Birds · Passeriformes · Icteridae

Baltimore Oriole

Icterus galbula

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The Baltimore oriole, also called in Spanish oropéndola de Baltimore, turpial de Baltimore, calandria de Baltimore, bolsero de Baltimore or turpial norteño, is a small species of passerine bird of the family Icteridae. On average it measures 18 cm long and weighs 34 g. This bird gets its common name from the fact that the male's colours are similar to the colours borne by the coat of arms of Lord Baltimore. This species and Icterus bullockii used to be considered a single species.

Weight

30 g – 42 g

Size

17 cm – 22 cm

Lifespan

12 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

RainforestTemperate forestCarnivore Omnivore Diurnal In pairs Bird Rainforest Temperate forest

10countries 39parks6same family

Fun facts

reproducciónIt weaves a hanging pouch of a nest out of plant fibre, slung from the end of a springy branch to keep predators out.
Its nest is a hanging pouch woven from plant fibres, horsehair and nowadays thread and plastic too, which the female builds in a week, knotting it to the tip of a thin branch where no heavy predator can reach.
It owes its name to the coat of arms of the Calvert family, Lords Baltimore, whose heraldic colours are exactly the orange and black of this bird: it is the state bird of Maryland and the symbol of its baseball team.
It eats fruit by piercing it and drinking the juice with its tongue, rather than eating the flesh: a technique called gaping, which consists of driving the closed bill in and opening it inside the fruit.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Open woodland, riverside groves, parks and urban trees of eastern North America; winters in the Neotropics
Sexual maturity: 12 months
Gestation / incubation: 13 days
Litter / clutch size: 4

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icterus_galbula