Icterus spurius

This female Orchard Oriole near Cappahayden in Fall 2011 was only the third confirmed record for Newfoundland, and the first to be photographed.
– Photo: Dave Brown (September 9, 2011)

Status: Rare (Less than annual)

Origins: Breeds across most of the eastern United States and Mexico, wintering further south into Central and South America. It is a rare but regular visitor to the Maritime provinces.

Record Details: Thirteen records for Newfoundland: (1) An immature male at Cheeseman Provincial Park (southwest Newfoundland) on June 13 1985 is widely considered the first convincing record for the province. (2) An immature female was observed well at Red Cliff (north of St. John’s) on September 13-14, 1991. (3) A female spotted near Cappahyaden on September 9, 2011 was the first to be photographed. (4) An immature/female was spotted in the same general area, at Bear Cove, on September 26, 2012. (5) An immature/female individual was photographed near St. Lawrence on August 11, 2015, while (6) another was photographed on the East Coast Trail south of Cape Spear on September 6, 2015. (7) An immature was present at Cape Spear August 13-15, 2018 and seen by many. (8) An immature photographed at Bidgood Park (Goulds) on August 25, 2020. (9) An individual was seen and photographed by several birders on the roadside near Cape Spear on September 9, 2022. (10) An unusual spring record, a young male was present at Francois on May 26-28, 2023. (11) One, possibly two, immatures visited a yard and feeders in Renews on August 24-25, 2023. (12) The following day (August 26, 2023), another was photographed on Signal Hill in St. John’s. (13) Most recently, an immature was photographed on Bear Cove Point Road (near Renews) on September 9, 2023.

However, the history of this species in the province is slightly complicated, with a few other convincing (but unconfirmed) reports, including two from St. John’s in June 1975 and October 2002.

* NOTE – This website is not an official account and “may” contain incorrect information and/or details of unconfirmed records. *