Black-cowled Oriole (Icterus prosthemelas)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Black-cowled Oriole

Icterus prosthemelas (Strickland, 1850)

18–21 cmLength28 gWeight

The black-cowled oriole (Icterus prosthemelas) is a species of bird in the family Icteridae.

Busiest months: March · Most records: Costa Rica, Belize, Mexico

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: March · Most records: Costa Rica, Belize, Mexico

Black-cowled Oriole has been recorded at 151 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 7 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Estación Biológica La Selva-OTSCosta Rica4,803 records
  2. Arenal Observatory LodgeCosta Rica3,273 records
  3. Black Rock LodgeBelize2,308 records
More places
  1. Chan Chich LodgeBelize1,603 records
  2. Lamanai Outpost Lodge & Indian ChurchBelize1,040 records
  3. Laguna Lagarto LodgeCosta Rica963 records
  4. Reserva Toh - Plantación de Madera Dura y Vía de Acceso PonienteMexico960 records
  5. Selva Verde LodgeCosta Rica936 records
  6. Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary – Bird's Eye View LodgeBelize902 records
  7. Arenal – Peninsula roadCosta Rica838 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Costa RicaBelizeMexicoGuatemalaHondurasPanamaNicaragua

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The black-cowled oriole (Icterus prosthemelas) is a species of bird in the family Icteridae. It is common and widespread in the Caribbean lowlands and foothills from southern Mexico to western Panama. It lives primarily in humid or semihumid forest, as well as in clearings, along forest edges, in plantations, in semi-open areas with scattered trees and bushes, and in gardens.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Black-cowled Oriole?

The Black-cowled Oriole is about 18–21 cm long and weighs around 28 g.

Where does the Black-cowled Oriole live?

Its breeding range: Middle America: southern Mexico to Panama. It is most often recorded in Costa Rica, Belize and Mexico.

When is the best time to see the Black-cowled Oriole?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in March (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Black-cowled Oriole endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Black-cowled Oriole as Least Concern.

What does the Black-cowled Oriole eat?

Main food: Omnivore.

What family is the Black-cowled Oriole in?

It belongs to the family Oropendolas, New World Orioles, Blackbirds (Icteridae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
18–21 cm
Weight
28 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Omnivore
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
84 mm
Tail
88 mm
Bill
21 mm
Tarsus
23 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Middle America: southern Mexico to Panama

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Genus
Icterus

Other birds in the genus Icterus

Scott's OrioleScott's OrioleIcterus parisorumYellow-backed OrioleYellow-backed OrioleIcterus chrysaterAudubon's OrioleAudubon's OrioleIcterus graduacaudaJamaican OrioleJamaican OrioleIcterus leucopteryxOrange OrioleOrange OrioleIcterus auratusAltamira OrioleAltamira OrioleIcterus gularisYellow OrioleYellow OrioleIcterus nigrogularisBullock's OrioleBullock's OrioleIcterus bullockiorumStreak-backed OrioleStreak-backed OrioleIcterus pustulatusBlack-backed OrioleBlack-backed OrioleIcterus abeilleiBaltimore OrioleBaltimore OrioleIcterus galbulaYellow-tailed OrioleYellow-tailed OrioleIcterus mesomelas
Black-cowled Oriole

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Mike Leveille. ↗

WebP · 1070 px

Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.

In other languages