Orchard Oriole vs Baltimore Oriole: Top 6 Differences

When you spot a fiery golden-chested bird on one fine day, with jet-black upperparts, you can be sure that spring season is knocking on the door. Their arrival from Mexico heralds the end of winter and the start of a cheerful, sunny season.

All orioles have a golden and black plumage. Their difference is determined by the ratio of golden color to black color, and the intensity of the golden color. Epaulet oriole, that can be spotted in South America, is probably the only oriole with a 90% black plumage.

Telling orioles apart can be tricky, let alone orchard oriole vs Baltimore oriole. If you are a bird lover and want to know the difference, you are invited to join this ride.

Overview of Orchard Oriole And Baltimore Oriole

Orchard and Baltimore orioles, as their name suggests, are related. They both belong to the same order of birds called Passeriformes, and family Icteridae. Orchard orioles are the smallest of the existing Icterids, and its scientific name is Icterus spurius. They have a very unique plumage of chestnut and blue hues, and prefer deciduous trees as a habitat.

Source: @las3rmike_nature_photography

Baltimore orioles have the scientific name Icterus galbula. The name Baltimore has been given to these birds because the color of their plumage resembles the colors present on the heraldic crest of the famous Baltimore family of England. These birds are also found on the edges of deciduous forests, but usually not deep within the forests. They mainly like fruits and insects.

Source: @nancy_elizabeth_photos

Table of Differences

This table will give you a sneak peek at some of the distinct differences between these two closely related birds.

Baltimore Oriole vs Orchard Oriole: Similarities

Why do we mix these two birds up? That is because they belong to the same family of birds. All orioles have yellow to golden-orange inner parts, with black wings and upperparts. The jet-black and the striking orange look ravishing in the summer sun.

Both the birds breed in the eastern half of the United States, and spend winter months in Mexico and Central America. They can be spotted around similar habitats of semi forested areas, open woodlands, orchards, and they love deciduous trees. But they avoid deep and dense forests.

Baltimore and orchard orioles make hanging nests and they become fiercely territorial during the breeding season. The females of both the bird families sing melodiously.

When they look and behave so similarly, confusion is bound to occur.

Orchard Oriole vs Baltimore Oriole: Differences

Let’s take a look at their physical and behavioral differences.

Plumage

Baltimores and orchard orioles have the same colors in their plumage, but the shades are different. Baltimore orioles appear brighter, orchard orioles appear darker.

Source: @bruce_lansky

Baltimore orioles demonstrate a strong sexual dimorphism. The males flaunt a jet-black head, and bright golden-orange breast and belly. On the other hand, the females have a yellow head, and their breast and belly are also a mixed hue of yellow and orange. In short, the males have a more orange hue while females have a more yellow tone.

Source: @sarymely

Orchard orioles have jet-black color in their plumage too, only the chest and belly region are a chestnut brown instead of yellow or orange. In the case of orchard orioles, the sexual dimorphism is not that prominently visible. The males have a black head and back, with chestnut brown chest and belly. Females have chestnut heads, and dull yellow plumage.

The following table will clarify the strength of sexual dimorphism in both the species:

Size and Body shape

Baltimore orioles are larger and heavier than orchard orioles.

Orchard orioles are 7-8 inches long with a wingspan of 10 inches. They also look puffier in comparison. They weigh around 16 to 28 grams.

Baltimores are longer by 1 or 2 inches, and their wingspan is 12 inches. They weigh about 22.3 to 42 gm, which is almost twice as much as their cousins.

When you look at Baltimore orioles, they quite visibly look stockier and fuller. They also look streamlined and strong, as opposed to the puffy, cutesy look of the orchard orioles.

Wing and Tail

Orchard and Baltimore orioles both have streaks on their black wings, but in Baltimore orioles the streaks are more white in appearance. The tails of orchard orioles have white edges, whereas the tails of Baltimore orioles have a black center.

Source: @michael.fogleman

When orchard and Baltimore orioles spread their wings, it is a sight worthy of a photo frame. They both have jet-black wings with white streaks on them, where the layers of the wings and the streaks play in harmony.

The females of both species show more variation in their wings. Female Baltimore orioles have a gray color on their wings, in sharp contrast to the black color of their male counterparts. Female orchard orioles display similar colored wings as Baltimore oriole females.

In the tails we can observe a more visible contrast between the two species. In orchard orioles, the tail is completely black with white stripes close to the tip. In Baltimore orioles, the tail is mostly orange with a thick, black center.

Behavior

Both the birds are quite friendly, however Baltimore orioles are a little aggressive. Baltimore orioles are found in parks, whereas orchard orioles do not visit parks.

Orchard orioles are quite communal, and nesting and migrating with other birds, inside or outside the family, is not a problem for them at all. They make friends with kingbirds because they help them to keep cowbirds at bay.

Baltimore orioles are quite amicable too, a little too friendly for that matter. They are known to cross breed with bullock’s orioles frequently. They breed within themselves because their ranges overlap, however, to this day they remain separate species.

Orchard orioles frequent orchards, the reason they have that name. They love open spaces near a water source, like lakes or streams. Young woods and edges of forests are where they are audible. However, they cannot be sighted in parks or yards where Baltimore species are more visible. Baltimore species also like open areas, farms and fields.

Feeding Habits And Hunting Tactics

Source: @averynaturephotography

Both love fruits and insects, however Baltimore orioles like dark colored fruits more.

Orchard orioles are not great flyers, and when they do fly, they are inclined to stay close to the ground. They never fly above a forest canopy.

Orchard orioles visit orchards and flower gardens, and one of their favorite food items is nectar. They also like to munch on fruits like berries. Insects and spiders are something they feed on during summer and spring.

Baltimore orioles, however, like heights, and they often feed on the top sides of trees.

They turn leaves and maneuver their beaks into branches to find insects, especially caterpillar moths. They make slow fluttering wing-beats when they are flying from one tree top to another.

However, when they are catching insects, they fly very quickly and catch them mid-air. They love fruits like mulberries and purple grapes. They have this unique adoration for dark-colored fruits like red cherries.

Calls

Orchard orioles sing more melodiously than Baltimore orioles.

Orchard orioles produce a series of loud whistles that are quite rich and clear. They could be compared to warbling sounds of certain birds.

Baltimore orioles sing too, but they generate metallic, flute-like songs. Their whistlings sound labored and mellowed. Melody complexity in Baltimore orioles lack a little, you might argue.

Thoughts

Orchard oriole vs Baltimore oriole comparison is a tough nut to crack because they are simply too similar, both in physical appearance and behavior. All orioles have a heart-warming golden-yellow chest and underparts, and black upper parts. Orioles are hard to miss.

However, if we pay attention to their plumage and size, we will see certain nuances that will help us to tell them apart. Look closely when they visit your backyard at the feeder. Pay close attention to their chest and belly area, and listen to their calls.

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