Orioles (Oriolidae)

Ethiopian Black-headed Oriole (Oriolus monacha) - HBW 13, p. 728

French: Loriot moine German: Mönchspirol Spanish: Oropéndola Monje
Other common names: Dark-headed/(Black-headed) Forest Oriole, Abyssinian Oriole

Taxonomy: Turdus monacha J. F. Gmelin, 1789, “Abyssinia” = Eritrea.
Closely related to and perhaps forming a superspecies with O. brachyrhynchus; the two belong to the “African black-headed group”, which also includes O. chlorocephalus, O. crassirostris, O. percivali, O. larvatus and O. nigripennis. The name permistus is considered to be a younger synonym of meneliki. Races intergrade in C Ethiopia. Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution: