# Puerto Rican Oriole

Scientific name: Icterus portoricensis

Bird group: [blackbird](https://birdsofpuertorico.com/family/blackbird)

Canonical source: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/bird/272/Puerto-Rican-Oriole

## Identification

The Puerto Rican oriole (Icterus portoricensis) is a species of bird in the family Icteridae, and genus Icterus or New World blackbirds.  This species is a part of a subgroup of orioles (Clade A) that includes the North American orchard oriole, Icterus spurius, and the hooded oriole, Icterus cucullatus.
Males and females are similar in size and color. Males weigh about 41.0 grams and females weigh about 36.6 g. The average wingspan of males and females is 96.9 and 92.1 mm, respectively.
In 2008, Hofmann, Cronin, and Omland, conducted a study that showed there is little color difference in the feathers between the males and females of many tropical orioles, including the Puerto Rican oriole. This means that males and females both have elaborate colors, in contrast many temperate-zoned birds have brightly colored males and dull colored females.


## Distribution and habitat

The Puerto Rican Oriole is a common endemic species in 
Puerto Rico (Oberle 2018), 
whereas its presence in Vieques 
is unconfirmed (Gemmill 2015). 
This species occurs in forests, 
shade coffee plantations, citrus 
orchards, mangroves, palm 
groves, and gardens (Oberle 
2018), especially where royal 
palms occur (J.A. Salguero-Faría, 
personal observation 2009). The 
atlas fieldwork yielded a total of 
431 records within 270 hexagons 
or 56 percent of the 479 total 
hexagons (see map). Of the 270 
hexagons where this species was found, breeding met the 
atlas definition of confirmed in 
20 percent (53) of the hexagons, 
probable in 20 percent (53), and 
possible in 60 percent (163), 
while the species was observed 
in an additional hexagon (<1 
percent) but without evidence of 
breeding (see map). Puerto Rican Oriole distribution. The map shows the highest breeding code by hexagon and overlaying the ecological life zones in 
Puerto Rico. Note: percentages may not total 100 due to rounding.

## Breeding

Previously published reports indicate that the Puerto Rican 
Oriole breeds throughout the 
year, but it is most active from 
March to June (Raffaele and 
others 1998). It builds a fibrous 
hanging nest, which is often       263Puerto Rican Oriole/Calandria de Puerto Ricoplaced in a palm tree (Oberle 2018). Atlas results confirm the 
breeding information described 
in the literature (see chart). 
Results show that the Puerto 
Rican Oriole breeds mostly 
within the subtropical moist 
and subtropical wet forest life 
zones (65 and 26 percent of the 
hexagons, respectively) (see 
table and map).

## Conservation

The Puerto Rican Oriole population is in decline 
owing to ongoing habitat loss 
and fragmentation (BirdLife 
International 2016), but it is 
classified as a species of least 
concern by the IUCN (BirdLife 
International 2016). Nonetheless, 
it is currently threatened by cowbird nest parasitism (Oberle 
2018). Locally, this species is 
listed as Data Deficient (PRDNER 
2015). In Puerto Rico, the Puerto 
Rican Oriole has a protected 
habitat in land of 12 percent or 
794 km2 of the total area covered by the hexagons where evidence 
of breeding was found for this 
species (6410 km2). 

Photo: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_272_Im0.png.webp

Distribution map: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_272_Im1.png.webp

Source note: Text is reproduced from this site's published record. Historical conservation statements and taxonomy have not been independently revalidated. See https://birdsofpuertorico.com/about for source credits and limitations.