Photo: Dominic Sherony / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Yellow-backed Oriole
Icterus chrysater
Yellow-backed Oriole (Icterus chrysater) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 8 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Yellow-backed Oriole (Icterus chrysater) is a member of the Icteridae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 53.4 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 chrysater
Quick facts
- Weight
- 53.4 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 Yellow-backed Oriole is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Yellow-backed Oriole is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Yellow-backed Oriole (Icterus chrysater) belongs to the Icteridae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA s Mexico to Venezuela and Ecuador.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 53.4 g, with a wing length of about 9.6 cm and a tail of around 9.8 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 777,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Yellow-backed Oriole?
The Yellow-backed Oriole is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 53.4 g.
Where does the Yellow-backed Oriole live?
The Yellow-backed Oriole is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA s Mexico to Venezuela and Ecuador, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Yellow-backed Oriole belong to?
The Yellow-backed Oriole (Icterus chrysater) belongs to the Icteridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Yellow-backed Oriole eat?
The Yellow-backed Oriole is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Yellow-backed Oriole migrate?
The Yellow-backed Oriole is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Yellow-backed 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 Yellow-backed Oriole make?
1 real field recording of the Yellow-backed Oriole — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Yellow-backed Oriole's range?
The Yellow-backed Oriole has a mapped global range of about 777,000 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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