Baltimore Oriole

Description

About 7 inches in length, the male Baltimore oriole has a black head, throat, back and wings. Its breast, stomach, and rump are bright orange. It also has an orange patch on the top of each wing and white wing bars. The tail is mostly black with orange fringes. The female is dull orange throughout.

Baltimore orioles build unusual pouchlike nests that hang down from branches. They usually nest high in the trees, but often come down to lower heights, flashing bright orange and black feathers to delighted observers. Active and acrobatic by nature, Baltimore orioles may even feed upside down at times.

Diet

Baltimore orioles eat insects and berries. They can easily be attracted to gardens by nailing orange wedges to tree branches. Baltimore orioles are also known to feed at hummingbird feeders and sapsucker wells.

Range and Habitat

Baltimore orioles range throughout the eastern and midwestern United States, and can be found as far west as the Dakotas. At the western edge of their range, Baltimore orioles may breed with the Bullock’s Oriole (They were once considered the same species under the name Northern Oriole). The stunning Baltimore Oriole is a common summer to visitor to eastern and midwestern deciduous woodlands, neighborhoods, and gardens. Baltimore orioles winter in the tropics.

Image provided by eBird (www.ebird.org) and created 8/27/2018. Darker purple represent areas of greater abundance

Status

The Baltimore oriole is common but numbers have been declining in recent years.