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Icterus galbula

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Baltimore Oriole

G5Secure Found in 18 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100447
Element CodeABPBXB9190
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderPasseriformes
FamilyIcteridae
GenusIcterus
Other Common Names
Baltimore oriole (EN) Bolsero de Baltimore (ES) Oriole de Baltimore (FR)
Concept Reference
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in The Auk]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
Taxonomic Comments
Formerly considered conspecific with I. bullockii under the name I. galbula (Northern Oriole) but resplit into separate species by AOU (1995). See AOU (1995, 1998) for a brief summary of the bases for the split.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-08
Change Date1996-12-04
Edition Date2010-02-01
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Range Extent Comments
Breeding range extends from central Alberta, central Saskatchewan, southern Manitoba, western Ontario, northern Michigan, southern Ontario, southwestern Quebec, central Maine, southern New Brunswick, and central Nova Scotia south to eastern Texas, central regions of Gulf coast states except Florida (accidental), north-central Georgia, western South Carolina, central North Carolina, central Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware, and west to the western edge of the Great Plains (AOU 1998). Range during the northern winter extends from Nayarit and Veracruz (casually from coastal California and Sonora) south through Middle America to northern Colombia, northern Venezuela, and Trinidad, regularly in small numbers in the Atlantic states north to Virginia, in the Greater Antilles east to the Virgin Islands, and casually elsewhere in eastern North America (AOU 1998). This species migrates regularly through the southeastern and south-central United States and northeastern Mexico, and in coastal California, rarely through the northern Bahama Islands and Yucatan Peninsula, and casually elsewhere in western North America (AOU 1998).
Ecology & Habitat

Description

Adult males have a black head, upper mantle, wings, and tail, with orange on other upperparts and underparts, shoulders, and the of the outer tail feathers, and a single white wing-bar. Adult females are highly variable, often similar to males, but tend to be more subdued in coloration, with the head and mantle not solidly black (or dark brownish olive than black), and with paler orange underparts and rump, and a plain brownish olive tail. Adults are similar in plumage throughout the year. Immatures in fall and early winter are similar to adult females but are paler overall, lacking black on the head and upperparts. Length is about 9 inches (23 cm).

Habitat

Habitat includes open woodland, deciduous forest edge, riparian woodland, partly open situations with scattered trees, orchards, and groves of shade trees. In migration and winter this oriole also occurs in humid forest edge, second growth, and scrub; treetop level in coffee and cacao plantations, and savanna groves. Nests are placed in trees, an average of around 25-30 feet (8-9 meters) above ground, usually at the end of a drooping branch.

Ecology

Nonbreeding: usually in groups of 2-5 (rarely 15), in definite home ranges; sometimes large communal roosts (Stiles and Skutch 1989).

Reproduction

In most areas, nesting begins in May (or late April in southern locations). Clutch size is 3-6 (commonly 4-5). Incubation, by the female, lats 12-14 days. Young are tended by both parents, leave nest at 12-14 days, generally in June oe early July. Yearling males (in their second calendar year) resemble adult females but nevertheless may successfully attract a mate and raise young. This species ejects brown-headed cowbird eggs from the nest (Sealy and Neudorf 1995, Condor 97:369-375).
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - HardwoodShrubland/chaparralSuburban/orchard
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5B
ProvinceRankNative
IllinoisS5Yes
TennesseeS4Yes
MissouriSNRBYes
MississippiSNAYes
FloridaSNRNYes
VirginiaS5Yes
MontanaS4BYes
DelawareS4BYes
KentuckyS4BYes
ConnecticutS5BYes
LouisianaS4BYes
District of ColumbiaS1B,S3NYes
MarylandS5BYes
New JerseyS4B,S4NYes
VermontS5BYes
North DakotaSNRBYes
TexasS4BYes
South CarolinaS3Yes
AlabamaS3BYes
ArkansasS3N,S4BYes
MichiganS5Yes
MaineS2N,S5BYes
MassachusettsS5BYes
PennsylvaniaS5BYes
OhioS5Yes
South DakotaS5BYes
West VirginiaS5BYes
ColoradoS1BYes
GeorgiaS3Yes
IowaS5B,S5NYes
WyomingSNRYes
NebraskaS5Yes
North CarolinaS3B,S3NYes
WisconsinS5BYes
Rhode IslandS5BYes
New YorkS5BYes
MinnesotaSNRBYes
IndianaS4BYes
OklahomaS3Yes
KansasS5BYes
New HampshireS5BYes
CanadaN5B
ProvinceRankNative
Nova ScotiaS2B,SUMYes
OntarioS4BYes
British ColumbiaS3BYes
Prince Edward IslandS1BYes
SaskatchewanS5BYes
QuebecS4BYes
AlbertaS4BYes
New BrunswickS2BYes
Island of NewfoundlandSNAYes
ManitobaS3BYes
Roadless Areas (18)
Idaho (1)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekCaribou-Targhee National Forest118,582
Michigan (2)
AreaForestAcres
Bear SwampHuron-Manistee National Forest3,915
FibreHiawatha National Forest7,432
North Dakota (4)
AreaForestAcres
DurlerDakota Prairie Grasslands12,464
Long X DivideDakota Prairie Grasslands10,099
SheyenneDakota Prairie Grasslands14,537
VenloDakota Prairie Grasslands5,317
Pennsylvania (1)
AreaForestAcres
Allegheny FrontAllegheny National Forest7,430
Texas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Big CreekNational Forests in Texas1,447
Virginia (8)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekJefferson National Forest18,274
Beards MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,505
Beaver Dam CreekJefferson National Forest1,135
Brush MountainJefferson National Forest6,002
Northern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest9,444
Oak KnobGeorge Washington National Forest10,882
Seng MountainJefferson National Forest6,428
Shawvers Run AdditionJefferson National Forest1,927
West Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Mcgowan MountainMonongahela National Forest10,504
References (34)
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  2. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1995. Fortieth supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds. Auk 112:819-30.
  3. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in <i>The Auk</i>]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
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