Baltimore Oriole Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  Smaller and more slender than an American Robin, Baltimore Orioles are medium-sized, sturdy-bodied songbirds with thick necks and long legs. Look for their long, thick-based, pointed bills, a hallmark of the blackbird family they belong to.

  Relative Size

  About the size of a Red-winged Blackbird, but slimmer.

  robin-sized

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 6.7-7.5 in (17-19 cm)
    • Weight: 1.1-1.4 oz (30-40 g)
    • Wingspan: 9.1-11.8 in (23-30 cm)

  © Ryan Schain / Macaulay Library

• Color Pattern

  Adult males are flame-orange and black, with a solid-black head and one white bar on their black wings. Females and immature males are yellow-orange on the breast, grayish on the head and back, with two bold white wing bars.

• Behavior

  Baltimore Orioles are more often heard than seen as they feed high in trees, searching leaves and small branches for insects, flowers, and fruit. You may also spot them lower down, plucking fruit from vines and bushes or sipping from hummingbird feeders. Watch for the male’s slow, fluttering flights between tree tops and listen for their characteristic wink or chatter calls.
• Habitat

  Look for Baltimore Orioles high in leafy deciduous trees, but not in deep forests: they’re found in open woodland, forest edge, orchards, and stands of trees along rivers, in parks, and in backyards.