Birds Around Me 0191 - Black-hooded oriole (Oriolus xanthornus) टोपीदार पीलक, हल्दी पाखी, बनिया बहु

- July 04, 2022

Black-hooded oriole (Oriolus xanthornus) टोपीदार पीलक, हल्दी पाखी, बनिया बहु
Jabalpur, M.P., India
April 2025

Another bird of interesting myths and folk tales Black-hooded oriole (Oriolus xanthornus), टोपीदार पीलक, हल्दी पाखी, बनिया बहु, a beautiful golden-yellow bird with a jet black head, throat, and upper breast. They have black on the wings and the tail. Bill is bright pinkish-red, and his eyes are crimson. Beautiful bird to watch and melodious to hear. The females have a duller black head. They are shy birds but often wander in the garden, fetching and feasting on fruits and berries. They also enjoy the nectar of flowers.

Black-hooded oriole (Oriolus xanthornus) टोपीदार पीलक, हल्दी पाखी, बनिया बहु
Jabalpur, M.P., India
April 2025

Black-hooded oriole (Oriolus xanthornus) टोपीदार पीलक, हल्दी पाखी, बनिया बहु weaves a beautiful nest high up on the trees, often on the same tree as Black Drongo as protection from the likes of crows and magpies.

In the journal The Mythic Society, Sarat Chandra Mitra wrote an article - "Studies in Bird-Myths, No. XXII.-on a Second Aetiological Myth About the Indian Black-Headed Oriole" in which he tells a folk tale from Bengal that has it that an unfortunate girl of a merchant family was abused and tortured by her mother-in-law. Troubled by various incidents, she smeared herself with turmeric paste and covered herself with a sooty earthen pot and killed herself. A goddess resurrected her as a black hooded oriole, and a Bengali name for the bird is "bene bau बनिया बहु" or merchant's wife, while another name is "haldi pakhi हल्दी पाखी" or turmeric bird.

Hindi Name of Black-hooded oriole (Oriolus xanthornus): टोपीदार पीलक, हल्दी पाखी, बनिया बहु

Birds Around Me - Unfinished List (अपूर्ण सूची)
https://birds.rekabira.in/p/this-is-list-of-birds-i-clicked-since.html

Ashutosh Jhureley @BirdsAroundMe