<trp-post-container data-trp-post-id='359808'>Altamira Oriole

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En bref

  • Scientific Name: Icterus gularis
  • Spanish Name: Bolsero de Altamira
  • Family: Icteridae
  • Known Nicknames: Lichtenstein's Oriole, Black-throated Oriole
  • Average Length: 22–25 cm / 8.7–9.8 in
  • Average Weight: 45–60 g / 1.6–2.1 oz
  • Wingspan: 30–36 cm / 12–14 in
  • Key Feature: Bright orange body with a black hood, back, wings, and tail
  • Primary Diet: Primarily Insectivore and Frugivore
  • Range: Southern Texas (USA) through eastern Mexico to Nicaragua
  • Habitat: Open woodlands, thorn forests, riparian corridors, and suburban areas
  • Social Structure: Solitary or in pairs during breeding; loosely colonial in winter
  • Nesting/Breeding: Hanging, woven pouch nest suspended from tree branches
  • Statut de conservation : Préoccupation mineure (LC)
  • Évolution démographique : Stable

The Altamira Oriole (*Icterus gularis*) is a striking and vibrant songbird native to the lowland forests and scrublands of southern Texas and Mexico, renowned as the largest oriole species north of the border. It boasts a brilliant flame-orange body contrasted sharply by a black back, wings, and a distinctive black bib extending down its throat, giving it a regal appearance. Unique among its relatives, this bird is primarily non-migratory and builds an exceptionally long, woven pouch-like nest—often over two feet in length—suspended from tree branches, which serves as both a secure nursery and a hallmark of its engineering skill. Its loud, whistled songs and curious, bold behavior make it a favorite among birdwatchers, while its specialized diet includes nectar, insects, and fruit, showcasing its adaptability in semi-arid habitats.

Faits amusants

The Altamira Oriole is a master weaver, constructing a pendulous, basket-like nest that can stretch over two feet long—so massive it often sways visibly in the wind, deterring predators like snakes. Unlike most orioles, it frequently reuses and refurbishes old nests, sometimes adding new material year after year until the structure becomes a tangled, multi-chambered heirloom. Its song is surprisingly harsh and chattering, more like a scolding parrot than a typical oriole’s flutelike melody, and it has a quirky habit of hanging upside-down to pry into crevices for insects.

Habitats et répartition

The Altamira Oriole is primarily found in the lowlands and foothills of eastern and southern Mexico, extending south through Central America into northwestern Costa Rica. Its distribution is largely continuous along the Gulf-Caribbean slope, with isolated populations in interior valleys of Guatemala and Honduras. This species inhabits open and semi-open environments, including tropical deciduous forests, thorn forests, riparian woodlands, and agricultural edges. It is particularly abundant in areas with large trees, such as shade coffee plantations, pastures with scattered trees, and suburban gardens, often favoring palms and other tall trees for nesting. The Altamira Oriole avoids dense, humid rainforest interiors but thrives in dry and seasonally moist habitats where fruiting trees and flowering plants provide food.

Comportements & Reproduction

The Altamira Oriole is generally monogamous during a breeding season, with pairs forming through male courtship displays that involve singing from prominent perches and bowing to the female. Socially, they are territorial around the nest but may forage in loose family groups after fledging. A unique reproductive strategy involves the female weaving an exceptionally long, pendulous nest—often exceeding 60 cm—which is suspended from a high tree branch, likely as a defense against predators and brood parasites. The female incubates the 3–5 eggs alone for about two weeks, while the male assists by bringing food to her and later helping to feed the nestlings.

Alimentation

The Altamira Oriole is primarily an omnivore with a strong preference for insects, which make up a significant portion of its diet during the breeding season to provide protein for growing chicks; it actively forages for caterpillars, beetles, grasshoppers, spiders, and ants. However, it is also a major consumer of fruit and nectar, frequently visiting flowering trees like the coral tree and citrus groves to drink nectar, which it obtains by piercing the base of flowers with its sharp bill. An interesting dietary fact is that this bird is a notorious raider of hummingbird feeders, aggressively defending these artificial nectar sources. Additionally, it will occasionally eat small lizards and berries, and it has been observed using its strong bill to pry open the galls of oak trees to extract the insect larvae inside.

Couleurs

The adult male Altamira Oriole is a vivid flame-orange with a black mask extending from the bill through the eye, a black throat patch, and black wings with bold white wing bars; females are similar but slightly duller. Juveniles lack the black mask, showing a yellowish-orange body and dusky wings with muted bars. This species has no specific camouflage adaptations, as its bright coloration serves for social signaling rather than concealment.

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