Identification

• Baltimore Orioles are medium-size birds about six inches long. They are easily spotted because of their bright yellowish-orange breasts and black heads, necks and wings. They have two rows of white feathers on their wings that look like bars. Their beaks are sharp, slender and straight. Males are brighter in color while females may look more grayish and their orange colors a bit more dull than their male counterparts.
  
  

Habitat

• Orioles prefer open woods and shade trees for their habitat. They nest along edges of woodlands and build hanging nests that look like baskets in tall trees. They also live in urban areas as well as parks with wooded areas.
  
  

Range and Habitat

• Most Baltimore Orioles live along the east coast of North America in open woodland. Their populations reach to the central United States as far west as Colorado. They also live in Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia. They breed from eastern Texas to Virginia and spend winter months in Florida and along the southern Atlantic coast.
  
  

Diet

• Baltimore Orioles eat moths, caterpillars, ants, beetles, insects, bugs, aphids, fruits, berries and flower nectar. They forage leaves and twigs for food. If you want to attract orioles, they also enjoy suet, orange halves, jelly and raisins, according to Wild Bird Unlimited. To attract these birds to your yard, place orange halves on a feeder or simply provide a mixture of one part sugar with four parts water for them.
  
  

History

• The orioles in America are similar to the birds in Europe but they are not related to the "true orioles" found in the Oriolidae family. They are actually more closely related to blackbirds and meadowlarks, according to All About Birds.
  
  

Misconceptions

• The Baltimore Oriole is often confused with the Bullock's Oriole, especially in the Great Plain states where their species overlap. The two species were thought to be one species, the Northern Oriole, but they are actually two different species, according to All About Birds.