Baltimore Oriole
Icterus galbula

Description:  Baltimore Orioles are medium-sized songbirds.  The male oriole has an orange body with a black head and black and white wings.  The female has a dull yellow body with a dull brown head and wings.  Immature males resemble adult females in appearance and will not develop their breeding plumage until they are a little over a year old.

Size:  Baltimore Orioles measure 7-8 inches long and weigh about 1.25 ounces.  The wingspan of a Baltimore Oriole is 11-12 inches.

Individual animal information:  The Baltimore Oriole at Cosley Zoo was received from the McHenry County Conservation District in 2006.  He has a fractured wing which has healed, but he has limited flight ability.

Adaptations: 

• Birds have many features that make them well-adapted for flight, including feathers and hollow bones that decrease their weight.
• Each individual male oriole has a unique song, which is used to attract the females.  Occasionally competing males will mimic each other’s songs.

Diet:  Wild orioles feed from trees, consuming insects, spiders, fruits, and nectar.  The Baltimore Oriole at Cosley Zoo eats fruits, spinach, a processed insectivore (insect-eater) diet, sunflower seeds, and mealworms.

Reproduction:  The female lays 4-5 eggs at a time in late May or early June.  The incubation period is 11-14 days.  After hatching, the young stay in the nest for 12 or 13 days, until they have reached adult size.  They may come back to the nest for up to 2 weeks after fledging (learning to fly) to get food from their parents.

Shelter and space needs:  Orioles typically live in forested areas.  They seem to prefer areas on the edges of forests or open areas with tall trees.  Baltimore Orioles migrate to Mexico and Central America in the winter.

Relationship with man:  The distinctive plumage and song of the Baltimore Oriole are enjoyed by birdwatchers.  These birds are also predators of insects and help to keep them from destroying trees.

Fun Facts:

• The Baltimore Oriole is the state bird of Maryland, and the Baltimore Orioles baseball team is named after this bird.
• The Baltimore Oriole got its name because the male’s colors resemble the colors on the coat of arms of Lord Baltimore, the colonizer of Maryland.
• The Baltimore Oriole’s nest is a gourd-shaped pouch woven from moss and grasses, which hangs from a twig on a tree branch.  The nest’s unique shape may help to keep predators from reaching it.