Icteridae - Orioles, Blackbirds, Grackles, Bobolinks

There are around 100 bird species in this family. They are all found in North America, Cental America, the Caribbean, and South America. They range in size from 6-21 inches in length. They have strong, pointed conical bills and long, pointed wings.

They vary in color from the glossy black of blackbirds to the bright yellow and orange of the oriole. Females are usually smaller and duller than males.

Most birds in this family forage on the ground for insects and seeds.

Icteridae Photo Gallery

World Status Key
Least Concern Near Threatened Vulnerable Endangered Critically Endangered Extinct Wild Extinct
Status and range is taken from ICUN Redlist. If no status is listed, there is not enough data to establish status.

US Status Key
Threatened in US Threatened in NH Endangered in US Endangered in NH Breeds in NH Introduced
Status taken from US Fish and Wildlife and NH Fish and Game

New Hampshire Species		North/Central American Species
Baltimore Oriole - Icterus galbula Bobolink - Dolichonyx oryzivorus Brown-headed Cowbird - Molothrus ater Common Grackle - Quiscalus quiscula Eastern Meadowlark - Sturnella magna Orchard Oriole - Icterus spurius Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus Rusty Blackbird - Euphagus carolinus Yellow-headed Blackbird - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus		Venezuelan Troupial - Icterus icterus St Lucia Oriole - Icterus laudabilis Jamaican Oriole - Icterus leucopteryx Bar-winged Oriole - Icterus maculialatus Yellow-tailed Oriole - Icterus mesomelas Yellow Oriole - Icterus nigrogularis Montserrat Oriole - Icterus oberi Scott's Oriole - Icterus parisorum Spot-breasted Oriole - Icterus pectoralis Black-cowled Oriole - Icterus prosthemelas Streak-backed Oriole - Icterus pustulatus Orchard Oriole - Icterus spurius Black-vented Oriole - Icterus wagleri Brown-headed Cowbird - Molothrus ater Shiny Cowbird - Molothrus bonariensis Giant Cowbird - Molothrus oryzivorus Jamaican Blackbird - Nesopsar nigerrimus Crested Oropendola - Psarocolius decumanus Black Oropendola - Psarocolius guatimozinus Montezuma Oropendola - Psarocolius montezuma Chestnut-headed Oropendola - Psarocolius wagleri Carib Grackle - Quiscalus lugubris Boat-tailed Grackle - Quiscalus major Great-tailed Grackle - Quiscalus mexicanus Nicaraguan Grackle - Quiscalus nicaraguensis Greater Antillean Grackle - Quiscalus niger Slender-billed Grackle - Quiscalus palustris Common Grackle - Quiscalus quiscula Eastern Meadowlark - Sturnella magna Red-breasted Blackbird - Sturnella militaris Western Meadowlark - Sturnella neglecta Yellow-headed Blackbird - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus
North/Central American Species
Red-shouldered Blackbird - Agelaius assimilis Tawny-shouldered Blackbird - Agelaius humeralis Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus Tricolored Blackbird - Agelaius tricolor Yellow-shouldered Blackbird - Agelaius xanthomus Yellow-billed Cacique - Amblycercus holosericeus Yellow-rumped Cacique - Cacicus cela Yellow-winged Cacique - Cacicus melanicterus Scarlet-rumped Cacique - Cacicus uropygialis Yellow-hooded Blackbird - Chrysomus icterocephalus Cuban Blackbird - Dives atroviolaceus Melodious Blackbird - Dives dives Bobolink - Dolichonyx oryzivorus Rusty Blackbird - Euphagus carolinus Brewer's Blackbird - Euphagus cyanocephalus Black-backed Oriole - Icterus abeillei Orange Oriole - Icterus auratus Orange-crowned Oriole - Icterus auricapillus Martinique Oriole - Icterus bonana Bullock's Oriole - Icterus bullockii Yellow-backed Oriole - Icterus chrysater Hooded Oriole - Icterus cucullatus Greater Antillean Oriole - Icterus dominicensis Baltimore Oriole - Icterus galbula Audubon's Oriole - Icterus graduacauda Altamira Oriole - Icterus gularis

