Oriole

Oriole — Orioles are colourful Old World passerine birds in the family Oriolidae and genus Oriolus. They are not related to the New World orioles, which are Icterids, family Icteridae.Two families of perching birds of the order Passeriformes are known as orioles: 28 to 30 species of the Old World family Oriolidae and about 25 species of the New World family Icteridae. Members of family Oriolidae, which are closely related to crows and jays, typically inhabit tropical regions. Only the golden oriole, Oriolus oriolus, is found in more northern areas, ranging from Great Britain to Siberia. Old World orioles measure 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12 in) in length and have brightly colored feathers, with yellows and greens predominating; some species also have brown, red, and black plumage. They have long, pointed wings and strong, usually slightly hooked bills. These solitary birds build their nests high in a tree and lay 2 to 5 eggs in a clutch.

The orioles are a mainly tropical Old World group, although one species breeds in more temperate regions.

New World orioles, is a group of birds in the Icteridae family. They are not related to the Old World orioles which are in the family Oriolidae, but are superficially strikingly similar in size, diet, behaviour and their yellow-and-black plumage, a good example of convergent evolution, and almost inevitably took the same vernacular name.

The males are typically black and yellow or orange, with white markings; the plumage of females and immature birds is duller. These birds go through one moult in a year. They are generally slender with long tails and a pointed bill. They mainly eat insects, often also nectar and fruit.