---

Northern Oriole (Icterus galbula)

John Triana, Regional Water Authority, www.forestryimages.org

Length: 6-7.5 in.
Habitat: open woodlands; shade trees in farmlands, towns, cities.

A liquid whistled song and a flash of brilliant color at the top of a tall tree signal the presence of the Northern Oriole (Icterus galbula). This newly formed species is a merger of two former species—the essentially eastern Baltimore Oriole and the essentially western Bullock's Oriole. Where the ranges overlap, the birds regularly interbreed, and ornithologists have decided that they are races of the same species. The Baltimore's nest is the familiar deep pouch swinging at the end of a slender limb; its western cousin's is often tied to twigs at the top and sides.

Animal Calendars