Orchard Oriole
(Icterus spurius)
Adult Male
Photo: Ron Austing
SIZE : 7 inches long
DESCRIPTION : Male - Black hood, wings and tail, reddish-brown belly and rump, white marks on wings.
Immature - In fall, similar to female adult; the following spring and summer,also like
adult female, but with black throat and upper breast.
Female - Olive green on top,yellow below, two thin white stripes on wings.
Immature - like adult.
Song is a collection of rapid whistled notes, somewhat like that of a Purple Finch, but not as melodic.
Call is a short 'chuk'.
PREFERRED HABITAT: Shade trees in towns, orchards, open woods, wetlands, parks, and streamside groves.
PREFERRED FOOD : Insects, fruit, tree blossoms; may come to hummingbird or oriole nectar feeder.
Generally feeds in trees and shrubs,
BREEDING RANGE : Breeds mostly in southern portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York and Central New England ,
south to southern US and west to the Dakotas, Nebraska, Colorado, Texas and northeastern Mexico.
Louisiana seems to be at the heart of this oriole's preferred nesting area, as most of its nests
were found there.
WINTER RANGE : Southern Mexico to northern South America
INTERESTING FACTS: Often stay hidden in foliage, but not considered shy.
Nests singly or in loose colonies.
Adults and young stay together until time for southward migration.
Common cowbird host.
Population is declining due to loss of tropical forests in wintering grounds.
Builds a woven pouch-shaped nest, suspended from a forked branch of a tree or bush.