Photo: Charles J. Sharp / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-cowled Oriole
Icterus prosthemelas
Black-cowled Oriole (Icterus prosthemelas) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black-cowled Oriole (Icterus prosthemelas) is a member of the Icteridae family found in Central America & Caribbean. Adults weigh 27.9 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Icteridae Oropendolas, New World Orioles, Blackbirds
- Genus Icterus
- Species prosthemelas
Quick facts
- Weight
- 27.9 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Icteridae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-cowled Oriole is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Black-cowled Oriole is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Black-cowled Oriole (Icterus prosthemelas) belongs to the Icteridae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean. Its distribution covers MA s Mexico to Panama.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 27.9 g, with a wing length of about 8.4 cm and a tail of around 8.8 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 440,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-cowled Oriole?
The Black-cowled Oriole is a small bird that weighs around 27.9 g.
Where does the Black-cowled Oriole live?
The Black-cowled Oriole is found across Central America & Caribbean with a range covering MA s Mexico to Panama, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Black-cowled Oriole belong to?
The Black-cowled Oriole (Icterus prosthemelas) belongs to the Icteridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Black-cowled Oriole eat?
The Black-cowled Oriole is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Black-cowled Oriole migrate?
The Black-cowled Oriole is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Black-cowled Oriole endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Black-cowled Oriole make?
1 real field recording of the Black-cowled Oriole — including its begging call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Black-cowled Oriole's range?
The Black-cowled Oriole has a mapped global range of about 440,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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