[2] Although Brisson coined Latin names, these do not conform to the binomial system and are not recognised by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature.

[3] When the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae for the twelfth edition in 1766, he added 240 species that had been previously described by Brisson,[3] with one of them being the Hispaniolan oriole.

Linnaeus included a brief description, coined the binomial name Oriolus dominicensis and cited Brisson's work.

The adult males and females are black overall, with distinctive yellow patches on shoulders, rump, and under-tail coverts extending to the lower breast.

[11] The song is usually given after dawn, but is almost never heard in the daytime, which is similar to the Puerto Rican oriole (Icterus portoricensis).

[13] Since there has been no published population assessment, there is a possibility that the Hispaniolan oriole can be found nesting in pine forests.

The nest is a hanging basket made from finely woven plant fibers, mainly from palm leaves.

[15] There is a possibility that the population could decline because of increased brood parasitism from the recently arrived shiny cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis).