Baltimore Oriole

 

Birds of Southern Ontario

Baltimore Oriole

 

Photo Credit: BBarrow/pixabay.com

 With a name like "Baltimore" Oriole you would think, or at least I thought that this handsome bird was first discovered in the city of Baltimore, but that's not so. The Baltimore Oriole was named after a prominent English Family of the 17^th because their coat of arms consisted of similar colors. Now how's that for trivia!

Baltimore orioles are found through eastern and some central parts of the United States as well as here in southern Ontario. They arrive in spring and migrate during the fall season to their winter home in Central American countries and some parts of Mexico, even Florida.

In the world of birds, the male is more striking in appearance than the female and the Baltimore oriole is no exception with it's bright orange belly contrasted with its black wings, and black head that looks like he is wearing a hood. The female on the other hand is a dull orange yellow in color with brownish wings. Young males look similar to the females, it isn't until their second year that they get their distinctive coloring.

 

Baltimore Orioles are mostly solitary birds but often times when you see one there may be another one not that far behind.

I got my first good look at one when I put up a hummingbird feeder in the hopes of attracting hummingbirds. Well to my surprise instead of getting hummingbirds I got a Baltimore oriole coming for a sip. Turns out they love nectar and are known to frequent hummingbird feeders. They also love oranges so I got rid of the hummingbird feeder and put up half an orange. It didn't take long before one or two would be coming back for more.

Besides oranges they also like grape jelly though I haven't tried feeding it to them myself, for me it is easier to just cut an orange in half and place it where other critters can't get to it. No fuss, no muss and nothing to clean afterward. So if you want to attract Baltimore orioles to your backyard the easiest way and best time is with an orange in late spring because once summer is in full swing they prefer the delicacies of insects and will visit your "orange station" less often.

When I hear a Baltimore Oriole sing, to me it sounds sad, as if it is longing for something. I call it the sad song of the Baltimore Oriole and when I hear it I know there is one close by. Males sing to guard their territory and attract the attention of females, and the females sing to communicate. Click to hear the Baltimore Oriole's voice

 

Did you know...?

• The name "oriole" comes from a Latin name meaning "golden"

• The Baltimore Oriole belongs to the Icterid family of birds which also include Red-Winged Blackbirds and Grackles. But you gotta admit the Baltimore oriole is the prettiest of the bunch!

• There's a baseball team named the Baltimore Orioles. Yeah I know, you knew that one.

• New world orioles including the Baltimore Oriole, are unrelated to the orioles of the old world

   

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