DESCRIPTION, DISTRIBUTION, HABITS 



Black-headed Oriole {Oriolus larvatus). (Vol. I., 

 p. 187.) 



Description. — Body yellow tinged with olive on the back. 

 Head, cheeks, and throat black ; the black on the throat extends 

 down to the chest. Iris red. Bill dark red. Legs and feet 

 black. The sexes are coloured alike. Immature birds are 

 streaked with brown, and the parts that are jet black in the 

 mature birds are dusky brown in immature specimens. 



Length, 9.25 ; tail, 3.25 ; wing, 5.50. 



Distribution. — Wooded districts of the whole of South Africa. 

 This oriole ranges as far as Angola, Central and North-East 

 Africa. 



Habits. — They associate in pairs. The nest is composed 

 of lichen ; it is saucer shaped and placed amongst the small 

 upper branches of tall trees. Eggs, 3 to 5 ; size, 1.25 by 0.87 ; 

 creamy white, glossy, and marked with dark purplish-brown. 



The young are fed exclusively on caterpillars. 



Golden Oriole {Oriolus galbula). (Vol. I., p. 187.) 



Description. — The entire body is golden-yellow. A black 

 streak runs from the base of the bill to the eye. Wing coverts 

 black. Tail black, tipped with yellow. Iris and bill red. 

 Feet dull brown. 



Length., 10.00 ; tail, 3.10 ; wing, 5.90. 



Female is somewhat duller in colour than the male. 



Distribution. — Wooded districts of South Africa, and north 

 through Africa into Europe and Asia. 



Habits. — The golden oriole frequents the forests in pairs. 

 It is a very shy bird, and hides amidst the thick foliage of the 

 trees. It is migratory, and does not breed in South Africa. Its 

 chief breeding place is Germany, 



This oriole is nowhere common in South Africa, 



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