The male of this species ranges in color from a bright orange to a paler yellow, with a black back, face, tail and bib, with the wing containing two white bars.

Their breeding habitat is open areas with trees, especially palms, across the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico.

[3] Hooded Orioles are acrobatic feeders, often hanging upside down to get the nectar from flowers and to catch their prey.

Hooded orioles forage for food slowly, gathering insects from foliage in the trees and feeding on berries, along with sometimes oranges or other citrus.

Common calls of the hooded oriole include a whistled wheet or sweet sound.

The individual notes of the hooded oriole's chatter are given more quickly however, and it creates a shriller sound.

Juveniles commonly give a soft chut and a harsher chuck or chet, however these have also been observed being given by adults.

Recent reports state that the nests are constructed and secured on the undersides of palms and banana plants.

[10] I. c. cucullatus This subspecies is found in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas and south through Mexico to Oaxaca and Veracruz.

[11] I. c. sennetti This subspecies occurs from the lower Rio Grande valley of Texas south along the coastal plain into Tamaulipas.

[12] I. c. igneus This subspecies occurs in southern Mexico from East Tabasco and the Yucatán Peninsula south into Belize.