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 abeillei) [XC678637]
by Manuel Grosselet from El Seminario, Mexico (alarm call, call)
Black-backed Oriole (Icterus abeillei) [XC649136]
by Manuel Grosselet from Lomas de Bezares Miguel Hidalgo Mexico city, Mexico (call)
Subspecies
No subspecies.
Icterus galbula (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) has been split into Northern 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 Northern Oriole (Icterus galbula) and all formerly treated as conspecific.