The Four Keys to ID
- Size & Shape
A large, long-tailed songbird with a rather large head and a long, thick-based, sharply pointed bill.
Relative Size
Larger than a Baltimore Oriole, smaller than an American Robin.
between sparrow and robinMeasurements
- Both Sexes
- Length: 7.5-9.4 in (19-24 cm)
- Weight: 1.1-1.9 oz (31-53 g)
- Wingspan: 12.6 in (32 cm)
© Matthew Grube / Macaulay Library
- Color Pattern
- Behavior
- Habitat
Regional Differences
Ornithologists recognize four subspecies, of which only the subspecies audubonii nests in the United States. Just south of this subspecies, graduacauda occurs. This subspecies lacks white edges in the black wings. Farther south, in western Mexico, the subspecies nayaritensis is notable in that males are much more brightly colored than females. In southern Mexico, dickeyae is sometimes treated as a separate species, Dickey’s Oriole, which is larger, more brightly colored, and has a heavier bill.
