The most common black and orange bird seen in Illinois is the Baltimore oriole. The Baltimore oriole is a medium-sized songbird with striking black and bright orange plumage. It is easily identified by its bright orange underparts and black head, wings and tail. The male Baltimore oriole has brighter orange coloring than the female, which is more dull orange-yellow. Baltimore orioles are found throughout Illinois during the spring and summer months before migrating south for the winter.
What are some key facts about the Baltimore oriole?
Here are some key facts about the Baltimore oriole:
- Scientific name: Icterus galbula
- Length: 7-8 inches
- Wingspan: 9.5-12 inches
- Weight: 1.1-1.4 oz
- Lifespan: Up to 12 years
- Diet: Insects, fruit, nectar
- Song: Loud, melodious whistles, chirps and notes
- Nest: Hanging woven nests
- Eggs: Pale blue with dark scribbles, 3-5 per clutch
- Range: Eastern and central North America
- Conservation status: Least concern
What does the Baltimore oriole look like?
The male Baltimore oriole has striking bright orange plumage on its underparts. The head, wings and tail are black. There is a white bar on the wings. The long pointy bill and eyes are also black. Females are paler orange overall with a dull burnt orange or yellow-orange breast and belly. The wings are darker grey-brown instead of black. Juveniles resemble adult females but paler with an orange wash rather than defined orange patches.
Where can you find Baltimore orioles in Illinois?
Baltimore orioles are widespread across Illinois during spring and summer. They inhabit open woodlands, forest edges, parks, gardens, orchards and anywhere there are tall trees. Some key places to spot Baltimore orioles in Illinois include:
- Shade trees in parks and yards in urban and suburban areas
- Riparian areas along rivers and streams
- Open deciduous forests and woodland edges
- Backyard fruit trees and feeders with oranges or nectar
- Nature preserves like Illinois Beach State Park
- Reforestation areas like Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie
When can you see Baltimore orioles in Illinois?
Baltimore orioles are summer migrants in Illinois, arriving in April and May to breed, then departing by late September to overwinter in Central America and northern South America. Here is an overview of when Baltimore orioles can be spotted in Illinois:
Month | Baltimore Oriole Activity |
---|---|
March | Very rare vagrants |
April | Arrive and settle on breeding grounds |
May | Males sing and display, females build nests, breeding season peaks |
June-July | Females incubate eggs and care for young, males help feed young |
August | Some breeding activity continues, mass in preparation for migration |
September | Migrate south out of Illinois |
October-February | Absent – overwinter in Central and South America |
In spring, the first Baltimore orioles usually arrive in central and southern Illinois in mid-April. They reach northern Illinois by early May. Numbers peak from mid-May through June during the height of breeding season. Some adults and juveniles remain in July and August before migrating out of the state in September.
What do Baltimore orioles eat?
Baltimore orioles are omnivorous, feeding on insects, fruit, nectar and tree sap. Their diverse diet includes:
- Caterpillars and other insects
- Spiders
- Berries
- Oranges, cherries, peaches and other soft fruits
- Nectar from flowers
- Oak sap
- Cornmeal, suet and nectar from backyard feeders
- Jelly and sugar water
Caterpillars make up the majority of their diet while breeding and feeding young. Fruit and nectar are consumed more regularly during spring and fall migration.
Favorite insect prey
Baltimore orioles forage for caterpillars, beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, flies and other insects among the leaves and branches of trees. Favorite insect foods include:
- Gypsy moth caterpillars
- Tent caterpillars
- Elm spanworms
- Beetles and ants
- Cicadas
- Mosquitoes and midges
Favored fruits and nectar plants
Baltimore orioles seek out sweet fruits and nectar-producing flowers. Some favorites include:
- Mulberries
- Raspberries
- Blackberries
- Wild grapes
- Oranges and other citrus
- Cherries
- Peaches
- Apples
- Maple flowers
- Clovers
- Apple blossoms
- Azaleas
- Butterfly weed
How do Baltimore orioles behave and nest?
Songs and calls
Baltimore orioles produce a wide variety of vocalizations. The most recognizable is the loud, flute-like whistling song of males declaring their breeding territory. Other calls include sharp chirps and chatterings used to communicate between mates and offspring.
Migration
Baltimore orioles migrate at night in loose flocks. Their route takes them across the Gulf of Mexico or Florida to overwinter in Central America or northern South America. Spring migration brings them back north along the Mississippi River Valley flyway.
Nesting
Baltimore oriole nests are intricately woven, hanging pouch-like structures 3-7 inches deep. Females weave the nests from plant fibers, grapevine bark, horsehair, wool and cattle hair. Nest locations are typically 15-50 feet high on the drooping branches of trees like maples, elms, cottonwoods, willows and oaks.
Reproduction
Baltimore orioles form monogamous breeding pairs, though males may seek extra-pair copulations. Females lay 3-5 pale blue eggs with dark zigzag markings. Incubation lasts 12-14 days, mainly by the female. Both parents feed the nestlings insects for 11-14 days until fledging. Some pairs raise two broods per season.
