Altho boldly colored, these birds are inconspicuous among agaves and yuccas of our southern and western desert canyons. The characteristic Oriole whistle betrays their presence. Part of the song is suggestive of the Meadowlark's melody and Bailey says a male in a valley of the Staked Plains repeated a jerky series of notes easily interpreted as a ju-niper val-ley — a ju-niper val-ley!
Swarth believes they require two years to attain full plumage. In Spring migration full-plumaged males came first, the females next, followed by immature males.
NEST: pendant on yucca or low trees; woven of palm, yucca fibres or grass.
EGGS: 2–4; pale blue streaked and spotted at large end with black, brown and purple.
Southwestern United States from southern California, southern Utah and Nevada, east to western Texas.
A 20-foot tree distributed in Trinity River Valley, Texas.