Have you noticed any new birds coming into your yard lately? One brightly colored visitor that might show up frequently in our area at this time of year is the Baltimore Oriole. Icterus galbula
One of the most brilliantly colored songbirds in the east, flaming orange and black, sharing the heraldic colors of the coat of arms of 17th-century Lord Baltimore. Widespread east of the Great Plains, Baltimore Orioles are often very common in open woods and groves in summer. Their bag-shaped hanging nests, artfully woven of plant fibers, are familiar sights in the shade trees in towns. This bird was formerly considered to belong to the same species as the western Bullock’s Oriole, under the combined name of Northern Oriole.
Smaller and more slender than an American Robin, Baltimore Orioles are medium-sized, sturdy-bodied songbirds with thick necks and long legs. Look for their long, thick-based, pointed bills, a hallmark of the blackbird family they belong to.
The adult male is orange on the underparts, shoulder patch, and rump, with some birds appearing a very deep flaming orange and others appearing yellowish orange. All of the rest of the male’s plumage is black. The adult female is yellow brown on the upper parts with darker wings, and dull orange yellow on the breast and belly. The juvenile oriole is similar looking to the female, with males taking until the fall of their second year to reach adult plumage.
Look for Baltimore Orioles high in leafy deciduous trees, but not in deep forests: they’re found in open woodland, forest edge, orchards, and stands of trees along rivers, in parks, and in backyards.
Baltimore Orioles build remarkable, sock-like hanging nests, woven together from slender fibers. The female weaves the nest, usually 3 to 4 inches deep, with a small opening, 2 to 3 inches wide, on top and a bulging bottom chamber, 3 to 4 inches across, where her eggs will rest. She anchors her nest high in a tree, first hanging long fibers over a small branch, then poking and darting her bill in and out to tangle the hank. While no knots are deliberately tied, soon the random poking has made knots and tangles, and the female brings more fibers to extend, close, and finally line the nest. Construction materials can include grass, strips of grapevine bark, wool, and horsehair, as well as artificial fibers such as cellophane, twine, or fishing line. Females often recycle fibers from an old nest to build a new one. Males occasionally bring nesting material, but don’t help with the weaving. Building the nest takes about a week, but windy or rainy weather may push this as long as 15 days. The nest is built in three stages: first, the female weaves an outer bowl of flexible fibers to provide support. Next, springy fibers are woven into an inner bowl, which maintains the bag-like shape of the nest. Finally, she adds a soft lining of downy fibers and feathers to cushion the eggs and young.
They lay 4-5, sometimes 3-6 eggs. Bluish white to pale gray, with brown and black markings concentrated at larger end. Incubation is by female, about 12-14 days. Both parents feed the nestlings. Young leave nest about 12-14 days after hatching.
Oranges for Orioles
Flashy orange orioles are relatively easy to lure in for backyard viewing pleasure. Baltimore Orioles seek out ripe fruit. Cut oranges in half and hang them from trees to invite orioles into your yard. Special oriole feeders filled with sugar water supplement the flower nectar that Baltimore Orioles gather. You can even put out small amounts of jelly to attract these nectar-eaters, they LOVE grape jelly.
Put a spoonful of jelly on your platform feeder, and once the orioles find it, it won’t last long
(just don’t put out so much that it risks soiling their feathers). Planting bright fruits and nectar-bearing flowers, such as raspberries, crab apples, and trumpet vines, can attract Baltimore
Why do orioles love fruit?
It could be that they develop a sweet tooth while wintering in Central America, where they forage for a variety of wild fruits in tropical forests. Orioles sometimes use their slender beaks to feed in an unusual way, called gaping: they stab the closed bill into soft fruits, then open their mouths to cut a juicy swath from which they drink with their brushy-tipped tongues.
Migration
Medium- to long-distance migrant. Baltimore Orioles spend summer and winter in entirely different ranges. From early April to late May, flocks arrive in eastern and central North America to breed from Louisiana through central Canada. They start to leave as early as July for wintering grounds in Florida, the Caribbean, Central America, and the northern tip of South America.
Baltimore Oriole populations have been declining throughout their range by an estimated 0.84% per year for a cumulative decline of 36% between 1966 and 2019, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. Partners in Flight estimates the global breeding population at 12 million. They rate a 10 out of 20 on the Continental Concern Score, indicating a species of relatively low conservation concern. Because they breed in North America and winter in Central and South America, Baltimore Orioles are vulnerable to deforestation and habitat loss in many different countries and their conservation requires international cooperation. Spraying insecticides onto trees not only kills off Baltimore Orioles’ insect prey but may poison the birds directly. In addition, Orioles and many other songbirds migrate at night, when they can become disoriented by lights or rainstorms and crash into tall structures such as skyscrapers and radio towers.
References:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Baltimore_Oriole/id
https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/baltimore-oriole
https://granger.wbu.com/april-bird-of-the-month-oriole
Keep an eye out for these beautiful birds as they brighten up our winter landscape.
Written by: Jennifer Jerome
Feature Photo: Macaulay Library