16-4-2022 MANDINA LODGE, GAMBIA - AFRICAN GOLDEN ORIOLE (Oriolus auratus)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/7868-Oriolus-auratus

The African golden oriole (Oriolus auratus), or African oriole, is a member of the oriole family of passerine birds which is a resident breeder in Africa south of the Sahara desert.

It is a bird of thick bush and other well-wooded areas. The hanging basket-shaped nest is built in a tree, and contains two eggs. The food is insects and fruit, especially figs, found in the tree canopies where the orioles spend much of their time.

The male is striking in the typical oriole black and yellow plumage, although the plumage is predominantly yellow, with solid black only in the flight feathers and tail centre. There is a great deal of gold in the wings, which is a distinction from the Eurasian golden oriole, which winters in Africa.

The female is a drabber green bird, distinguished from the European species by more contrasting wings and black around the eye. Orioles are shy, and even the male is remarkably difficult to see in the dappled yellow and green leaves of the canopy.

The flight is somewhat like a thrush, strong and direct with some shallow dips over longer distances.

The call is a screech like a jay, but the song is a beautiful fluting fee-ooo fee-ooo, unmistakable once heard.

23-4-2018 OKAVANGO DELTA, BOTSWANA - AFRICAN GOLDEN ORIOLE (Oriolus auratus)

The African golden oriole, known scientifically as Oriolus auratus, is a vibrant member of the oriole family. This passerine bird is a permanent resident in the verdant landscapes of Africa, south of the formidable Sahara desert.

The male African golden oriole is a vision of black and yellow, predominantly cloaked in yellow with stark black flight feathers and central tail feathers. A notable feature is the abundance of gold in the wings, setting it apart from its Eurasian cousin. The female, in contrast, is garbed in a more subdued green, with contrasting wings and a distinctive black eye region.

This species favors the thick bush and other densely wooded areas, where it can often be found flitting among the tree canopies.

The African golden oriole graces a wide range of territories, from Senegal and Gambia to western Ethiopia and southern Somalia, and from Angola to central Mozambique.

Orioles are known for their elusive nature. Even the brightly colored male can be surprisingly difficult to spot as it blends into the yellow and green leaves of the canopy. Their flight is robust and purposeful, akin to that of a thrush, with occasional shallow dips when covering longer distances.

The African golden oriole's call may remind one of a jay's screech, but its song is a delightful, fluting "fee-ooo fee-ooo," a sound that, once heard, is not easily forgotten.

The species constructs a unique hanging basket-shaped nest within a tree, where it typically lays two eggs.

While similar in appearance to the New World orioles, the African golden oriole is not closely related to these icterids. It is also distinct from the Eurasian golden oriole, which shares its wintering grounds in Africa.

A diet of insects and fruit sustains the African golden oriole, with figs being a particular delicacy. These birds spend much of their time foraging in the tree canopies.

The IUCN Red List categorizes the African golden oriole as Least Concern, indicating a stable population without immediate threats to its survival.