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Birds of the Hackensack:
Baltimore Oriole By Ivan Kossak 
For birders and non-birders,
alike, one of the avian treats to arrive in our area in May is the Baltimore
oriole (Icterus galbula). With its black head, back and wings, bright orange
breast, belly and rump, and white bars on the wings, the Baltimore oriole is a
colorful summer resident of most of the eastern United States. Females are somewhat duller than the males
but still maintain the same overall pattern. After seeing American Robins with
their brick-red breasts appear on local lawns beginning in mid-March and
throughout April, seeing the first male Baltimore oriole of the season, it is
as if someone took a Robin and lit it up from the inside. Baltimore orioles
range from seven to almost nine inches in length, somewhat smaller than the
more familiar, ten-inch long Robin. Baltimore orioles nest from
southern Canada down to North Carolina, Tennesee and even into northern
Mississippi and Louisiana. The western
edge of the Baltimore oriole’s breeding range is the western Great Plains but
their territory extends even farther west in Canada. Baltimore orioles usually winter in the New World tropics but
some will spend the colder months as far north as coastal North Carolina. 
Baltimore orioles are commonly
found throughout New Jersey in deciduous woodlands and suburban parks. Because
of its orange coloring, it is easy to forget that the Baltimore oriole is a
member of the blackbird family. However, the Baltimore oriole’s call is rather
loud with a piercing call note, similar to other blackbirds. Also, like other
blackbirds, the Baltimore oriole will communicate via a harsh chatter. Orioles build some of the
more interesting nests of North American songbirds. While most songbird nests
are cup-like affairs made of sticks, twigs or grasses that are placed in the
fork of a tree or shrub, oriole nests are baskets or pouches that hang below a
tree branch. These baskets are skillfully woven from grasses and plant fibers
and are open at the top. These recognizable nests are often seen in fall and
winter when the leaves are off the trees. The mother oriole will usually lay
from three to six eggs that will take almost two weeks to hatch. Once hatched,
the babies are introduced to a standard diet of insects, spiders and fruit.
Orioles are so fond of fruit that you can often attract Baltimore orioles to a
back yard by nailing orange sections to a tree. The Baltimore oriole gets
its name due to its image on the coat of arms of Sir George Calvert, the first
Baron of Baltimore. Not surprisingly, the Baltimore oriole is the state bird of
Maryland and is the namesake of that state’s professional baseball franchise.
However, to birders, the Baltimore oriole is a delightful fixture in our spring
and summer songbird community. If you find yourself out for a walk in one of
the many parks in our watershed, keep an eye open for this colorful, seasonal
treat. |