The term 'Cardinal or Oriole' refers to two different species of birds. The cardinal is a medium-sized songbird with a bright red plumage, while the oriole is a small to medium-sized passerine BIRD with a black and yellow or orange and yellow plumage. Both species are found in North America and are popular backyard birds. The crossword solution for this term is 'BIRD, ' which is an accurate description of both species.