Baltimore oriole
Maryland’s orange-and-black state bird whistles from leafy edges and suspends a woven pouch nest near a branch tip.
Artwork inspired by Aaron Sopher
A Baltimore oriole often announces itself before it appears. The male’s clear, varied whistles come from high in deciduous trees along open woods, rivers, orchards, and neighborhood streets. When a flash of orange passes overhead, look upward and outward rather than into the forest’s dark center. Females and young birds are less boldly colored, so song, wing bars, and the same canopy habitat are useful clues.
The hanging nest is a remarkable piece of weaving, largely made by the female from long flexible fibers. Spring arrivals breed through summer before most birds depart for Central America; an oriole at a winter feeder in Maryland is unusual. Fruit, nectar, and insects all feature in the diet, with protein-rich insects important for growing young. The name recalls the Calvert family colors, but the species ranges far beyond Maryland.
- Nest
- Suspended woven pouch
- Food
- Insects, fruit, nectar
- State role
- Official bird since 1947
Quick guide
- Listen high
- Follow rich whistles to outer branches of large shade trees.
- Look for the pouch
- Scan slender branch tips without approaching a nest.
Spot an oriole without chasing it
- Use the canopy
- Check open-grown maples, elms, and river-edge trees.
- Compare sexes
- A female is browner and softer orange than an adult male.
- Hear the variation
- Songs differ among males; combine voice and plumage.
- Keep nests undisturbed
- Observe from the path and leave overhanging branches alone.
Good to know
Despite its name, the Baltimore oriole does not live only in Baltimore. Maryland is its official state association, not the center of its entire biological range.
Notice these
- Orange underparts
- Black male head
- Hanging pouch nest