Black-naped Oriole
About the Black-naped Oriole in Singapore
Last updated 29 May 2026
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The Black-naped Oriole (Oriolus chinensis) is a medium-sized, black-and-yellow bird. In Malay, it is also known as “Kunyit Besar”, meaning “Big Tumeric” due to its distinctive yellow plumage. Black-naped Orioles are the only species of orioles found in Singapore.
Identifying features
Check out some of the identifying features of the Black-naped Oriole below.
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The adult Black-naped Oriole has an overall yellow plumage, with mostly black wings. It has a black band across its eye and hindcrow, a pink beak and red eyes. The juvenile has a yellow plumage with black striations on the chest, a less-obvious eye-stripe and a grey beak.
Interested to learn more about how to identify Garden Birds? Check out our simple guide on identifying Garden Birds!
Habitat and ecology
Black-naped Orioles eat insects and fruit, and can commonly be found joining mixed flocks in fruiting trees, commonly sighted within forests, mangroves, parks, gardens and urban areas.
Did you know?
This bird was featured on Singapore’s $500 notes of the “Bird Series” currency notes issued from 1976 to 1984!
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Learn more about the Black-naped Oriole!
Curious about the Black-naped Oriole? Here are some interesting articles you can read to learn more about them.
