Scott's Oriole
Scott's Oriole has held roughly steady: up 5% on the route-weighted index since 1969.
About the Scott's Oriole
The Scott's Oriole (Icterus parisorum) 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 261 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 7 states, most concentrated in the Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau.
- Family
- Icteridae · Forest birds
Notable Scott's Oriole Trends
No notable trend signals for Scott's Oriole. See the full index history below.
Scott's Oriole Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Scott's Oriole is projected to rise about 49% by 2029 — from 0.09 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.13 (95% range 0.06–0.20). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±56.5%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.13 | 0.06 | 0.20 |
| 2026 | 0.13 | 0.06 | 0.20 |
| 2027 | 0.13 | 0.06 | 0.20 |
| 2028 | 0.13 | 0.06 | 0.20 |
| 2029 | 0.13 | 0.06 | 0.20 |
Where the Scott's Oriole Is Detected
BBS routes recording Scott's Oriole, sized by most recent count.
Scott's Oriole Population Trend by State
| Arizona | -50% | 1970 | 69 |
| California | -86% | 1970 | 49 |
| Colorado | insufficient data | n/a | 5 |
| Nevada | -75% | 1970 | 9 |
| New Mexico | +17% | 1970 | 43 |
| Texas | +31% | 1969 | 57 |
| Utah | -58% | 1988 | 29 |
Scott's Oriole Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Great Basin | -73% | 1970 | 16 |
| Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau | -62% | 1970 | 58 |
| Shortgrass Prairie | +98% | 1992 | 6 |
| Central Mixed Grass Prairie | -27% | 1976 | 6 |
| Edwards Plateau | +277% | 1976 | 12 |
| Coastal California | -48% | 1971 | 21 |
| Sonoran and Mojave Deserts | -87% | 1970 | 57 |
| Sierra Madre Occidental | -34% | 1970 | 29 |
| Chihuahuan Desert | -2% | 1969 | 51 |
Scott's Oriole Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 5% since 1969.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.