There are two kinds of orioles that nest in the Skiatook area, the Baltimore oriole and the orchard oriole. Both are found throughout the Midwest. The males are brightly colored and easily identified, females are much harder to ID.
Of the two, the Baltimore oriole is the more striking and is one of the brightest of our summer birds. The male has a black head and wings and a bright orange belly. Black and orange were the colors of the coat-of-arms of Lord Baltimore, the first governor of Maryland, hence the name. It is the State Bird of Maryland.
Like the Baltimore oriole, the male orchard oriole has a black head and wings but a dark chestnut belly. It could be mistaken for a robin, except for size. A robin is considerably larger and spends its time feeding on the ground. Orioles are up in trees where they feed on insects, caterpillars, fruit and nectar.
Female orioles are greenish yellow overall. The female Baltimore oriole may have a darker head and has a whitish belly. She has slightly more orange on her breast and tail. The female orchard oriole has a lighter greenish head and a yellow-green belly. The males and females of both orioles have white wing bars. They nest during May and June. The nests are cup shaped and woven from plant and other fibers.
Orioles can be attracted to feeders with orange halves and grape jam. In our experience, they seem to like jam over jelly.
