Oriolus auratus
Silhouette: Charles J. Sharp · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
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 name "oriole" was first recorded (in the Latin form oriolus) by Albertus Magnus in about 1250, and was stated to be onomatopoeic, from the song of the golden oriole. The New World orioles are similar in appearance to the Oriolidae, but are icterids unrelated to the Old World birds.
Found from Angola to central Mozambique The male is striking in the typical oriole black and yellow plumage, although the plumage is predominantly yellow... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mana Pools National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 2 | Lower Zambezi National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 3 | Hwange National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 4 | Gonarezhou National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 5 | Mikumi National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 6 | Kafue National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 7 | Liwonde National Park | 🇲🇼 Malawi | |
| 8 | Ruaha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 9 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 10 | Niokolo-Koba National Park | 🇸🇳 Senegal | |
| 11 | Gorongosa National Park | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | |
| 12 | South Luangwa National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 13 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 14 | Arusha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 15 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 16 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 17 | Murchison Falls National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 18 | Lake Nakuru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 19 | Nyungwe National Park | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 20 | Lake Mburo National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 21 | Queen Elizabeth National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 22 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abuja | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | |
| 2 | Lusaka | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 3 | Lilongwe | 🇲🇼 Malawi | |
| 4 | Harare | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 5 | Serrekunda | 🇬🇲 Gambia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an African Golden Oriole sighting in South Luangwa National Park on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 204th most-seen of the 257 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.
December
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report an African Golden Oriole in South Luangwa National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January to November, the lowest months. That is one of South Luangwa National Park's wettest months, with about 220 mm of rain against almost none in September.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most African Golden 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.
12th of 22
Of the 22 parks where we can rate African Golden Oriole sightings, South Luangwa National Park ranks 12th at under 5%. The best odds are in Mana Pools National Park (Zimbabwe, about 20%), Lower Zambezi National Park (Zambia, about 10%) and Hwange National Park (Zimbabwe, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the African Golden Oriole is recorded against all the birds logged in South Luangwa National Park (15 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.
