Icterus mesomelas
The striking Yellow-tailed Oriole (Icterus mesomelas) is a medium-sized songbird, typically measuring 21-24 cm (8-9.5 inches) in length, known for its vivid plumage and melodious calls. This member of the Icteridae family, closely related to other New World orioles, sports a predominantly glossy black body contrasted sharply with brilliant yellow on its lower back, rump, belly, and, most notably, a significant portion of its tail feathers. Distinctive yellow lesser and median wing coverts for...
This oriole primarily inhabits humid lowland tropical and subtropical forests, forest edges, and riparian zones, often near streams or rivers. It can be found from sea level up to approximately 1,200 meters in elevation.
Its diet primarily consists of insects and other arthropods gleaned from vegetation, supplemented significantly with fruits, berries, and nectar, often obtained by probing flowering plants and epiphytes.
The Yellow-tailed Oriole is a diurnal species, active from dawn to dusk, often roosting inconspicuously within dense canopy foliage. It forages solitarily or in pairs, primarily gleaning insects and other arthropods from leaves, branches, and especially probing into bromeliads and other epiphytes...
The Yellow-tailed Oriole boasts a wide, though somewhat disjunct, distribution spanning much of Central and northern South America. Its northernmost range begins in southern Mexico (Veracruz, Oaxaca, Chiapas), extending through the Caribbean slopes of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and C...
Least Concern
- Unlike many other black-and-yellow orioles, the Yellow-tailed Oriole boasts extensive bright yellow on its tail feathers, making it a standout identification feature. - It is a "bromeliad specialist," frequently probing these epiphytic plants for both insects seeking shelter within their water-...