Scott's Oriole

A striking black-and-lemon-yellow oriole of arid scrub and desert grassland in the southwestern United States and Mexico, closely tied to yucca and agave stands where it both feeds on nectar and insects and often builds its hanging nest. Its rich, whistled song is frequently the first clue to its presence, delivered from an exposed perch atop a yucca or mesquite. Spring and early summer, when birds are actively singing and defending nesting territories in yucca-dominated habitat, offer the best viewing.