Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 5.9–7.1 in
15–18 cm - Wingspan
- 9.8 in
25 cm - Weight
- 0.6–1 oz
16–28 g
Other Names
- Oriole des vergers (French)
- Bolsero castaño, Calandria café, Pararo de huertos, Turpial de huertos (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- Only loosely territorial, the Orchard Oriole is often described as a "semicolonial" species in areas of prime habitat, but it is relatively solitary in marginal habitats. In areas of dense nesting, one tree may contain multiple nests.
- The Orchard Oriole is a rather late spring migrant, but it heads back southward quickly. Some orioles may return to their wintering grounds as early as mid-July.
- The Orchard Oriole eats nectar and pollen from flowers, especially during the winter. It is an important pollinator for some tropical tree species, transferring the pollen from flower to flower on its head.
Habitat
Open Woodland
Nests in gardens, orchards, suburban areas, along streams and lakes, and in large planted trees near houses. In winter found in tropical forests.
Food
Insects
Insects, spiders, nectar, and fruit.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 3–7 eggs
- Egg Description
- Light blue with blackish markings.
- Condition at Hatching
- Helpless with tufts of pale gray down.
Nest Description
An open cup of woven grass, lined with fine grass, plant down, wool, and feathers, suspended from fork of tree branch far out on limb.
Nest Placement
Tree
Behavior
Foliage Gleaner
Searches for insects among leaves and twigs. Often perched near ground, but rarely on ground. Probes flowers for nectar.
Conservation
Least Concern
Generally common, but may be declining in some areas.
Credits
- Scharf, W. C., and J. Kren. 1996. Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius). In The Birds of North America, No. 255 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.