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22

Yellow Oriole

(Oriolus flavocinctus)
Alternate name(s): "Australasian Yellow Oriole", "Yellow-bellied Oriole",
"Green Oriole", "Green Mulberry"
Aboriginal name(s): Race "kingi": "dulgujulu" [ngadjon]

Size: 26-28 cm
Weight: 75-100 g

Similar
species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See (Australasian) Yellow Oriole at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

Race "flavocinctus"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of an adult Yellow Oriole (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, July 2013]

Frontal view of a Yellow Oriole (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Sanctuary Lakes Park, Palmerston, NT, March 2018]

Near-frontal view of a Yellow Oriole (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, May 2018]

Near-frontal view of a Yellow Oriole issuing its call (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, July 2018]

Near-lateral view of a Yellow Oriole (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, May 2018]

Close-up lateral portrait of a Yellow Oriole (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Botanical Gardens, Darwin, NT, September 2016]

Lateral view of a particularly dark-green Yellow Oriole (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Leanyer Swamp, Darwin, NT, October 2018]

Lateral/ventral view of a Yellow Oriole (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, May 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a Yellow Oriole (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, June 2018]

Dorsal view of a Yellow Oriole (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Sanctuary Lakes Park, Palmerston, NT, March 2018]

Dorsal view of a Yellow Oriole (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, July 2013]

Dorsal view of a Yellow Oriole
[Darwin, NT, August 2014]

Ventral view of a Yellow Oriole stretching a wing (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, March 2018]

Two distant shots of a Yellow Oriole in flight
[Fogg Dam, NT, August 2014]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-frontal view of an immature Yellow Oriole (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, May 2018]

Near-lateral view of an immature Yellow Oriole (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, May 2018]

Near-dorsal view of an immature Yellow Oriole (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, May 2018]

Dorsal view of an immature Yellow Oriole (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, May 2018]

Lateral view of an juvenile Yellow Oriole - note the dark bill and heavily streaked front (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Pine Creek, NT, November 2017]

Near-dorsal view of an juvenile Yellow Oriole (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, May 2018]

Race "tiwi"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of an adult Yellow Oriole (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Maxwell Creek, Melville Island, off Darwin, NT, December 2016]

Lateral view of an adult Yellow Oriole seen preening (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Maxwell Creek, Melville Island, off Darwin, NT, December 2016]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of a fledgling Yellow Oriole (photo courtesy of K. Ohlsen)
[Acacia Hills, NT, January 2017]

Race "kingi"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal/ventral view of an adult Yellow Oriole looking sideways (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Daintree NP, QLD, May 2022]

Near-lateral view of a Yellow Oriole issuing its call (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Daintree River, QLD, December 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a Yellow Oriole (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Daintree River, QLD, December 2018]

Race "flavotinctus"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Lateral view of a Yellow Oriole looking at the observer (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Musgrave Roadhouse, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]

Lateral view of a Yellow Oriole issuing its call (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Musgrave Roadhouse, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Aug - Jan Eggs: 2 - 3 Incubation period: 18(?) days Fledging age: 16 - 17(?) days

The breeding season can be extended somewhat both ways, depending on the onset/end of the tropical wet season.

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Suspended basket Material: (Paper) bark fibre, vine tendrils, with softer lining Height above ground: 2 - 15 m

Yellow Oriole nest about 2 m off the ground (photo courtesy of K. Ohlsen)
[Acacia Hills, NT, January 2017]

View from above into a Yellow Oriole nest with 2 chicks inside (photo courtesy of K. Ohlsen)
[Acacia Hills, NT, January 2017]

View from above into a Yellow Oriole nest with 2 chicks inside (photo courtesy of K. Ohlsen)
[Acacia Hills, NT, January 2017]

Yellow Oriole nest in the foreground (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Daintree River, QLD, December 2018]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 33 x 23 mm Colour: Off-white, with mid- to dark-brown speckles Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial Mobility: Sedentary Elementary unit: Solitary

Yellow Oriole surveying the surroundings from a high perch (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, June 2018]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

yloriol_20140818.m4a flavocinctus
(Top End, NT)
Contact call © MD
yloriol_20140820.m4a flavocinctus
(Top End, NT)
Contact call © MD
yloriol_20140817.m4a flavocinctus
(Top End, NT)
Contact call © MD
yloriol_pb_20221122.mp3 flavocinctus
(Darwin, NT)
Contact call © PB
yloriol_20140819_3.m4a flavocinctus
(Darwin, NT)
(Modified) contact call? © MD
yloriol_pb_20180606_3.m4a flavocinctus
(Darwin, NT)
(Modified) contact call? © PB
yloriol_pb_20180606.m4a flavocinctus
(Darwin, NT)
(Modified) contact calls?, Q&A © PB
yloriol_pb_20200415.m4a flavocinctus
(Darwin, NT)
Going to roost © PB
figbird_20140817_3.m4a flavocinctus
(Darwin, NT)
Q&A? (with Australasian Figbird) © MD
yloriol_pb_20180606_4.m4a flavocinctus
(Darwin, NT)
Various © PB
yloriol_20140819.m4a flavocinctus
(Darwin, NT)
? © MD

More Yellow Oriole sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site?
If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.