Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Masai Mara • Oct 2009

Bird name: Black Headed Oriole
Latin: Oriolus larvatus
Other: African Black Headed Oriole
Family: Oriolidae • Orioles

The Black-headed Oriole lives in sub-Saharan Africa, seen here in the Masai Mara.More photos...

Photos copyright: monacoeye • Danube Delta, Romania • May 2009 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Golden Oriole
Latin: Oriolus oriolus
Other: Loriot d'Europe
Family: Oriolidae • Orioles

The only Golden Oriole I've ever seen, as he flitted across a canal in the Danube Delta for about 3 seconds.

Not a brilliant shot, I grant you, but I was pretty chuffed with this observation on my first day, after the tour guide, who had been visiting this area weekly for four years, admitted that to her great frustration, despite peering through binoculars for hours on end, she had never seen a single Golden Oriole!

Unfortunately for her she was at the back of the boat reading a paper when this one flew by the front end. No amount of squinting at my camera's small LCD was going to convince her that this was indeed a Golden Oriole she had just missed either.

The proof is nevertheless there, for all to see, in glorious black and yellow!

The Golden Oriole is Europe's only oriole.More photos...

156 Oriolidae - Figbirds, Orioles - IOC 2.5 - 2010

Sphecotheres viridis - Green Figbird - Lesser Sundas
Sphecotheres hypoleucus - Wetar Figbird - Lesser Sundas
Sphecotheres vieilloti - Australasian Figbird - SE New Guinea, N, E Australia

Oriolus szalayi - Brown Oriole - New Guinea
Oriolus phaeochromus - Dusky-brown Oriole - N Moluccas
Oriolus forsteni - Grey-collared Oriole - S Moluccas
Oriolus bouroensis - Black-eared Oriole - Buru Is. Australasia
Oriolus decipiens - Tanimbar Oriole - Tanimbar Is. Australasia - Split from O. bouroensis
Oriolus melanotis - Olive-brown Oriole - Lesser Sundas
Oriolus sagittatus - Olive-backed Oriole - SC New Guinea, Australia
Oriolus flavocinctus - Green Oriole - Widespread Australasia
Oriolus xanthonotus - Dark-throated Oriole - Southeast Asia through Borneo & Philippines
Oriolus steerii - Philippine Oriole - Philippines
Oriolus albiloris - White-lored Oriole - Philippines
Oriolus isabellae - Isabella Oriole - Philippines
Oriolus oriolus - Eurasian Golden Oriole - W Eurasia - Africa
Oriolus kundoo - Indian Golden Oriole - E Afghanistan to Mongolia - India, Sri Lanka - Split from O. oriolus
Oriolus auratus - African Golden Oriole - Widespread Africa
Oriolus tenuirostris - Slender-billed Oriole - E Himalayas to Southeast Asia
Oriolus chinensis - Black-naped Oriole - Widespread Asia, also E Asia
Oriolus chlorocephalus - Green-headed Oriole - E Africa
Oriolus crassirostris - Sao Tome Oriole - São Tomé Africa
Oriolus brachyrhynchus - Western Oriole - W, C Africa
Oriolus monacha - Ethiopian Oriole - Ethiopia
Oriolus percivali - Mountain Oriole - E Africa
Oriolus larvatus - Black-headed Oriole - E, S Africa
Oriolus nigripennis - Black-winged Oriole - W, C Africa
Oriolus xanthornus - Black-hooded Oriole - N India through Southeast Asia to Borneo
Oriolus hosii - Black Oriole - N Borneo
Oriolus cruentus - Black-and-crimson Oriole - Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Borneo
Oriolus traillii - Maroon Oriole - Southeast Asia
Oriolus mellianus - Silver Oriole - SC China