Birds · Passeriformes · Oriolidae

Eurasian Golden Oriole

Oriolus oriolus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

It is the only Old World oriole that breeds in the temperate northern hemisphere; all its relatives are tropical birds.

Weight

65 g – 75 g

Size

24 cm on average

Lifespan

3 years

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Fun facts

For all its striking yellow and black plumage, it is notoriously hard to see, keeping to dense foliage.
It eats insects, caterpillars and fruit, cherries and other ripe fruit above all.
It winters in sub-Saharan Africa.

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - pneumatised bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Open riverside woodland and mature groves of Europe and the western Palaearctic, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa
Birth weight: Weight at hatching not found as a precise figure
Size at birth: Born blind and naked
Sexual maturity: 1 year
Gestation / incubation: 14-15 days (an estimate)
Litter / clutch size: 3 to 5 eggs per clutch