How to attract Baltimore orioles to your yard
You can increase your chances of spotting brilliant Baltimore orioles by making your yard attractive to them during spring migration and the breeding season. Some tips include:
- Provide ripe orange halves, jelly or nectar feeders
- Offer mealworms and suet
- Plant native nectar-producing flowers
- Provide a water source like a fountain, mister or bird bath
- Avoid pesticides which reduce insect prey
- Provide fruiting trees and bushes like cherries, berries, citrus
- Put up nest boxes or planting fibers for nest material
Best flowers to attract orioles
The most effective native plants for attracting Baltimore orioles include:
Flowers | Bloom Time |
---|---|
Columbine | Spring to summer |
Trumpet creeper | Summer to fall |
Bee balm | Summer |
Butterfly weed | Summer |
Native honeysuckles | Spring to summer |
Planting clusters of these nectar-producing flowers will provide an attractive food source for visiting orioles.
Interesting facts about Baltimore orioles
- Their bright orange plumage comes from eating carotenoid-rich insects and fruit.
- Their genus name Icterus means “jaundiced” referring to their vibrant orange coloring.
- Their song is one of the most complex produced by any bird.
- Baltimore orioles help control insect pest populations by consuming crop-damaging caterpillars.
- The Baltimore oriole was named the state bird of Maryland in 1947.
- They got the name “Baltimore” from their colors resembling the coat-of-arms of Lord Baltimore.
- Orioles can remember the location of reliable food sources from year to year.
- They often nest near wasp nests for protection from predators.
How to identify Baltimore orioles
To positively identify a Baltimore oriole:
- Look for a medium-sized songbird about 7 inches long
- Look for the striking black and orange plumage – orange underparts and black head, wings and tail
- Note the long pointed bill and the white bars on the wings
- Listen for the loud, flute-like whistling song
- Note the hanging woven nests high in trees
- Watch for them feeding on oranges, jelly or nectar in spring and summer
The female Baltimore oriole is less vibrant orange overall. Juveniles are paler orange and lack the bright plumage. No other bird in Illinois shares the same pattern of bold orange and black plumage.
How Baltimore orioles benefit the ecosystem
Baltimore orioles play an important ecological role in the habitats where they breed, migrate and overwinter. Benefits include:
- Controlling insect pests like forest tent caterpillars, gypsy moths and spruce budworms
- Dispersing seeds of fruits and helping pollination
- Providing an important food source to predators like hawks, owls and snakes
- Contributing to biodiversity
Insect control
Baltimore orioles are voracious predators of crop-damaging caterpillars. A 2012 study found they can consume thousands of forest tent caterpillars per day at infestation sites. This helps regulate outbreaks and prevent extensive defoliation.
Fruit dispersal
Baltimore orioles consume the fruits of both native and non-native plants. The undigested seeds they disperse help propagate these plant species. They also contribute pollination services as they forage on nectar-producing flowers.
Prey for predators
As a relatively abundant songbird during spring and summer, Baltimore orioles provide an important food source for predatory birds like hawks and owls, as well as snakes. This helps sustain the populations of these predators within local ecosystems.
Threats facing Baltimore orioles
While still common as a species, Baltimore orioles face threats on their breeding grounds, migration routes and wintering grounds. These include:
- Habitat loss from development and agriculture
- Increased urbanization
- Use of pesticides reducing insect prey
- Climate change disrupting migration and breeding
- Predation by cats, raccoons, snakes
- Collisions with buildings, towers and vehicles
Habitat loss
Loss of woodlands, hedgerows and native flowering meadows reduces vital oriole breeding and foraging habitat. Fragmentation also increases nest parasitism and predation.
Pesticides
Insecticides kill off many caterpillar and insect species orioles rely on for food, especially while breeding. Herbicides also decrease nectar sources.
Climate change
Changing climate patterns may affect migration timing and survival. Hotter and drier conditions could reduce food and habitat. More severe storms also threaten migrating orioles.
Baltimore oriole conservation
To help conserve Baltimore oriole populations, management practices and policies should include:
- Protecting remaining large tracts of deciduous and riparian woodlands
- Establishing habitat corridors to link fragmented forests
- Promoting regrowth of native flowering plants
- Reducing pesticide usage near oriole habitats
- Educating the public on oriole-friendly gardening and landscaping
- Mitigating effects of climate change and severe weather
- Monitoring oriole population trends
Individuals can also help by providing nectar, fruit and nesting sites in backyards, keeping cats indoors, and participating in citizen science surveys.
Conclusion
With their vibrant black and orange plumage, melodious songs and acrobatic flights, Baltimore orioles are a beautiful and welcome sight in Illinois each spring and summer. These striking songbirds grace parks, woodlands and backyards where they hunt insects, construct intricate nests and feast on nectar and fruits. Watch and listen for them on their breeding grounds before they migrate back south in fall. By providing habitat and food sources, people can help support Illinois’ breeding Baltimore oriole populations.