Baltimore Oriole
Icterus galbula
Blackbird family (Icteridae)
Slender body, smaller than an American Robin. Male has a black head, back, wings, and tail, bright orange body, white wing bar. Female is greenish-orange and orange-yellow with black patches on head, back, and throat.
Habitat:
Streamside forests, forest edges.
Nesting:
Hanging nest of plant fibers suspended by its rim to the tip of a long drooping branch, 25 to 30 feet above the ground. Eggs are pale bluish white with dark marks. Clutch size – 4 to 5 eggs.
Voice:
Song is 4 to 8 medium-pitched whistled notes; often sounds like an unfinished song. Call is a rapid chatter “ch ch ch ch ch”.
Name Origin:
The genus name Icterus is from the Greek for “jaundice” or “yellowish.” The species name galbula is from the Latin for “a small yellow bird.” The common name “oriole” is derived from aureolus, from the Latin for “golden.”
In the Nature Park:
Neotropical migrant, arrives in May. Common in riparian forests along the Creekside Trail.
Photos:
Baltimore oriole (male)
