The Elusive European Golden Oriole Nesting in an Elder Shrub ~ Oriolus oriolus

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🔽 License the footage here:
https://1url.cz/nugU9
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The golden oriole (Oriolus oriolus) is a freak of nature. Although it is one of our most colourful birds and its voice is virtually unmistakable, it's rare to see one with your own eyes. Many times I have stood under a thick cherry tree at the beginning of summer, from which the oriole had been singing for several minutes, but I simply failed to discover it. One cannot imagine how a bright yellow bird can hide itself in the branches so well, but the cautious orioles just know the trick.

It's the same with their nest. It is suspended among thin branches, usually either high in the treetops or in an impenetrable green jungle out of sight of humans and other birds. It is a trick to find a filmable family, but my friend Dušan and I managed to do it last summer. We picked out promising spots where the golden orioles abounded, and we watched them with binoculars for so long until we finally spotted the nest hidden in the elder bushes. Then came the equally important task of gently testing the orioles' tolerance and devising camouflage so as not to disturb the birds while documenting. But in the end everything worked out, so I am happy to show you a few moments from the life of the baby orioles.

The golden orioles are a bit prissy when feeding the chicks. Like the hoopoes, they only bring one big bite, which is sometimes so bulky that the hatchlings can barely fit it in their beaks. These are usually various sweet fruits such as cherries or mulberries, fat caterpillars, moths or snails with their shells. Or, as in this video, some huge grasshoppers. Watching the daddy oriole patiently trying to see which of his little sons has the biggest throat, I was smiling quite a lot in the shelter behind the camera. Hopefully these cute shots will put a smile on your lips too :-)

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Location: South Moravia, Czechia | June 2021

Equipment: Z Cam E2 + Metabones T Smart + Sigma 150-600 C + Olympus 12-100 + Rode Videomic NTG

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Eurasian golden oriole | Oriolus oriolus | Žluva hajní | Pirol | Loriot d'Europe | oropéndola europea oriol | rigogolo | Обыкнове́нная и́волга

#europeanwildlife #goldenoriole #oriolusoriolus