Bullock's Oriole

Bullock's Oriole is the western counterpart to the Baltimore Oriole, and the two were once considered a single species known as the Northern Oriole due to occasional hybridization where their ranges meet on the Great Plains. Adult males are vivid orange with a black crown, eyeline, throat, and back, and a large white patch on the black wing. Females and immatures are grayish-olive above with yellow-orange on the face, throat, and breast, fading to whitish on the belly.

Common throughout much of the western United States in summer, Bullock's Oriole is a familiar sight at hummingbird and oriole feeders, and its striking coloration and cheerful song make it a favorite among birders in riparian and suburban settings.

Key Field Marks

• Adult male: bright orange face and underparts, black crown, eyeline, throat stripe, and back, large white wing patch
• Female/immature: gray-olive back, yellow-orange head, throat and breast, whitish belly
• Fairly long, straight, pointed bill
• Large white wing patch is diagnostic for males, distinguishing from Baltimore Oriole

Similar Species

• Baltimore Oriole males have a solid black hood (not just an eyeline) and lack the large white wing patch; the two species hybridize where ranges meet in the central Great Plains.
• Hooded Oriole males have a black face/bib but orange-yellow crown, and a thinner, more strongly downcurved bill.
• Scott's Oriole males are yellow, not orange, with a black head and back.

Habitat

Bullock's Oriole favors open woodlands, riparian corridors with cottonwoods and willows, orchards, and shade trees in parks and suburban yards.

Range

Breeds throughout the western United States and southwestern Canada, east to the Great Plains where it meets and occasionally hybridizes with the Baltimore Oriole. Winters mainly in Mexico and Central America.

Migration

A long-distance neotropical migrant, arriving on breeding grounds in spring and departing by late summer for wintering areas farther south.

Behavior

Bullock's Orioles forage actively in tree canopies, gleaning insects and probing flowers for nectar, and readily visit sugar-water and orange-slice feeders.

Voice

The song is a series of rich, chattering whistles and harsh notes, less flute-like and more varied than the Baltimore Oriole's song; the call is a sharp, dry chatter.

Feeding

Diet includes caterpillars, beetles, and other insects, along with fruit and nectar, particularly important during migration when they seek high-energy food sources.

Nesting & Breeding

The female weaves an intricate, pouch-like hanging nest from plant fibers, hair, and grass, usually suspended near the end of a tree branch. She incubates 3-6 eggs alone while the male helps feed the young after hatching.