Species

Baltimore oriole

Icterus galbula

A flame-orange and black oriole that weaves a hanging pouch nest and passes through Georgia in migration.

Photo Dmitry Mozzherin (opens in a new tab) / iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab)

Nesting

At a glance

Size: About 17 to 22 cm long
Weight: About 30 to 40 g
Habitat: Open woods, parks and yards with tall trees
Diet: Insects, nectar and fruit
In Georgia: A migrant; a few nest in the north; some winter at feeders
Voice: Rich, flute-like whistles
Rabies vector: No

Identification

Male: Bright orange with a black hood and back
Female: Yellow-orange with grey-brown wings
Told apart from: Orchard oriole, whose male is chestnut
Where to look: Tall trees in spring and autumn; feeders in winter

Behaviour

Baltimore orioles weave hanging, pouch-like nests from plant fibres and eat caterpillars, fruit and nectar.

Why they matter

Baltimore orioles eat many tent caterpillars and other pests. They are the state bird of Maryland.

Reproduction and lifecycle

Nest — A woven, hanging pouch at the tip of a branch
Eggs — Usually four or five
Incubation — About 11 to 14 days
Chicks — Fed by both parents
Flight — At about 12 to 14 days
Lifespan — Several years

Living around people

Orange slices and jelly at feeders attract wintering orioles; feeders should be kept clean.

Misconceptions

Orioles are named for Baltimore. They are named for Lord Baltimore, whose family colours were orange and black.

Related species

Orchard oriole

Seasonal activity

When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.

Breeding and active nests by month for this species
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Breeding	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Active nests	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Notes	A few wintering	A few wintering	Few present	Migrants arriving	Nesting in the north	Nesting	Young fledging	Migrants	Migrants	Last migrants	A few wintering	A few wintering

Where it lives

Recorded in 65 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

Canada

Mexico

If you found one

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