Other Species Around the World
Africa Asia Australia/Oceania Europe North/Central America South America NH Species
Bay-winged Cowbird - Agelaioides badius Red-shouldered Blackbird - Agelaius assimilis Tawny-shouldered Blackbird - Agelaius humeralis Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus Tricolored Blackbird - Agelaius tricolor Yellow-shouldered Blackbird - Agelaius xanthomus Unicolored Blackbird - Agelasticus cyanopus Yellow-winged Blackbird - Agelasticus thilius Pale-eyed Blackbird - Agelasticus xanthophthalmus Yellow-billed Cacique - Amblycercus holosericeus Scarlet-headed Blackbird - Amblyramphus holosericeus Yellow-rumped Cacique - Cacicus cela Mountain Cacique - Cacicus chrysonotus Golden-winged Cacique - Cacicus chrysopterus Red-rumped Cacique - Cacicus haemorrhous Selva Cacique - Cacicus koepckeae Yellow-winged Cacique - Cacicus melanicterus Ecuadorian Cacique - Cacicus sclateri Solitary Black Cacique - Cacicus solitarius Scarlet-rumped Cacique - Cacicus uropygialis Yellow-hooded Blackbird - Chrysomus icterocephalus Chestnut-capped Blackbird - Chrysomus ruficapillus Casqued Oropendola - Clypicterus oseryi Austral Blackbird - Curaeus curaeus Forbes's Blackbird - Curaeus forbesi Cuban Blackbird - Dives atroviolaceus Melodious Blackbird - Dives dives Scrub Blackbird - Dives warszewiczi Bobolink - Dolichonyx oryzivorus Rusty Blackbird - Euphagus carolinus Brewer's Blackbird - Euphagus cyanocephalus Chopi Blackbird - Gnorimopsar chopi Oriole Blackbird - Gymnomystax mexicanus Red-bellied Grackle - Hypopyrrhus pyrohypogaster Black-backed Oriole - Icterus abeillei Orange Oriole - Icterus auratus Orange-crowned Oriole - Icterus auricapillus Martinique Oriole - Icterus bonana Bullock's Oriole - Icterus bullockii Epaulet Oriole - Icterus cayanensis Yellow-backed Oriole - Icterus chrysater Orange-backed Troupial - Icterus croconotus Hooded Oriole - Icterus cucullatus Greater Antillean Oriole - Icterus dominicensis Baltimore Oriole - Icterus galbula White-edged Oriole - Icterus graceannae Audubon's Oriole - Icterus graduacauda Altamira Oriole - Icterus gularis Venezuelan Troupial - Icterus icterus Campo Troupial - Icterus jamacaii		St Lucia Oriole - Icterus laudabilis Jamaican Oriole - Icterus leucopteryx Bar-winged Oriole - Icterus maculialatus Yellow-tailed Oriole - Icterus mesomelas Yellow Oriole - Icterus nigrogularis Montserrat Oriole - Icterus oberi Scott's Oriole - Icterus parisorum Spot-breasted Oriole - Icterus pectoralis Black-cowled Oriole - Icterus prosthemelas Streak-backed Oriole - Icterus pustulatus Orchard Oriole - Icterus spurius Black-vented Oriole - Icterus wagleri Velvet-fronted Grackle - Lampropsar tanagrinus Golden-tufted Grackle - Macroagelaius imthurni Mountain Grackle - Macroagelaius subalaris Bronzed Cowbird - Molothrus aeneus Brown-headed Cowbird - Molothrus ater Shiny Cowbird - Molothrus bonariensis Giant Cowbird - Molothrus oryzivorus Screaming Cowbird - Molothrus rufoaxillaris Jamaican Blackbird - Nesopsar nigerrimus Band-tailed Oropendola - Ocyalus latirostris Bolivian Blackbird - Oreopsar bolivianus Russet-backed Oropendola - Psarocolius angustifrons Dusky-green Oropendola - Psarocolius atrovirens Olive Oropendola - Psarocolius bifasciatus Baudo Oropendola - Psarocolius cassini Crested Oropendola - Psarocolius decumanus Black Oropendola - Psarocolius guatimozinus Montezuma Oropendola - Psarocolius montezuma Green Oropendola - Psarocolius viridis Chestnut-headed Oropendola - Psarocolius wagleri Yellow-rumped Marshbird - Pseudoleistes guirahuro Brown-and-yellow Marshbird - Pseudoleistes virescens Carib Grackle - Quiscalus lugubris Boat-tailed Grackle - Quiscalus major Great-tailed Grackle - Quiscalus mexicanus Nicaraguan Grackle - Quiscalus nicaraguensis Greater Antillean Grackle - Quiscalus niger Slender-billed Grackle - Quiscalus palustris Common Grackle - Quiscalus quiscula Peruvian Meadowlark - Sturnella bellicosa Pampas Meadowlark - Sturnella defilippii Long-tailed Meadowlark - Sturnella loyca Eastern Meadowlark - Sturnella magna Red-breasted Blackbird - Sturnella militaris Western Meadowlark - Sturnella neglecta White-browed Blackbird - Sturnella superciliaris Yellow-headed Blackbird - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus Saffron-cowled Blackbird - Xanthopsar flavus