Black-headed Oriole

Oriolus larvatus

Other Names

  African Black-headed Oriole   Loriot masqué   Maskenpirol     Östlig svarthuvudgylling     Oriolo testanera

World: Africa widespread S of 5°S except in the dry south west. In the North it extends through East Africa to southern Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia.

Kenya: Almost totally absent from the arid northern part of Kenya but common elsewhere.

The most common of Kenya's dark-headed Orioles, it inhabits acacia and other types of open woodland as well as being seen in mangroves and forest. In areas where either the Western Black-headed Oriole or the Montane Oriole is also present the Black-headed is restricted to the forest edge.