Bahama Oriole
Encyclopedia
The Bahama Oriole is a species of bird
in the Icteridae family. It is endemic to the Bahamas. The taxon was formerly lumped with the Cuban Oriole
(Icterus melanopsis), Hispaniolan Oriole
(Icterus dominicensis), and Puerto Rican Oriole
(Icterus portoricensis) into a single species until all four were elevated to full species in 2010.
Historically, the Bahama Oriole has been known only from two major islands in the Bahamas: Abaco
and Andros
. It became extirpated from Abaco in the 1990s, and today remains only on Andros in the Bahamas. It can be found on the three major islands of Andros: North Andros
, Mangrove Cay
, and South Andros
. It may also occur on some of the smaller cays, especially if palm trees are present, but current documentation is lacking. The species was recently recognized as critically endangered
by Birdlife International, with recent population estimates of 300 or fewer individuals remaining.
The Bahama Oriole's preferred habitat
s include coppice and human residential areas, the latter being especially important for nesting since the species prefers to nest in the tallest palm trees available, most often introduced Coconut Palm (Cocos nucifera). Birds may also use the extensive Caribbean Pine
(Pinus caribaea) forest, but the importance of this habitat for the oriole remains unclear. Some nesting can occur in the pine forest when the understory grows sufficienly to support native palms. However, frequent fires, often set by humans, damage the understory.
The future of the Bahama Oriole remains tenuous. The Shiny Cowbird
(Molothrus bonariensis), a brood parasite
that lays its eggs in the nests of other bird species, is naturally expanding its South American and West Indies range northward, and reached Andros in the mid-1990s. Although still relatively uncommon, the cowbirds regularly parasitize the nests of orioles. Also, many of the introduced palms on North Andros, which the orioles preferentially select for nesting, are dying off because of lethal yellowing
disease brought in with the non-native palms. The bigger threats, however, are continued habitat loss from human development and stochastic processes that, because of the oriole's small population size
, increase the risk of extinction
.
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
in the Icteridae family. It is endemic to the Bahamas. The taxon was formerly lumped with the Cuban Oriole
Cuban Oriole
The Cuban Oriole is a species of bird in the Icteridae family. It is endemic to Cuba.The taxon was formerly lumped with the Bahama Oriole , Hispaniolan Oriole , and Puerto Rican Oriole into a single species until all four were elevated to full species in 2010.Its natural...
(Icterus melanopsis), Hispaniolan Oriole
Hispaniolan Oriole
The Hispaniolan Oriole is a species of bird in the Icteridae family. It is endemic to Hispaniola.The taxon was formerly lumped with the Cuban Oriole , Bahama Oriole , and Puerto Rican Oriole into a single species until all four were elevated to full species in 2010.Its natural...
(Icterus dominicensis), and Puerto Rican Oriole
Puerto Rican Oriole
The Puerto Rican Oriole is a species of bird in the Icteridae family. It is endemic to Puerto Rico.The taxon was formerly lumped with the Cuban Oriole , Hispaniolan Oriole , and Bahama Oriole into a single species until all four were elevated to full species in 2010.Its...
(Icterus portoricensis) into a single species until all four were elevated to full species in 2010.
Historically, the Bahama Oriole has been known only from two major islands in the Bahamas: Abaco
Abaco
Abaco is the Italian form of the Biblical name "Habakkuk".Abaco may refer to:-People:*Evaristo Felice Dall'Abaco , Italian composer and violinist*Joseph Abaco , Belgian composer and violoncellist-Places:...
and Andros
Andros
Andros, or Andro is the northernmost island of the Greek Cyclades archipelago, approximately south east of Euboea, and about north of Tinos. It is nearly long, and its greatest breadth is . Its surface is for the most part mountainous, with many fruitful and well-watered valleys. The area is...
. It became extirpated from Abaco in the 1990s, and today remains only on Andros in the Bahamas. It can be found on the three major islands of Andros: North Andros
North Andros
North Andros is one of the 31 Districts of The Bahamas. It is also the largest district in the country. It has some of the largest settlements on Andros Island and many churches as well.- Churches :...
, Mangrove Cay
Mangrove Cay
Mangrove Cay is one of the districts of the Bahamas, on Andros Island....
, and South Andros
South Andros
South Andros is a district of the nation of The Bahamas. Geographically, South Andros is the southernmost third of the land mass colloquially called Andros, which includes the districts of North Andros, Central Andros and South Andros...
. It may also occur on some of the smaller cays, especially if palm trees are present, but current documentation is lacking. The species was recently recognized as critically endangered
Critically endangered
Version 2010.3 of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 3744 Critically Endangered species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and subpopulations.Critically Endangered by kingdom:*1993 Animalia*2 Fungi*1745 Plantae*4 Protista-References:...
by Birdlife International, with recent population estimates of 300 or fewer individuals remaining.
The Bahama Oriole's preferred habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s include coppice and human residential areas, the latter being especially important for nesting since the species prefers to nest in the tallest palm trees available, most often introduced Coconut Palm (Cocos nucifera). Birds may also use the extensive Caribbean Pine
Caribbean Pine
The Caribbean Pine, Pinus caribaea, is a hard pine native to Central America, Cuba, Jamaica, the Bahamas, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. It inhabits tropical and subtropical coniferous forests, which include both lowland savannas and montane forests...
(Pinus caribaea) forest, but the importance of this habitat for the oriole remains unclear. Some nesting can occur in the pine forest when the understory grows sufficienly to support native palms. However, frequent fires, often set by humans, damage the understory.
The future of the Bahama Oriole remains tenuous. The Shiny Cowbird
Shiny Cowbird
The Shiny Cowbird, Molothrus bonariensis, is a passerine bird in the New World family Icteridae. It breeds in most of South America apart from the most dense jungles, mountains and deserts , the coldest southernmost regions , and on Trinidad and Tobago...
(Molothrus bonariensis), a brood parasite
Brood parasite
Brood parasites are organisms that use the strategy of brood parasitism, a kind of kleptoparasitism found among birds, fish or insects, involving the manipulation and use of host individuals either of the same or different species to raise the young of the brood-parasite...
that lays its eggs in the nests of other bird species, is naturally expanding its South American and West Indies range northward, and reached Andros in the mid-1990s. Although still relatively uncommon, the cowbirds regularly parasitize the nests of orioles. Also, many of the introduced palms on North Andros, which the orioles preferentially select for nesting, are dying off because of lethal yellowing
Lethal yellowing
thumb|Palm tree dying of lethal yellowingLethal Yellowing is a phytoplasma disease that attacks many species of palms, including some commercially important species such as the Coconut and Date Palm. It is spread by the planthopper Haplaxius crudus which is native to Florida, parts of the...
disease brought in with the non-native palms. The bigger threats, however, are continued habitat loss from human development and stochastic processes that, because of the oriole's small population size
Population size
In population genetics and population ecology, population size is the number of individual organisms in a population.The effective population size is defined as "the number of breeding individuals in an idealized population that would show the same amount of dispersion of allele frequencies under...
, increase the risk of extinction
Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
.