Scott's Oriole

A high-desert specialist tied to yuccas and Joshua trees, Scott's Oriole trades the family's orange for brilliant lemon yellow — and backs it with one of the desert's finest songs, a rich, carrying whistle that starts before sunrise and keeps going through the heat.

Range

Breeds in the Mojave, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan desert highlands — southeastern California through Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and West Texas. Winters in Mexico; a few linger in southern Arizona.

Migration timing

Arrives in March and early April, nests in yucca stalks through the late-spring bloom, and departs by September. Desert feeder visits peak in early spring before wild nectar and insects hit full supply.

How to identify one

• Male: lemon-yellow body with a full black hood and back — no orange tones at all
• Female: olive-yellow with a dusky throat; larger and longer-billed than female Hooded
• Loud, rich, meadowlark-like song, often the desert dawn's dominant voice

At the feeder

In yucca and Joshua tree country, Scott's Orioles come readily to nectar and orange halves, especially March through May. Place feeders with some shade and a clear sightline — these are wary, open-country birds.

Where to find the Scott's Oriole

FeederDates › Orioles › Species › Scott's Oriole