On Tuesday 20 May at lunchtime, a phone call was received at Kilpatrick Kennels from a Sliddery resident to say that he had had a Golden Oriole at his bird feeders.  This is a stunning exotic looking bird.   The resident said that he had watched it for about ten minutes before it flew off. 

This would have been the first on Arran since June 1979.   Hoping that it was still in the area, my wife picked up her camera, I made a few phone calls to local birders, and we headed for Sliddery.  Indeed the bird was still there and as well as getting brief views, some photographs were able to be taken.

As it did not look quite right for the European Golden Oriole, the photos were sent by email to a number of very experienced birders.  One responded straight away "That's a real beauty!!  The nearest thing I can think of to the bird in the photos is Black-naped Oriole.  Adult males should have black running from the ear coverts on to the nape, but I have never seen a young male - so maybe?  The bill is huge - again this would point to Black-naped, since Golden has a much more slender bill. "   Another expert felt that it was more like an African Golden Oriole and over the next few days the consensus became that it was an African Golden Oriole.

Black-naped Oriole is a bird from eastern and south-eastern Asia, the Malay archipelago including Singapore.  African Golden Oriole is a tropical species found in Africa.  Neither species is involved in an annual long migration, so it is unlikely to have got here by being blown off course.  

Orioles all have a beautiful call as well as being brightly coloured, and as a result they are kept in aviaries.

The most likely explanation for the bird on Arran is that it is an escapee.

Anyone lost an African Golden Oriole?