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Baltimore Oriole
Icterus galbula
NatureServe conservation status
Global (G-rank): G5
State (S-rank): SNA
External links
Species range
Breeding range extends from central Alberta, central Saskatchewan, southern Manitoba, western Ontario, northern Michigan, southern Ontario, southwestern Quebec, central Maine, southern New Brunswick, and central Nova Scotia south to eastern Texas, central regions of Gulf coast states except Florida (accidental), north-central Georgia, western South Carolina, central North Carolina, central Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware, and west to the western edge of the Great Plains (AOU 1998). Range during the northern winter extends from Nayarit and Veracruz (casually from coastal California and Sonora) south through Middle America to northern Colombia, northern Venezuela, and Trinidad, regularly in small numbers in the Atlantic states north to Virginia, in the Greater Antilles east to the Virgin Islands, and casually elsewhere in eastern North America (AOU 1998). This species migrates regularly through the southeastern and south-central United States and northeastern Mexico, and in coastal California, rarely through the northern Bahama Islands and Yucatan Peninsula, and casually elsewhere in western North America (AOU 1998).
Migration
Most Baltimore orioles migrate north through the southeastern United States in March-April, arrive in the northern states and Canada in April-May; males precede females by a few days. Southward migration begins in late July or early August and continues in the United States through August and September and sometimes later. South-bound migrants arrives in Costa Rica early September, depart by early May (Stiles and Skutch 1989). The species is present in South America mostly October-April (Ridgely and Tudor 1989).Most individuals from eastern North America probably cross Gulf of Mexico en route to winter range (Rohwer and Manning 1990).
Habitat
Habitat includes open woodland, deciduous forest edge, riparian woodland, partly open situations with scattered trees, orchards, and groves of shade trees. In migration and winter this oriole also occurs in humid forest edge, second growth, and scrub; treetop level in coffee and cacao plantations, and savanna groves. Nests are placed in trees, an average of around 25-30 feet (8-9 meters) above ground, usually at the end of a drooping branch.
Food habits
Gleans insects, especially caterpillars, from trees and shrubs; also eats various fruits (Terres 1980) and nectar (Stiles and Skutch 1989). South America: often feeds in flowering trees (Ridgely and Tudor 1989).
Ecology
Nonbreeding: usually in groups of 2-5 (rarely 15), in definite home ranges; sometimes large communal roosts (Stiles and Skutch 1989).
Reproductive characteristics
In most areas, nesting begins in May (or late April in southern locations). Clutch size is 3-6 (commonly 4-5). Incubation, by the female, lats 12-14 days. Young are tended by both parents, leave nest at 12-14 days, generally in June oe early July. Yearling males (in their second calendar year) resemble adult females but nevertheless may successfully attract a mate and raise young. This species ejects brown-headed cowbird eggs from the nest (Sealy and Neudorf 1995, Condor 97:369-375).
