Icterus chrysater
Silhouette: Matt Wilkins · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The yellow-backed oriole (Icterus chrysater) is a species of bird in the family Icteridae. Yellow-backed orioles are a yellow-bodied, sexually monomorphic species. They average 21.5 cm (8.5 in) in length from beak to tail; making it a relatively medium-sized oriole species. Exposed skin and claws are bluish-black; in adults, the bill is black, with the base of the mandible becoming bluish-grey.
Adult males display strongly contrasting yellow and black plumage. The wings, tail, shoulders, throat, and face are all black; by contrast, the back and underparts are an extremely bright yellow. Adult females closely resemble males, but yellow parts appear slightly greenish. Despite differences in plumage coloration between sexes, it is likely that this species is extremely difficult to sex in the field.
Immature yellow-backed orioles resemble adult females in overall pattern, but are greener; additionally, the flight feathers, which are black in females, are dark brown. Immature yellow-backed orioles are easily distinguished from adult females by their olive eye-line.
Similar species include the South American yellow oriole (Icterus nigrogularis). Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Celaque National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 2 | Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 3 | Soberanía National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 4 | La Tigra National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 5 | Parque Natural Metropolitano | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 6 | San Lorenzo Protected Forest | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 7 | Farallones de Cali National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 8 | Sierra de la Macarena National Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 9 | Chagres National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 10 | Calakmul Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 11 | Henri Pittier National Park | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | |
| 12 | Chingaza National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 13 | Los Nevados National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 14 | Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 15 | Darién National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 16 | Tayrona National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 17 | Cañón del Sumidero National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 18 | Celestún Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 19 | Cusuco National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bogota | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 2 | Cali | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 3 | Panama City | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 4 | Barranquilla | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 5 | Tegucigalpa | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 6 | Caracas | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | |
| 7 | Medellín | 🇨🇴 Colombia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Xcaret | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Temaikén | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 3 | Aviario Nacional de Colombia | 🇨🇴 Colombia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-backed Oriole sighting in Darién National Park on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 296th most-seen of the 397 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-backed Oriole in Darién National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April to February, the lowest months. That is one of Darién National Park's driest months, with about 160 mm of rain against 450 mm in November.
Between 6 and 9 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Yellow-backed Oriole sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
15th of 19
Of the 19 parks where we can rate Yellow-backed Oriole sightings, Darién National Park ranks 15th at under 5%. The best odds are in Celaque National Park (Honduras, about 30%), Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve (Mexico, about 20%) and Soberanía National Park (Panama, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Yellow-backed Oriole is recorded against all the birds logged in Darién National Park (12 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
