Written by Bronwyn Earthman
This time of year, look for a bright flash of orange in the sea of new green leaves and you might find yourself watching the mating, nesting and feeding behaviors of the Baltimore Oriole. Males have a bright orange breast, underbelly, and shoulder patch, with a black head and mostly black wings. The females are less brightly colored but still sport an orangey-yellow underbelly and breast, with black head and wings.
They’ve journeyed northwards from their wintering grounds in Central America and the northern tip of South America, and first arrived here in our park in the first week of May. Their summer breeding range extends throughout the eastern United States, from southern Louisiana to central Canada. The newly arrived males spent much of May perched up high in trees singing their hearts out, hard at work attracting a mate. Female orioles will also sing, but a simpler song, often while foraging for food and nesting materials.
Once mated, the female oriole will begin building a gravity-defying bag-like nest at the tip of a branch. The nest building process takes about a week and happens in three stages. First, she will build an external structure for the nest using sturdy grasses, animal hair and sometimes human-made fibers such as string or fishing line. She then weaves in flexible plant fibers from dried plant stalks, grapevines or bark fibers to create an inner bowl. Finally, she will line the nest with soft materials such as milkweed or cottonwood seed fluff and feathers to make it extra comfortable for her babies. Orioles will also sometimes use spider silk as a binding agent to further solidify the nest. The male oriole will help collect nest materials, but the female does all the work of nest construction.
Orioles are voracious caterpillar and insect eaters and will hop along tree branches, nibbling on insects as they go, sometimes even pulling them from spider webs. This provides a helpful service to the trees they inhabit by protecting them from extensive insect damage. Orioles are also big fruit eaters and will feed on berries such as mulberries and black cherries throughout the growing season. Attract orioles to your yard with orange halves or some cups of jam. Look online for oriole feeders or make your own using just a hanging wire! By early July, keep an eye out for juvenile orioles that have left the nest and are starting to make their own way.
Come down to the Kroening Nature Center to visit our fruit feeders and see if you can spot any Baltimore Orioles and their incredible nests in the park! Curious what else is going on in the park this summer? Check out our upcoming June programs (registration available online).
Drop in Nature Art: Coffee Filter Flowers · Saturday, June 7, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Free, all ages, no registration required. Use coffee filters to make a beautiful summer flower. Drop by to create your flower and take it home.
Drop-in Nature: Woodland Exploration · Saturday, June 14, 11 a.m.- 3 p.m. Free, all ages, activity #17678. Drop by the nature center to check out a menu of self-guided activities focused on the woodland habitat. Activities include nature art, adventure hub kits, a scavenger hunt and focused observation. Try one or try them all!
Nature Art: Solstice Suncatchers · Saturday, June 21, 1:30-2:30 p.m. Free, all ages, activity #17673. Celebrate the longest day of the year with a nature suncatcher. Collect plants, leaves and other materials to make a simple, sun-shaped window decoration. Hooray for summer!
Nature in the Park: Birds · Thursday, June 26, 10-11 a.m. $9/person, ages 18+ activity #21603. Borrow a pair of binoculars and walk with a naturalist to discover the diversity of bird species that nest in the park. Explore different habitats to see birds that specialize in the forest, river and prairie environments.
Drop-in Nature: Summer Sampler · Saturday, June 28, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Free, all ages, activity #17674. Drop by the nature center to check out a menu of self-guided activities including nature art, adventure hub kits, a scavenger hunt and focused observation. Try one or try them all!