Some authorities have considered the mountain oriole to be a subspecies of the black-headed oriole. Alternate names for the black-headed oriole include the African black-headed oriole, Eastern black-headed oriole and Eastern oriole.

Subspecies edit

Five subspecies are recognized:^[2]

• O. l. rolleti – Salvadori, 1864: Originally described as a separate species. Found from southern Sudan and southern Ethiopia to eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and central Kenya
• O. l. reichenowi – Zedlitz, 1916: Found from Somalia to eastern Tanzania
• Kenya black-headed oriole (O. l. angolensis) – Neumann, 1905: Found from Angola and Namibia to western Tanzania and northern Mozambique
• O. l. tibicen – Lawson, 1962: Found from coastal southern Tanzania to coastal southern Mozambique
• O. l. larvatus – Lichtenstein, MHK, 1823: Found from southern Zimbabwe to inland southern Mozambique and eastern South Africa

The black-headed oriole has a bright yellow body, contrasting black head and flesh-coloured beak. The voice is a liquid-sounding warble, accompanied by imitations and whistles.

It breeds in much of sub-Saharan Africa from South Sudan and Ethiopia in the north to South Africa in the south.

It inhabits dry tropical forests, especially acacia and broad-leaved woodlands, and dense shrubland areas, where it is more often heard than seen despite the brightness of its plumage.

The black-headed oriole forages in the canopy, feeding on small fruit as well as large insects. The young are fed mostly with caterpillars.

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  A pair in courtship ritual, riparian zone of central Waterberg, South Africa
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  Tail-fanning is one element of oriole courtship^[3]
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  Exemplar in Kruger National Park, South Africa.

• Black-headed oriole videos, photos and sounds – Internet Bird Collection
• Black-headed oriole – Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds.