Photo: bgv23 / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Yellow-tailed Oriole
Icterus mesomelas
Yellow-tailed Oriole (Icterus mesomelas) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Yellow-tailed Oriole (Icterus mesomelas) is a member of the Icteridae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 39.9 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 mesomelas
Quick facts
- Weight
- 39.9 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Icteridae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Yellow-tailed Oriole is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Yellow-tailed Oriole is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Yellow-tailed Oriole (Icterus mesomelas) is a species of bird in the Icteridae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA ec Mexico to nw Peru.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 39.9 g, with a wing length of about 9.6 cm and a tail of around 10.5 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 996,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Yellow-tailed Oriole?
The Yellow-tailed Oriole is a small bird that weighs around 39.9 g.
Where does the Yellow-tailed Oriole live?
The Yellow-tailed Oriole is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA ec Mexico to nw Peru, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Yellow-tailed Oriole belong to?
The Yellow-tailed Oriole (Icterus mesomelas) belongs to the Icteridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Yellow-tailed Oriole eat?
The Yellow-tailed Oriole is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Yellow-tailed Oriole migrate?
The Yellow-tailed Oriole is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Yellow-tailed 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-tailed Oriole make?
1 real field recording of the Yellow-tailed Oriole — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Yellow-tailed Oriole's range?
The Yellow-tailed Oriole has a mapped global range of about 996,000 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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