Olive-backed oriole facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Olive-backed oriole |
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| In Canberra, Australia | |
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| Genus: |
Oriolus
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| Species: |
sagittatus
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The olive-backed oriole (Oriolus sagittatus) is a cool bird found in Australia and New Guinea. It is also sometimes called the white-bellied oriole. This medium-sized bird is a type of passerine, which means it's a perching bird.
You can find the olive-backed oriole in northern and eastern Australia, and in south-central New Guinea. It's the most common oriole in the Australasian region. These birds are known for being quite noisy and easy to spot!
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About the Olive-backed Oriole
The olive-backed oriole was first described in 1801 by an English bird expert named John Latham. He first placed it in a group of birds called Coracias.
Different Types of Olive-backed Orioles
There are four main types, or subspecies, of the olive-backed oriole. They live in different areas:
- O. s. magnirostris: This type lives in south-central New Guinea.
- O. s. affinis: You can find this one in north-western and north-central Australia.
- O. s. grisescens: This subspecies lives on the Cape York Peninsula in north-eastern Australia. It also lives on islands in the Torres Strait.
- O. s. sagittatus: This is the type found in eastern Australia.
What Does the Olive-backed Oriole Look Like?
The olive-backed oriole is not super brightly colored. Its back is an olive-green color with small dark stripes. Its chest is lighter and has black stripes.
Female orioles have wings with a touch of cinnamon color on the edges. Both male and female orioles have reddish beaks and reddish eyes.
Where Do Olive-backed Orioles Live?
The olive-backed oriole is quite adaptable. It likes open woodland areas and can live in drier places. However, it does not live in deserts. Another bird, the green oriole, prefers wet, thick forests in the far north.
Olive-backed orioles are very common in the northern parts of their range. They are seen less often in the south. You can find them from the very north of Western Australia all the way along the east and south coasts to Victoria. They even reach the corner of South Australia.
Most of these birds lay their eggs and raise their young during the tropical wet season. However, some orioles will migrate south to breed during the southern summer months.
