The African Golden Oriole is one of my all-time favourite birds in the Gambia. A regular visitor to Footsteps, he can be seen from our bird hide.
Bird information.
Where can we see an African Golden Oriole?
The pictures above were photographed on the lane leading to Footsteps. They like thick woodland.
What does it look like?
The male is striking in the typical oriole black and yellow plumage, although the plumage is predominantly yellow, with solid black only in the flight feathers and tail centre. There is a great deal of gold in the wings, a distinction from the Eurasian golden oriole, which winters in Africa. The female is a drabber green bird, distinguished from the European species by more contrasting wings and black around the eye. Orioles are shy, and even the male is tough to see in the canopy’s dappled yellow and green leaves. Their flight is somewhat like a thrush, strong and direct with some shallow dips over longer distances. Source Wikipedia.
What does it feed on?
They love figs but will also feed on fruits and insects.
Want to know an interesting Factoid?
African Golden Orioles are monogamous. They use whistles to communicate with each other but if they want to inform nearby birds about a potential threat they will change that whistle to a loud alarm call.
How does it sound?
Its song is a melodic fee-ooo fee-ooo, once heard and never forgotten. Its call is a loudscreech, just like a jay.