Scott's oriole

It is primarily found in the Southwestern United States and south to Baja California Sur and central Mexico.

The Scott's oriole is classified as Least Concern. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

The Scott's Oriole, Icterus parisorum, is a medium-sized icterid (the same family as many blackbirds, meadowlarks, cowbirds, grackles, and others, including the New World orioles). It is primarily found in the Southwestern United States and south to Baja California Sur and central Mexico. This bird was named by Darius N. Couch in honour of General Winfield Scott. Although it was later discovered that it had previously been described by Bonaparte, the common name was retained. More

The brilliant yellow and black Scott's Oriole is a bird of desert hillsides, found in the arid Southwest and into Mexico. Come watch nesting birds at Nestcams. More

An unexpected number of reports of Scott's Oriole brought this striking species to our attention this last winter. Twenty years ago there were very few winter records of the species in San Diego County. Since then, the Borrego Springs and Escondido Christmas bird counts have revealed it to winter regularly at least locally, and now our atlas effort is finally giving us a view of the surprising breadth of Scott's Oriole's distribution. More

The California breeding range of Scott's Oriole is north to San Luis Obispo, Kern, Inyo, and Mono counties. Fairly common in the Mojave Desert south to Joshua Tree National Park and west to the north slopes of the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains and along the desert slopes and valleys of the San Jacinto, Santa Rosa, Volcan, and Laguna mountains. In Kern County, breeds from eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada and Tehachapi mountains west into Walker Basin (Flood 2002). More

Scott's Oriole prefers pinyon-juniper woodlands of montane semidesert areas, live oak-yucca associations, and sycamores and cottonwoods in canyons. It also uses joshua-tree habitat. In all seasons, Scott More

Scott's Oriole: Breeds in southern California, southern Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and western Texas. Spends winters mainly south of the U.S.-Mexico border. Found in desert grassland prairies and mountain canyons, particularly if yucca or palms are present; nests in pinyon-juniper woodlands, sycamores, and cottonwoods. More

In late January 2008, a Scott's Oriole was identified in Union Square Park in Manhattan. Originally, someone had identified it as an Orchard Oriole, common to NYC and Pelham Bay Park, in warmer months. Upon closed observation it was discovered that this very western bird was indeed a Scott's Oriole. This is a NY State record since none had ever been seen here before. This bird is rarely found east of western Texas and north of southern New Mexico. More

The Scott's Oriole Facts adult male Scott's Oriole has a black ‘hood’ covering the head, face, mantle, wings, tail feathers, throat and breast. The belly, tail and upper wing have a yellow hue. The male Scott's Oriole has one slim white wing bar. The adult female Scott's Oriole has olive upper parts with dark streaks on the back. The underparts are greenish-yellow with black areas on the throat. The female Scott's Oriole has two white wing bars. More

Scott's Oriole in New York State going on right now. What did this bird eat at the feeders??? Kathy Sieminski 26-Feb-2007 13:31 Hi Bob: I spoke with you on Friday morning while at the Scott's Oriole. Your pictures are excellent, This bird was such fun to view and just listening and speaking with all the other birders at this site was interesting. More

The Scott's Oriole is adapted to many different habitats. In the dry wash habitat of the sonora desert this bird builds a nest in mistletoe (a parasite growing in some other tree). In the photo on the left you can see the female Scott's Oriole next to a clump of mistletoe hanging from a palo verde. (Palo Verde has branches that serve some of the functions as leaves, note the green color of the branch). Inside the mistletoe the nest can barely be seen. More

Scott's Oriole prefers pinyon-juniper woodlands of montane semidesert areas, live oak-yucca associations, and sycamores and cottonwoods in canyons. Also uses joshua-tree habitat. More information about the Scott's Oriole Visit Shaw Creek Bird Supply to see our Oriole Feeder. More

This month a Scott's Oriole was found, identified, and photographed by Richard Beohm, Rose Beohm, Michael Beohm, and myself. The bird was first seen November 3, 2002 and remained through November 8th. For several days it frequented a persimmon tree there in my parent's yard located in Upson County, Georgia. (Oddly enough, this is the same tree where we found and documented an "Audubon's Warbler" one winter.) I managed to borrow a camera, knowing that the oriole would need to be photographed if possible. More