Fandex Bird Field Guide

BALTIMORE ORIOLE

Icterus galbula

Halloween comes to mind when a male Baltimore oriole, with its flame-orange and black plumage, flashes into view. By late October, however, this songbird may be seen only occasionally at feeders, as it migrates in colorful flocks from its summer territory throughout the East, It's named not for the Maryland port city on Chesapeake Bay, but for its color scheme, which is the same as that of Lord Baltimore's family, the 17th century founders of the Maryland colony.

Other orioles - Bullock's in the West, the spotted in Florida, and the orchard throughout the East and South - are similar in size, coloration, habits, and diet. Indeed they're known to interbreed and produce hybrids.

Orioles are most commonly seen in broken woodlands, forest edges, parks, open fields, garden, and at feeders. They forage for a wide variety of insects and spiders, and also like berries, other fruits, and flowers nectar.

Versatile singers, orioles can chatter like squirrels, whistle a long melody, and deliver a somewhat forlorn two-note call.

Field Notes

Habitat: Wooded areas, parkland in city, suburb, and country, alongside roads and streams.

Range: Everywhere east of the Rockies except the lower Atlantic seaboard and the Gulf Coast. Bullock's oriole is found throughout the western states.

Diet: Insects and spiders of all kinds, fruits, flower nectar.

Nest: Sack of fibrosis materials suspended at the end of a drooping branch in a deciduous tree.

Eggs: Usually 3 to 5; blue-gray to white with some darker markings.

Status: Not threatened.

(From Northern Cardinal) "Cardinalis cardinalis"

With its brilliant red livery, black face, conical bill and prominent crest, this cardinal is one of the most familiar birds east of the Rocky Mountains. Surely the most readily identified wild bird in the U.S., this is the official state bird of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia. Its powerful call is nearly as familiar as its appearance: the northern cardinal is the one that sings "Birdie, Birdie, Birdie!" all year long. Cardinals do not migrate, so there's always a chance that one of these showy birds will brighten an otherwise gray winter's day-perhaps on a backyard bird feeder, since seeds are a preferred part of their diet.

Cardinals have long tails and may grow to nine inches in length. Females (and immature birds of both sexes) are more muted in color, with plumage running to buff, brown and olive. The males are aggressive about defending their territories and will vigorously attack any intruder---they're even known to attack their own image reflected in a house window.

FIELD NOTES

Habitat: Low shrubs, thickets and broken woods; suburban yards.

Range: All lower 48 states east of the Rockies, plus the desert Southwest, southern Canada and all of Mexico. Range is expanding.

Diet: Seeds, grains, small fruits, insects and spiders.