Family:
The Baltimore oriole is a medium-sized songbird with a robust body, thick neck, long legs, and a strong, pointed bill. The male has jet-black upperparts, a black head, and black wings with a single bold white wingbar. His underparts range from vivid flaming orange to yellow-orange, and the tail is black with bright orange outer feathers. The bill is charcoal grey, and the legs and feet are dark.
The female is slightly smaller and more subdued in appearance, with yellow-brown upperparts, darker wings marked by two white wingbars, and dull orange underparts. Her head is grey with a bright orange throat, and her bill is paler than the male’s.
Baltimore orioles recorded in Britain are usually first-winter birds, which display much duller orange plumage compared to adults.
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Baltimore orioles have a diverse diet consisting of insects, berries, and nectar. They forage in trees and shrubs, often making short flights to catch insects mid-air. They tend to have a preference for darker-coloured berries such as cherries, red grapes, and raspberries. They will also to visit gardens, to drink sugar water from hummingbird feeders.
During the breeding season, Baltimore orioles are found in eastern and central North America, including southern Canada, the Midwest, and the northeastern and southeastern United States. They inhabit a variety of environments, such as deciduous woodlands, forest edges, orchards, farmlands, parks, and suburban gardens.
In winter, Baltimore orioles are long-distance migrants, travelling to the Neotropics. Their wintering grounds include Mexico, Central America, and northern South America, where they can be found in flowering forests and coffee plantations.
