Species names in all available languages
| Language | Common name |
|---|---|
| Catalan | turpial de Baltimore |
| Czech | trupiál baltimorský |
| Danish | Baltimoretrupial |
| Dutch | Baltimoretroepiaal |
| English | Baltimore Oriole |
| English (United States) | Baltimore Oriole |
| French | Oriole de Baltimore |
| French (France) | Oriole de Baltimore |
| French (Haiti) | Oriole du Nord |
| German | Baltimoretrupial |
| Greek | Κιτρινοπούλι του Βορρά |
| Haitian Creole (Haiti) | Ti Mèl ameriken |
| Hebrew | פזאי צפוני |
| Hungarian | Narancstrupiál |
| Icelandic | Álmkraki |
| Japanese | ボルチモアムクドリモドキ |
| Lithuanian | Šiaurinis spalvingasis trupialas |
| Norwegian | lundtrupial |
| Polish | kacyk północny |
| Portuguese (Brazil) | corrupião-de-baltimore |
| Portuguese (Portugal) | Corrupião-laranja |
| Romanian | Trupial portocaliu |
| Russian | Балтиморский трупиал |
| Serbian | Baltimorska vuga |
| Slovak | trupiál vlhovitý |
| Slovenian | Trupial |
| Spanish | Turpial de Baltimore |
| Spanish (Chile) | Bolsero de Baltimore |
| Spanish (Costa Rica) | Bolsero Norteño |
| Spanish (Cuba) | Turpial de Baltimore |
| Spanish (Dominican Republic) | Cigua Canaria Americana |
| Spanish (Ecuador) | Bolsero de Baltimore |
| Spanish (Honduras) | Chorcha Migratoria Cabeza Negra |
| Spanish (Mexico) | Calandria de Baltimore |
| Spanish (Panama) | Bolsero de Baltimore |
| Spanish (Puerto Rico) | Bolsero de Baltimore |
| Spanish (Spain) | Turpial de Baltimore |
| Spanish (Venezuela) | Turpial Migratorio |
| Swedish | baltimoretrupial |
| Turkish | Baltimor Turpiyalı |
| Ukrainian | Трупіал балтиморський |
Icterus galbula (Linnaeus, 1758)
Definitions
- ICTERUS
- icterus
- GALBULA
- galbula
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula Scientific name definitions
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated May 30, 2019
Photos from this Account
Adult male
Medium-sized, sturdy-bodied songbird with a thick neck, long legs, and pointed bill. Adult males have an entirely black head and back with an orange rump and orange outer tail feathers.
Adult female
Thick-necked songbird with a long, pointed bill. Adult female plumage is highly variable ranging from a brownish to yellowish head and back. Note yellow tail and yellow undertail coverts.
Adult female
Female plumage is highly variable. Some have brownish heads and backs. Note yellow tail and undertail coverts.
Immature female
Immature females have a grayish back with faint streaking and a pale yellow wash on the head and breast. Note yellow tail.
Female/immature male
Females and immature males are variable, but note pointed bill, yellowish-orange underparts, and two white wingbars.
Adult male
Flashes yellowish to orange outer tail feathers in flight.
Adult male
Found in open woodland, forest edge, orchards, and stands of trees along rivers, in parks, and in backyards.
Female
Eats berries, other fruits, nectar, and insects.
Adult male
Often visits fruit feeders. Note orangish outer tail feathers and black hood.
Male Baltimore Oriole (8 July).
Medium-sized oriole; sexually dimorphic in plumage and size. Definitive Alternate (adult) male strikingly plumaged with black head, upper mantle, and primarily black wings, and tail; orange on remaining upperparts and underparts, shoulders, and distal portion of outer rectrices; and single white wing-bar.
Female Baltimore Oriole (14 May).
Definitive Alternate (adult) female highly variable, sometimes approaching male but more subdued in coloration, with head and mantle not solidly black, variably mottled dark brownish olive, and with paler orange underparts and rump and plain brownish-olive tail. Some females can closely resemble adult males while others show little or no black in head; on average females appear to become more malelike with age.
Male Orchard Oriole (left) and Baltimore Oriole (right).
Adult male Baltimore Orioles distinguished from all other North American orioles by bright orange underparts and completely black head. Male Orchard Oriole is smaller and has dark chestnut underparts.
Baltimore Oriole chick undergoing Prejuvenile Molt (18 June).
