Hooded Oriole
Hooded Oriole has surged: up 241% on the route-weighted index since 1970.
About the Hooded Oriole
The Hooded Oriole (Icterus cucullatus) is a North American member of the Blackbirds & Orioles (Icteridae). In this analysis it is grouped with the forest birds.
- Size
- 6.5–17 in long (16–43 cm) — a small to medium songbird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Woodlands and forest edges, including wooded suburbs and parks.
- Diet
- Insects and spiders gleaned from foliage and bark, with seeds and berries in season.
- Range
- Recorded on 180 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 6 states, most concentrated in the Coastal California.
- Family
- Icteridae · Forest birds
Notable Hooded Oriole Trends
No notable trend signals for Hooded Oriole. See the full index history below.
Hooded Oriole Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Hooded Oriole is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.06 (95% range 0.04–0.07). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±17%, with 80% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.05 | 0.04 | 0.07 |
| 2026 | 0.05 | 0.04 | 0.07 |
| 2027 | 0.05 | 0.04 | 0.07 |
| 2028 | 0.06 | 0.04 | 0.07 |
| 2029 | 0.06 | 0.04 | 0.07 |
Where the Hooded Oriole Is Detected
BBS routes recording Hooded Oriole, sized by most recent count.
Hooded Oriole Population Trend by State
| Arizona | -4% | 1970 | 43 |
| California | +368% | 1970 | 82 |
| Nevada | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| New Mexico | -15% | 1993 | 6 |
| Texas | +488% | 1972 | 45 |
| Utah | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
Hooded Oriole Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau | -2% | 1996 | 3 |
| Edwards Plateau | +31% | 1985 | 5 |
| Coastal California | +579% | 1970 | 58 |
| Sonoran and Mojave Deserts | -37% | 1970 | 45 |
| Sierra Madre Occidental | -20% | 1970 | 19 |
| Chihuahuan Desert | -26% | 1983 | 13 |
| Tamaulipan Brushlands | +984% | 1976 | 25 |
| Gulf Coastal Prairie | +186% | 1992 | 5 |
Hooded Oriole Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 241% since 1970.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.