fe ee LU BeOsNe BLU Lobel Nn a 
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) 
By ANNA C. AMES 
IN 1756, WHEN LINNAEUS, the great Swedish naturalist, prepared a scien- 
tific description of the Baltimore Oriole, he named it in honor of Lord Bal- 
timore, the first Governor of Maryland, whose colors, orange and black, 
the bird wears. Because of its bright hue and because the bird’s loud song 
somewhat resembles that of the Robin, it is sometimes known as the Golden 
Robin. Because of the oriole’s characteristic pendant nest, it is sometimes 
called the hangbird. It is the state bird of Maryland and one of the most 
colorful species that spends the summer with us. Many of the older birds 
are a brilliant orange, occasionally shading into a vivid, intense blood-red. 
The male Baltimore, almost seven and a half inches long, has head, neck 
and upper back black. The tail is black, edged with yellow, and the wings, 
aside from the orange-scalloped wing bar and some white edging, are 
black. Otherwise it is of a flaming orange hue. The female is largely olive- 
green above and yellow below. She has two wingbars. ‘“‘Some females,” says 
Peterson, “are quite orange, with some black around the head.” 
With the exception of the orioles, the Icteridae are strong walkers. 
Orioles are birds of the treetops, and when on the ground they hop rather 
than walk. 
The song of the Baltimore consists of a series of rich, whistled, discon- 
nected notes. There is much variation. Certain individuals have songs pecu- 
liar to them alone, which may serve to identify them as they return each 
year. A frequent note is a loud and distinct, “Peter, Peter, Peter.’’ The 
male oriole, in common with many other birds, has a second song period in 
late August and September, after the molt is over. 
In migration the males usually precede the females by a few days. Woo- 
ing begins soon after the females arrive. The male sits upon a limb near 
the lady of his choice, rises to his full height, bows with spread tail and 
partly raised wings, thus displaying his gorgeous plumage, and utters his 
most supplicating notes. Orioles seem to be strictly monogamous. 
The nest, shaped like an open-topped bag about seven inches long, is 
hung high in a tree, preferably an elm, although nests have been observed 
in oaks, maples, and even in apple trees. Every spring for several years 
orioles nested in an elm on my home yard in Kansas. Perhaps they nest 
there still. The nest is so durable that often remnants of it cling to a tree 
three or four years. Orioles have become town birds, and the nesting site 
is often near a home. The nests are built almost entirely by the female, 
although the male sometimes assists by bringing materials and usually is 
at hand to cheer her with song. The female works from the inside and 
makes the nest six inches deep, usually gray, and bulging at the bottom. 
The nesting material is varied. For the framework, vegetable fiber is 
used. The structure is woven of plant fibers, moss, hair, bits of soft string, 
yarn, etc. The birds seem to prefer white yarn or twine to colored. The 
female is skillful in weaving her nest, but ornithologists differ in reports 
of her actions. Olive L. Earle in Birds and Their Nests states that the 
bird is “an expert knot-maker.” Dr. Francis H. Herrick says that in all 
the intricate weaving there is “certainly no deliberate tying of knots.” The 
irregularity of the finished work shows conclusively that the stitching is 
a purely random affair, though none the less effective. The nest bottom is 
a thick pad of plant down and other soft material. 