Incoming juvenile feathering weaker (more filamentous) than feathering of later plumages.
Juvenile Baltimore Oriole (9 July).
Upperparts grayish brown to olive-brown, becoming yellow-orange on rump. Rectrices uniformly dull yellow to olive. Remiges brownish gray with whitish to buff fringing; upperwing greater and median coverts dull grayish brown tipped pale to grayish buff, forming 2 indistinct wing bars. Sides of head and underparts mixed yellowish and gray. Sexes alike in this plumage.
Formative male Baltimore Oriole (19 February).
Upperparts brownish or grayish olive, becoming orangish on forehead, rump, and uppertail coverts. Upperwings primarily dark brownish gray, with white to yellowish tips on median and greater coverts forming two wing bars. Head primarily orange, variably mottled blackish. Remainder of underparts pale grayish orange to orange-yellow, brightest on breast, sides, and undertail coverts, palest on belly and flanks. Juvenile rectrices yellowish with pale to dark brownish-olive markings, becoming paler on edge of inner web; some to all central rectrices replaced during September–March, the formative rectrices like juvenile feathers but darker if replaced in September–November or becoming increasingly and variably marked blackish if replaced in December–March; here, the central 8 rectrices are being replaced with definitive-malelike feathers.
Formative female Baltimore Oriole (17 February).
Formative female appears similar to Juvenile female but the upperparts are browner and the underparts are whiter washed with pale orange. Formative female is similar to Formative male but dark centers to upperpart feathers are less distinct, yellow-orange coloration to underparts is paler, and plumage remains more similar in November–March rather than acquiring extensive black and/or bright orange mottling to head, throat, and breast. Here the upperwing median coverts and inner four greater coverts have been replaced, contrasting with the juvenile outer greater coverts, primary coverts, and remiges. Note also the retained juvenile rectrices, dull olive, narrow, and pointed at the tips.
First Alternate male Baltimore Oriole (24 May).
First Alternate males are highly variable; black on head, back, and throat can be similar to or intermediate in appearance between typical adult females and adult males. One to two tertials may be replaced, contrastingly new, and boldly edged white. Note also the replaced upperwing greater coverts, contrasting with the brown primary coverts and remiges other than the tertials. On this individual we consider the replaced wing coverts and tertials to be formative rather than first alternate feathers.
First Alternate male Baltimore Oriole (6 May).
Although First Alternate males often acquire blackish central rectrices and black and dull orange lateral rectrices, they rarely if ever acquire full adult male tail pattern. Note also the molt limits among the tertials and upperwing coverts.
First Alternate female Baltimore Oriole (19 May).
First Alternate female is similar to Formative female but some head and throat feathers, occasionally feathers elsewhere, replaced, contrastingly fresh and brighter, the feathers of the head and throat often lightly streaked or mottled black; 1–2 tertials may be replaced, contrastingly new and edged white. Among the tertials of the left wing, the innermost tertial (s9) is either formative or first alternate, the middle tertial (s8) is formative, and the outer tertial (s7) is juvenile.
Definitive Basic male Baltimore Oriole (29 December).
Head, nape, scapulars, and upper back black; lower back, rump, and uppertail coverts orange to orange-yellow. Upperwing lesser and median coverts orange to orange-yellow, sometimes with black in median coverts; greater coverts black broadly tipped with white on outer web forming bold white wing bar. Remiges and primary coverts black, edged on outer web with white, most broadly on tertials and most narrowly on primaries. Ventrally, black of head extends from throat to narrow triangular area at center of upper breast; remaining underparts bright orange yellow or yellow.
Definitive Basic female Baltimore Oriole (25 November).
Definitive Basic female is brighter than Formative female and shows variable black mottling to head and throat; back feathers, scapulars, and head feathers with more distinct blackish centers or nearly black, margined brownish olive; lores grayish to blackish; throat with more black, often extending to triangular area at center of upper breast, as in male; rectrices sometimes marked dusky or blackish. The largely orange head, broad blackish centers to the back feathers, and uniform blackish upperwing indicate a Definitive Basic female.
Definitive Basic female Baltimore Oriole (24 November).
Some Definitive Basic Females can lack black in the head all together; these are perhaps more commonly Second Basic birds. Here, the blackish upperwing feathers, lacking molt limits, and the broad and truncate primaries and rectrices signify Definitive Basic as opposed to Formative Plumage.
