Orioles of the Orchard

Appearance

• Orchard orioles have narrow, pointed bills and long tails. Adult males have black heads, tails and backs. Most of their wings are also black, with white edges and a thick white stripe called a wing bar. Their breasts, bellies, shoulders and rumps are a dark chestnut color. Adult females are a bright yellow-green on their undersides. The tops of their bodies are a green yellow color. Their wings are brown, with two skinny white wing bars. Juvenile orchard orioles look similar to adult females. Juvenile males have a black patch on their throat. Their feathers turn from greenish-yellow to chestnut after their first year.

Habitat

• Orchard orioles can be found in the middle and eastern portions of the United States and Mexico. The also live in the southern part of central Canada. These birds spend the summer breeding from Ontario, New York and New England to northern Florida and the Gulf Coast of Texas and Mexico. They spend the winter in Central America and the northernmost parts of South America. Orchard orioles prefer to live in orchards, open woodlands, scattered tree groves and suburban streets.

Calls

• The orchard oriole song is a rich sound that features whistles, warbles and guttural sounds. It ends with a noise that sounds like a slurred "wheer." This bird makes other sounds besides its song. These sounds include a "chuck" noise and a rapid chattering noise that sounds similar to "chuh-huh-huh-huh."

Behavior

• Orchard orioles eat insects, fruits, nuts, flowers and nectar. They typically fly using rapid wing beats and quick and direct courses. These birds migrate to their breeding grounds in late spring, but then migrate south again within a few months. Some orchard orioles leave the north by mid July, making their summer visit a brief stay. Orchard orioles hide their nests in dense foliage. These nests look like a deep hanging cup made of woven grasses. Young birds leave the nest within two weeks of hatching. The parents care for fledglings until the young birds are independent and able to migrate.