9" (23 cm). Robin-sized. Bright orange-yellow with black face and throat, upper back, wings, and tail. Similar to Hooded Oriole but larger, with heavier bill and orange-yellow shoulders. Male and female look alike.
Series of loud whistles and harsh chatters.
Forest and scattered groves of tall trees, especially near water.
Resident in Rio Grande Valley of extreme southern Texas.
The best places to see this very local species north of the Mexican border are the Brownsville region and the Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge. Although mainly found in the dense foliage of tall forest trees, the Altamira Oriole builds a conspicuous nest suspended far out on a slender, drooping limb, safe from most predators. It varies a diet of insects and spiders with fruits such as figs and berries.
3 or 4 purple-streaked whitish eggs, often in a cylindrical or bag-shaped nest up to 2' (about 60 cm) long, woven of tough fibers and suspended from a branch.
