Unique Facts About The Hooded Oriole Bird

The Hooded Oriole bird, Icterus cucullatus, is a medium-sized New World oriole named for the completely yellow hood on the adule male.

They are very much at home in suburban areas of the southwestern United States.

Hooded Oriole birds readily adapted to habitat changes...

Originally these slender orioles nested in the trees of desert oases, but have now cleverly adapted to ornamental trees and palms.

For instance, when suspending their nest from palm leaves, the female actually pokes holes in the leaf from below and then pushes the fibers through... effectively sewing the nest to the leaf.

Amazing what a determined mom can do with a sharp beak and a clever (though pea-sized) brain!

How the Bullock Oriole Bird got its name...

The Bullock's oriole bird was named after William Bullock, an English naturalist. Considering the transportation of the times, he traveled quite extensively.

Bullock speculated in Mexican silver mines during the early 1820s. While there, he observed brilliant orange orioles during their winter stay throughout Mexico.

He again observed these same songbirds in their breeding habitats when he journeyed to the Ohio River Valley in the late 1820s.

Interesting Facts About The Baltimore Oriole Bird

Say the word oriole bird to most folks, and they immediately picture a bright yellow-orange, flashy bird with black markings… and amazing hanging nests they weave.

Believe it or not, the Baltimore Oriole bird, Icterus galbula, is actually a small blackbird, about 7 to 8 in (18 cm) long and weighs 34 g.

Adults have a pointed bill and white bars on the wings. The adult male is orange on its under-parts, shoulder patch, and rump – all the rest is black. Adolescent males are colored pretty much like the females until their second year. The adult female is yellow-brown on its upper parts with darker wings, and dull orange on its breast and belly.

The Story Behind How The Baltimore Oriole Bird Was Named...

Baltimore orioles were highly prized by the early American settlers. In fact... in 1698, they were among the "Beasts of Curiosity" sent from Maryland to the British royal gardens.

They named these birds after George Calvert, 1st Baron of Baltimore, because the black and golden-orange plumage of the male Baltimore oriole were nearly identical to the colors in his Calvert family shield.

These flashy little songbirds even inspired a major league baseball team to adopt the name "Baltimore Orioles" in 1894.

Use this genuine oriole nectar recipe instead of a hummingbird nectar recipe...

Although it's safe to provide hummingbird nectar for oriole birds, using the following Oriole Nectar Recipe will save you money! A hummingbird nectar recipe is 1 part white table sugar to 4 parts water, while an oriole bird nectar recipe is 1 part white table sugar to 6 parts water.

To discourage oriole birds from visiting your hummingbird nectar feeders, remove any posts from them. Then, hang a bright orange oriole bird feeder (make sure it has posts/perches) a bit of a distance from the hummingbird feeders, and fill it with nectar made with this oriole nectar recipe.

As soon as they discover they can perch and feed comfortably on their own oriole feeders, they'll give up “slipping and sliding” from the hummingbird feeders. Just be patient...

All About The Orchard Oriole Bird

The Orchard Oriole bird, Icterus spurius, is the smallest species of icterid blackbird. You may even think you see a blackbird when actually you're looking at an adult male orchard oriole.

Until you see him up close or through binoculars, his deep chestnut coloring appears black.

The Orchard Oriole bird is an important pollinator...

This smallest of North American orioles eats pollen and nectar from flowers.

In fact, it plays a major role during its winter stays in southern Mexico, Central America, northern Colombia, and northwestern Venezuela.