Green oriole

The green oriole or Australasian yellow oriole, (Oriolus flavocinctus) is an inconspicuous inhabitant of lush tropical vegetation throughout Australia and New Guinea.

Green oriole
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Oriolidae
Genus: Oriolus
Species:
O. flavocinctus
Binomial name
Oriolus flavocinctus
(King, P.P., 1826)
Synonyms
  • Mimetes flavocinctus

Taxonomy and systematics

Alternate names for the green oriole include the Australian yellow oriole, yellow oriole and yellow-bellied oriole.

Subspecies

Six subspecies are recognized:[2]

  • O. f. migrator - Hartert, 1904: Found in eastern Lesser Sundas
  • O. f. muelleri - (Bonaparte, 1850): Originally described as a separate species. Found in south-central New Guinea
  • O. f. flavocinctus - (King, P.P., 1826): Found in northern Australia
  • O. f. tiwi - Schodde & Mason, IJ, 1999: Found on Bathurst and Melville Islands (off northern Australia)
  • O. f. flavotinctus - Schodde & Mason, IJ, 1999: Found on Cape York Peninsula (north-eastern Australia)
  • O. f. kingi - Mathews, 1912: Found in north-eastern Queensland (north-eastern Australia)

Distribution and habitat

They are often difficult to locate, as their yellow-green plumage blends with the foliage and only their deep bubbling musical calls can be heard. They are nevertheless common in suitable habitat: rainforests, mangroves, thickets along watercourses, swamps, and lush gardens.

Behaviour and ecology
Yellow oriole, Cape York Peninsula

Breeding

Breeding takes place during the wet season (October to March). A neat, deep cup is constructed from strips of bark and vines, lined with rootlets, and slung between leafy branches, usually 5 to 15 metres up. They typically lay 2 eggs.

Food and feeding

Green orioles forage slowly and methodically through the mid and upper strata of dense forests, taking fruit in the main. Typically alone or in pairs, they sometimes form small flocks in the non-breeding season.

References
  1. BirdLife International (2017). "Oriolus flavocinctus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T22706365A118671909. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T22706365A118671909.en.
  2. "IOC World Bird List 7.1". IOC World Bird List Datasets. doi:10.14344/ioc.ml.7.1.
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