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Audubon's Oriole Identification

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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.

    Relative Sizebetween sparrow and robinbetween sparrow and robin

    Measurements
    • 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)

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.