Definitive Alternate male Baltimore Oriole (8 May).
Definitive Alternate male is similar to Definitive Basic Plumage but some head and throat feathers, occasionally feathers elsewhere, replaced, contrastingly fresh. Here the inner three, yellowish-edged, upperwing greater coverts are alternate.
Definitive Alternate male Baltimore Oriole (6 May).
Ventrally, the black of the head extends from the throat to a narrow triangular area at center of upper breast; remaining underparts are bright orange-yellow or yellow, generally becoming slightly paler ventrally; the underwing coverts are washed pale orange.
Definitive Alternate female Baltimore Oriole (9 May).
Definitive Alternate female is similar to Definitive Basic Plumage but some head and throat feathers, occasionally feathers elsewhere, replaced, contrastingly fresh.In both sexes, dull buff fringing to black and orange feathers of Definitive Basic Plumage wears off, producing blacker and bolder plumage by spring. The uniform blackish wing feathers including primary coverts indicate Definitive rather than First Alternate Plumage.
Bullock's x Baltimore Oriole (hybrid).
Baltimore Oriole foraging at spiderweb.
During breeding season, eats caterpillars, fruits, adult insects, and spiders. This individual is picking insects from spiderwebs.
Baltimore Oriole consuming orchard tent caterpillar (Malacosoma americana).
Baltimore Orioles can be important predators of orchard tent caterpillars, which it extracts by tearing open the webs.
Baltimore Oriole foraging at bottlebrush (Callistemon sp.) flower.
In winter, often feeds in flowering trees, where it takes nectar and small fruits, as well as insects.
Baltimore Orioles on feeder.
Often feeds at hummingbird and oriole feeders during winter.
Baltimore Oriole vocalizing.
Song is variable, rich, and strong; consists of relatively few notes or groups of notes.
Baltimore Oriole in flight.
Strong and agile flier; wing-strokes complete and powerful.
Baltimore Oriole bathing.
Interaction between male Baltimore Orioles.
Agonistic responses may involve close passes, in-flight chases, or actual attacks in the air, on a perch, or on the ground; may use wings, feet, and/or beaks as weapons; Chatter Call, alarm calls, or even sustained Screams often accompany these actions.
Courtship display of male (left) and female (right) Baltimore Oriole.
When females arrive on breeding grounds in spring, they are courted vigorously as they pass through a male's territory.
Male Baltimore Oriole giving Bow Display.
Facing female, the male bows with wings lowered and tail fanned and held at about a 45° angle. He then straightens and bows again, about 1 s between bows.
Male Baltimore Oriole giving Bow Display.
Courtship display of female (left) and male (right) Baltimore Oriole.
In response to male displays, females may give Wing-Quiver Display (shown). Leaning forward, often with tail partly fanned, the female flutters or quivers their slightly lowered wings, while giving vocalizations much like that of nestlings.
Baltimore Oriole copulation.
Male Baltimore Oriole mobbing Red-tailed Hawk.
Both male and female give alarm calls, and chase and mob predators.
Female Baltimore Oriole gathering nesting material.
Generally female is sole nest builder.
Female Baltimore Oriole gathering nesting material.
Female Baltimore Oriole building nest.
Baltimore Oriole nest.
Nests are usually high off the ground and inaccessible. Nest is typically pensile and gourd-shaped, bigger at bottom than at top or middle; often suspended by rim from a few thin branches or held in fork of 2 small branches.
Baltimore Oriole nest.
Nest is neatly woven, often containing hair, twine or string, wool, synthetic fibers, and various types of plant fibers.
Male Baltimore Oriole feeding young.
Parents feed nestlings by regurgitation during first few days of nesting period; later, adult places food in open mouth of young; sometimes adult removes and replaces a large item placed into nestling's gape several times until nestling finally eats it.
Female Baltimore Oriole feeding young.
Baltimore Oriole egg.
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada; 19 June; Photographer James Villeneuve; egg specimen from the Royal Saskatchewan Museum.
Baltimore Oriole clutch.
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada; 19 June; Photographer James Villeneuve; egg specimens from the Royal Saskatchewan Museum.
Macaulay Library Photos for Baltimore Oriole
Top-rated photos submitted to the Macaulay Library via eBird. Note: Our content editors have not confirmed the species identification for these photos.
