Black-hooded Oriole Oriolus xanthornus ranges across India and throughout Southeast Asia to Borneo. In China, nominate occurs only in southern and western Yunnan. HABITAT & BEHAVIOR Open forests and forest edges. Eats fruit, mainly figs, and insects and spends much time in canopy. ID Male hard to confuse with any other bird. Has solid black hood reaching breast, sunshine-yellow body and mainly black wings. Secondary coverts and tips to primary coverts (carpal patch), tertials and secondaries yellow; tips and fringes of primaries whiter. Center of tail black; rest of tail yellow. Female similar to male but usually drabber. Juvenile has greyish hood (palest on throat), and there is dark streaking on throat and upper breast (even on belly when newly fledged). Juvenile also has yellow or white eye-ring. BARE PARTS Eye red; bill pink (black in juvenile); feet grey or black. VOICE Fluty song and harsh alarm calls. — Craig Brelsford
THE ORIOLES OF CHINA
shanghaibirding.com covers all seven members of Oriolidae in China. Click any link:
Maroon Oriole Oriolus traillii
Silver Oriole O. mellianus
Black-hooded Oriole O. xanthornus
Indian Golden Oriole O. kundoo
Eurasian Golden Oriole O. oriolus
Black-naped Oriole O. chinensis
Slender-billed Oriole O. tenuirostris
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Daniel Bengtsson served as chief ornithological consultant for Craig Brelsford’s Photographic Field Guide to the Birds of China, from which this species description is drawn.
