Breeds in central Mexico from Durango and Nuevo León south to Michoacán and Veracruz. Winters in central Mexico mostly along transvolcanic belt south to Oxaca.
 
Population
Estimated population is 50,000 - 499,999 (2010).
Black-backed Oriole (Icterus) [XC586473]
by Manuel Grosselet from Mexico City, Federal District, laguna de San Gregorio Atpulco, Mexico (song)
Black-backed Oriole (Icterus abeillei) [XC331392]
by Manuel Grosselet from Tlalpan (near Ciudad de M\u00e9xico), Ciudad de M\u00e9xico, Mexico (call)
Subspecies
No subspecies.
Icterus galbula (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) has been split into Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula), Bullock's Oriole (Icterus bullockiorum) and Black-backed Oriole (Icterus abeillei) following AOU (1998).
Sometimes treated as conspecific with Bullock's Oriole (Icterus bullockiorum), but DNA data indicate that it is sister to Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) and all formerly treated as conspecific.