Altamira Oriole
Learn to identify the Altamira Oriole by ear. Master the "whee-delio, whee-delio!" phrase and tell it apart from similar species.
What the Altamira Oriole sounds like
Clear, sweet whistles carry the melody, with short plain calls tucked between song phrases.
How to tell it apart
Where you'll hear it
Altamira Orioles are year-round residents across northeastern Mexico and into parts of Central America. In the U.S., they are local year-round birds in deep South Texas.
It likes open woods, river groves, thorn forest edges, parks, and neighborhoods with tall trees or palms. In the U.S., it’s mostly a South Texas specialty, especially in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
You can find them in any season where they live. They stand out most in spring and early summer, when their rich whistles ring out and their long hanging nests sway from high branches.
How to recognize it by sight
A big, bold oriole with glowing orange underparts and a jet-black face, throat, back, tail, and upper wings. The giveaway is the bright orange shoulder patch on the upper wing, with one crisp white wing bar sitting just below it. It also shows a longer, heavier bill than the slimmer, daintier orioles many birders know.
Similar species
Hooded Oriole
Smaller and slimmer overall.
Streak-backed Oriole
Back is orange with dark streaking, not solid black.
Audubon's Oriole
Has yellow rather than orange underparts.