56 



BALTIMORE ORIOLE 



FIG. 25. 

 Baltimore Oriole : Icterus galbula. 



Adult male, entire head and neck black; most of the body 

 bright orange ; wings and tail mainly black. Adult female, 

 upper parts brown and black ; under parts dull orange ; 

 throat sometimes spotted with black. Length, about 7- 

 inches. 



GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. Eastern United States, north to 

 New Brunswick and Manitoba, west to the Great Plains ; 

 breeds from the Potomac and Ohio valleys northward ; win- 

 ters in Mexico and Central America. 



In the temperate regions of the United States 

 there are few brilliantly colored birds, as gaudy 

 coats are found mostly in tropical regions, where 

 they match the brilliancy of the flowering tree- 

 tops. We can best appreciate how rich the 

 tints of the Orioles are when we compare them 

 with the gray Catbird, the sooty Chimney Swift, 

 the fawn-colored Doves, and the brown Wrens and 

 Grouse. It would seem that the Oriole race was 



