Orchard Oriole 



A dignified bird, shy and retiring, came into the 

 old apple tree this morning, and surveyed the high, 

 dense branches for a nesting site. Just back from 

 his winter vacation in southern Mexico, this 

 orchard oriole appeared ready to settle down to 

 family affairs in our community. He was tardy this 

 year, though; he usually returns in May. 



Although not as dashing and colorful as the 

 Baltimore oriole, one of his cousins, my new guest 

 is a refined gentleman dressed in excellent taste. 

 His head and neck and the upper portion of his 

 breast and back are a deep, glossy black. Also 

 black, but neatly edged with white, are his tail and 

 wing feathers. And the rest of his body is a dark 

 chestnut brown. 



The female orchard oriole (wearing less striking 

 clothing of olive, yellow and white) usually arrives 

 a few days afterward from her southern vacation. 

 But what she lacks in raiment she makes up for 

 with her ability to weave a beautiful basket-like 

 nest from choice strands of green orchard grass. In 

 this basket the female usually lays five bluish-white 

 eggs speckled with gray, brown and black. 



From the moment the male orchard oriole 

 arrives until early July, when his family is raised, 

 the apple tree community is alive with his vigorous 

 singing. He stays for a while and a whistle, and 

 then goes away. 



