Male Baltimore Oriole, no location given, 2000. David Brezinski, US Fish and Wildlife Service. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Female Baltimore Oriole, no location given, 2008. Dave Menke, US Fish and Wildlife Service. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

baltimore oriole

Icterus galbula    

Identification: 
This gorgeous orange and black bird is a little smaller than a robin, but larger than a sparrow.  Males have brilliant orange underparts,  black, white, and orange wings, a bright orange rump, orange-rimmed black tail, and a black head with a sturdy longish bill.  Females and young are gray and yellow.    

Behavior:
The Baltimore Oriole flits in treetops, gleaning insects and looking for fruit.  The female builds a remarkable suspended nest that looks a little like a hanging sock.  Baltimore Orioles avidly consume many dark-colored, juicy fruits like blueberries, mulberries, and even (according to some reports) tomatoes.  They also eat many pest species like tent caterpillars.  They sing a beautiful flutelike song.

What brings it to the SBG?
Food, cover, and nesting sites.  This species prefers open woodlands, “edge” habitats, parks, backyards, and orchards.  They build a cleverly woven hanging nest usually at the end of a tree branch.

When can I see it?
Spring and summer.  You’ll probably need to look high up as it spends a good bit of time in the treetops.  This species winters in the Caribbean rim – Florida, Cuba, Central America, and northern South America.