The Baltimore Oriole is Maryland’s official state bird, named after Lord Baltimore. They live in wooded areas and eat insects and fruit. Mating season begins in late April and females build a hanging nest. The bird has been protected since 1918 and inspired the name of Baltimore’s baseball team.
The Baltimore Oriole, a member of the yctariid bird family, is the official state bird of Maryland. Male Baltimore Orioles are bright orange-gold on their undersides and shoulders and have black wings and a black head. Females are not as colorful with their orange-yellow underparts and duller black wings and head. They measure 7 to 8.5 inches (17.78-20.32 centimeters) in length.
The Maryland state bird received its name from George Calvert, Lord Baltimore. The coat of arms of the seventeenth century used the same colors as the oriole. The Bullock Oriole, which lives west of the Rocky Mountains, is similar to the Baltimore Oriole and the two birds interbreed on the central plains. This has led the American Ornithologists Union to rename both birds Northern Orioles as they continue to research the relationship between the two birds.
Baltimore Orioles typically live in wooded areas with deciduous trees. Their diet consists mostly of insects and they eat fruit or berries as a supplement. They have a voracious appetite for caterpillars, which can help protect forests from destructive insects. Those hoping to entice the bird to feeders should use oranges, nectars, or peanut butter.
The mating season of the Maryland state bird begins in late April and early May when the birds return to the state. Baltimore Orioles only live in the state during the summer months, migrating to warmer climates in the winter. Males arrive several days before females and claim their territories. Once females arrive, males begin singing almost constantly until mating. Typically, only unmated and immature birds sing later in the season.
After mating, the male defends his territory and the female builds a tightly woven hanging using plant fibers. The nest is suspended from a branch up to 90 feet (27.43 meters) above the ground. The female lays three to six pale blue eggs with dark spots, which hatch about two weeks later. The fledglings only live in the nest for 12-14 days before leaving.
The Baltimore Oriole became the official state bird of Maryland in 1947, but its popularity dates back to 1698, when the bird was included in the “curious beasts” sent from Maryland to royal gardens in England. In 1882, Maryland made special provisions to protect the bird, and in 1918, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act placed the Baltimore Oriole under federal protection. Baltimore’s major league baseball team was named after the bird in 1882, over half a century before it became the official state bird of Maryland.
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