In the arid Southwest, few birds stand out as brightly as the male Scott’s Oriole, which lights up the desert's earth tones with rich lemon-and-black plumage.

Look for them from the mountains to foothills and all the way down to the desert. These birds forage and nest in palms, junipers, pinyon pines, and especially yuccas, where nectar, insects, and nesting material is gathered.

In the desert, orioles are often spotted near water sources such as desert oases, natural springs, or even man-made watering holes. They are attracted to the presence of water and the plant life that thrives nearby.

None is adapted to extreme desert conditions, but several species make inroads to the Sonoran Desert. Great-tailed Grackle Orioles in general are treetop birds, moving methodically through the foliage in search of insects, often stopping at flowers to add some nectar to their diet.

Feb 26, 2024 · Learn how to attract orioles to your backyard. The rich, warbling song of the Scott’s oriole carries far across the foothills of this bird’s summer home in the Southwest. This yellow-and black bird lives in various habitats, from juniper or oak woods to desert grassland. Most often it’s found where yuccas grow.

Dry woods and scrub in desert mountains, yuccas, Joshua-trees, pinyons. Breeds in semi-arid zones of Southwest in oak zones of lower canyons, open woods of juniper and pinyon pine, stands of Joshua-trees, grassland with many yuccas, palm oases. Avoids true desert.

Oct 30, 2022 · A type of icterid, it is most famously known as the desert or mountain oriole, as it prefers to live in high desert regions or along mountain slopes in Mexico and Central America, as well as the southern United States.

Mar 10, 2023 · Scott’s Orioles prefer arid and semi-arid habitats at elevations from 980 to 8,200 feet, including foothills, semi-arid plains, mountain canyons, desert grassland prairies, dry woods, and scrub in desert mountains. They can be most often found in places abundant with yucca, agave, juniper, or pine. However, they avoid real desert.

The bird that is strongly associated with mistletoe (in the sonoran desert) is the Scott's Oriole. Because the female will flush from the nest as one walks by, it is possible to find a nest in this way.

Scott’s Oriole is an adaptable species, breeding in a number of Chihuahuan desert habitats in Texas. The species is primarily insectivorous, supplementing with fruit and nectar. The adult male’s black hood and back and lemon yellow underparts separate it from other common male orioles in this state.