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It was only in 1939 that this Altamira Oriole was first found north of the Rio Grande River. Now it happily visits residents on the Texas side of the river, especially where a juicy orange half waits in a backyard feeder. Northerly breeding orioles, like Bullock's in the West and the Baltimore in the East, nest as far north as Canada, but winter mostly in Central America.
BirdNote®
The Musical Altamira Oriole
Written by Bob Sundstrom
This is BirdNote.
From a wooded thicket along the lower Rio Grande River comes a rich, whistled song.
[Altamira Oriole song]
Your eye catches a flash of brilliant orange. There’s the singer, an Altamira Oriole. A dashing bird. Its orange body contrasts beautifully with its black breastplate and eye-patch.
[Altamira Oriole song]
One of the largest orioles at 10” from beak to tail, the Altamira is a tropical resident year-round, reaching into the United States only in southernmost Texas. And it was only in 1939 that the Altamira Oriole was first found north of the Rio Grande. Now it happily visits residents on the Texas side of the river, especially where juicy orange slices wait in a backyard feeder.
[Altamira Oriole song]
Northerly-breeding orioles — like the Bullock’s in the West ...
[Bullock’s Oriole song]
and the Baltimore in the East ...
[Baltimore Oriole song]
— are migratory. These orange beauties nest as far north as Canada, but winter mostly in Central America. Their songs, too, are memorable, but no match for the music of the Altamira Oriole.
[Altamira Oriole song]
For BirdNote, I'm Mary McCann.
BirdNote gives you the sounds of birds everyday and you get the sights as well when you follow us on Instagram: @BirdNoteRadio.
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Senior Producer: Mark Bramhill
Producer: Sam Johnson
Managing Editor: Jazzi Johnson
Managing Producer: Ariana Remmel
Content Director: Jonese Franklin
Song of the Altamira Oriole provided by The Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Recorded by G.A. Keller. BirdNote's theme music was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and produced by John Kessler.
© 2016 Tune In to Nature.org February 2014 / 2018 / 2021 July 2025
Narrator: Mary McCann
ID# 2008-02-20-ALOR-01 ALOR-01b
Bob Sundstrom
Writer
Mary McCann
NarratorSights & Sounds
