Icterus spurius
Silhouette: Matt Wilkins · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10%
The orchard oriole (Icterus spurius) is the smallest species of icterid. The subspecies of the Caribbean coast of Mexico, I. s. fuertesi, is sometimes considered a separate species, the ochre oriole or Fuertes's oriole. The orchard oriole is a small bird with a length of 5.9-7.1 inches, a weight of 0.6-1.0 ounces, and a wingspan of 9.8 inches. Adult males have chestnut or ochre underparts, while adult females and juveniles have olive-green upper parts and yellowish breasts and bellies. They inhabit semi-open areas with deciduous trees in eastern North America, southern Tamaulipas, and Veracruz. Their winter range extends from central Sinaloa and southern Veracruz to northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela.
Orchard orioles prefer living near lakes and streams, nesting in tightly woven pouches attached to horizontal tree branches. They are nocturnal migrants and feed on insects, spiders, fruit, nectar, and seeds depending on the season. During flight, they usually swoop close to the ground and fly at or below treetop level. Courtship displays include bowing, seesawing, and begging. The species name "spurius" refers to their original misidentification as female Baltimore orioles, and they are sometimes mistaken for New World warblers. Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Pedro Sula | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 2 | Guatemala City | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 3 | San Salvador | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | |
| 4 | León | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 5 | Puebla | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 6 | Toluca | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 7 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Managua | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | |
| 9 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 10 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Zoological Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Florida Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Orchard Oriole sighting in Palo Verde National Park on a given day, based on 30 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 179th most-seen of the 274 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Orchard Oriole in Palo Verde National Park on a given day, against under 5% in November to September, the lowest months. That is one of Palo Verde National Park's wettest months, with about 480 mm of rain against almost none in February.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Orchard 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.
30th of 48
Of the 48 parks where we can rate Orchard Oriole sightings, Palo Verde National Park ranks 30th at under 5%. The best odds are in Point Pelee National Park (Canada, about 40%), Lago de Yojoa (Honduras, about 20%) and Badlands National Park (United States, about 20%). All parks ranked.
Same genus: Icterus
The closest relatives of the Orchard Oriole that you can see in Palo Verde National Park (genus Icterus, New World Orioles) are Streak-backed Oriole (about 30%), Baltimore Oriole (about 20%) and Spot-breasted Oriole (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Orchard Oriole is recorded against all the birds logged in Palo Verde National Park (30 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.
