C. (1758). "Coracias oriolus". Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1 (Tenth ed.). Holmiae:Laurentii Salvii. p. 107.
  4. 1 2 Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (July 2023). "Orioles, drongos, fantails". IOC World Bird List Version 13.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  5. Rasmussen, P. C.; Anderton, J. C. (2005). Birds of South Asia. The Ripley Guide. Vol. Volume 2. Washington D.C. and Barcelona: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and Lynx Edicions. p. 586. ISBN   978-84-87334-66-5.
  6. Mayr, E.; Greenway, J. C. Jr, eds. (1962). Check-list of birds of the world. Vol. Volume 15. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 127.
  7. Jønsson, K.A.; Bowie, R.C.K.; Moyle, R.G.; Irestedt, M.; Christidis, L.; Norman, J.A.; Fjeldså, J. (2010). "Phylogeny and biogeography of Oriolidae (Aves: Passeriformes)". Ecography. 33 (2): 232–241. Bibcode:2010Ecogr..33..232J. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0587.2010.06167.x .
  8. Lepage, D. "Indian Golden-Oriole Oriolus kundoo Sykes, 1832". Avibase. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
  9. "Oriole" . Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press.(Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  10. "Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus) - Loriot d'Europe". WildEchoes. 30 January 2019. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  11. Rasmussen, P.C.; Anderton, J.C. (2012). Birds of South Asia. The Ripley Guide. Vol. 2((: Attributes and Status)) (Second ed.). Washington D.C.: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. p. 586. ISBN   978-84-96553-87-3.
  12. Walther, B.; Jones, P. (2017). "Indian Golden Oriole (Oriolus kundoo)". In del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J.; Christie, D.A.; de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive . Lynx Edicions. doi:10.2173/bow.ingori1.01. S2CID   216174760 . Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  13. 1 2 Walther, B.A.; Jones, P.J. (2008). "Family Oriolidae (Orioles)" . In del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Christie, D.A. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 13: Penduline-tits to Shrikes. Barcelona, Spain: Lynx Edicions. pp. 692–731 [722]. ISBN   978-84-96553-45-3.
  14. Dagley, J.R. (1994). "Golden Orioles in East Anglia and their conservation" (PDF). British Birds. 87: 205–219.
  15. Eaton, Mark; Rare Breeding Birds Panel (2022). "Rare breeding birds in the UK in 2020" (PDF). British Birds. 115 (11): 623–692 [629].
  16. Cramp & Perrins 1993, p. 421.
  17. Cramp & Perrins 1993, pp. 429–430.
  18. "Longevity records for Britain & Ireland in 2016". British Trust for Ornithology. Archived from the original on 21 July 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
  19. "European Longevity Records". Euring. Retrieved 20 December 2017.

Sources