Baltimore Oriole
Icterus galbula
We once thought The Baltimore Oriole and the Bullock’s Oriole were the same species. We called it the Northern Oriole. In 1995, committees who make such decisions, split the species into the two orioles we know today. The Bullock’s being a western bird and the Baltimore an eastern bird, but the two birds barely look alike.
The Baltimore Oriole’s breeds across most of the lower Mississippi Valley and northwest into Alberta (Canada). They also breed further east to New England and Southeast Canada. Some of them winter in Florida and Cuba, but many fly to Mexico and South America.
Today, science regards the Baltimore Oriole as monotypic (i.e. there are no subspecies).
I met this bird briefly in Canada in 2005, while on an expedition to Alaska. But my best meetings came while I visited south Texas in the spring of 2020 and 2021, where I enjoyed these birds in migration.
34 Photos

Baltimore Oriole(Icterus galbula) |
Description: Little Lake, Alberta, Canada. |
Date Taken: 2005:06:04 9:14 |
Location:
Little Lake |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 550 mm, f/7.6, 1/250 |
File Name: JCD3374BaltimoreOriole |
© 2005 - Jack Daynes - shadeTree Imaging |


Baltimore Oriole(Icterus galbula) |
Description: Another "first meeting" for me at Little Lake, Alberta, Canada. |
Date Taken: 2005:06:04 11:12 |
Location:
Little Lake |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 550 mm, f/7.6, 1/250 |
File Name: JCD3447BaltimoreOriole |
© 2005 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |


Baltimore Oriole(Icterus galbula) |
Description: I don't believe Baltimore Orioles breed in south Texas. These birds are probable migrants headed north for the summer. I found these birds at a well stocked feeder in camp where I stayed in Brownsville Texas. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:17 15:56 |
Location:
Breeze Lake |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/500 |
File Name: BaltimoreOriole_D503206-Breeze-Lake-TX |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Baltimore Oriole(Icterus galbula) |
Description: I don't believe Baltimore Orioles breed in south Texas. These birds are probable migrants headed north for the summer. I found these birds at a well stocked feeder in camp where I stayed in Brownsville Texas. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:17 11:06 |
Location:
Breeze Lake |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/500 |
File Name: BaltimoreOriole_D502669-Breeze-Lake-TX |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Baltimore Oriole(Icterus galbula) |
Description: I don't believe Baltimore Orioles breed in south Texas. These birds are probable migrants headed north for the summer. I found these birds at a well stocked feeder in camp where I stayed in Brownsville Texas. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:17 11:02 |
Location:
Breeze Lake |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: BaltimoreOriole_D502562-Breeze-Lake-TX |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Baltimore Oriole(Icterus galbula) |
Description: I don't believe Baltimore Orioles breed in south Texas. These birds are probable migrants headed north for the summer. I found these birds at a well stocked feeder in camp where I stayed in Brownsville Texas. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:17 11:01 |
Location:
Breeze Lake |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/500 |
File Name: BaltimoreOriole_D502532-Breeze-Lake-TX |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Baltimore Oriole(Icterus galbula) |
Description: I don't believe Baltimore Orioles breed in south Texas. These birds are probable migrants headed north for the summer. I found these birds at a well stocked feeder in camp where I stayed in Brownsville Texas. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:17 10:41 |
Location:
Breeze Lake |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/16.0, 1/320 |
File Name: BaltimoreOriole_D502224-Breeze-Lake-TX |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Baltimore Oriole(Icterus galbula) |
Description: I don't believe Baltimore Orioles breed in south Texas. These birds are probable migrants headed north for the summer. I found these birds at a well stocked feeder in camp where I stayed in Brownsville Texas. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:17 10:39 |
Location:
Breeze Lake |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/16.0, 1/250 |
File Name: BaltimoreOriole_D502139-Breeze-Lake-TX |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Baltimore Oriole(Icterus galbula) |
Description: I met a lot of Baltimore Orioles in south Texas as they migrated north. They aren’t known here in nesting times. My second full day on South Padre Island, Texas was less birdy than my first day, but still I met some great birds. |
Date Taken: 2020:05:02 10:16 |
Location:
Convention Center |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/1250 |
File Name: BaltimoreOriole_D502177-South-Padre |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Baltimore Oriole(Icterus galbula) |
Description: I met a lot of Baltimore Orioles in south Texas as they migrated north. They aren’t known here in nesting times. My second full day on South Padre Island, Texas was less birdy than my first day, but still I met some great birds. |
Date Taken: 2020:05:02 10:16 |
Location:
Convention Center |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/1250 |
File Name: BaltimoreOriole_D502179-South-Padre |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Baltimore Oriole(Icterus galbula) |
Description: I don't believe Baltimore Orioles breed in south Texas. These birds are probable migrants headed north for the summer. I found these birds at a well stocked feeder in camp where I stayed in Brownsville Texas. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:17 16:46 |
Location:
Breeze Lake |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: BaltimoreOriole_D503738-Breeze-Lake-TX |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Baltimore Oriole(Icterus galbula) |
Description: Baltimore Orioles pass through southern Texas on their way north. My third visit to Atascosa NWR in South Texas was intended to pickup images of a couple of the birds I came up short with on my second visit. But then I started meeting new birds and I stayed all day. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:24 13:58 |
Location:
Atascosa NWR |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: BaltimoreOriole_D507057-Atascosa-NWR |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Baltimore Oriole(Icterus galbula) |
Description: Baltimore Orioles pass through southern Texas on their way north. My third visit to Atascosa NWR in South Texas was intended to pickup images of a couple of the birds I came up short with on my second visit. But then I started meeting new birds and I stayed all day. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:24 13:58 |
Location:
Atascosa NWR |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: BaltimoreOriole_D507065-Atascosa-NWR |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Baltimore Oriole(Icterus galbula) |
Description: Baltimore Orioles pass through southern Texas on their way north. My third visit to Atascosa NWR in South Texas was intended to pickup images of a couple of the birds I came up short with on my second visit. But then I started meeting new birds and I stayed all day. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:24 15:09 |
Location:
Atascosa NWR |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: BaltimoreOriole_D507162-Atascosa-NWR |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Baltimore Oriole(Icterus galbula) |
Description: Baltimore Orioles pass through southern Texas on their way north. My third visit to Atascosa NWR in South Texas was intended to pickup images of a couple of the birds I came up short with on my second visit. But then I started meeting new birds and I stayed all day. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:24 15:09 |
Location:
Atascosa NWR |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: BaltimoreOriole_D507192-Atascosa-NWR |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Baltimore Oriole(Icterus galbula) |
Description: When first I met the Baltimore Orioles in camp, there were only boys, but a week later the girls joined in. The camp where I spent April in Brownsville, Texas has a "Reseca" or Oxbow lake on its border, Several feeder stations, with tall trees and grassy areas. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:25 19:15 |
Location:
Breeze Lake |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/100 |
File Name: BaltimoreOriole_D508141-Breeze-Lake-TX |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Baltimore Oriole(Icterus galbula) |
Description: I don't believe Baltimore Orioles breed in south Texas. These birds are probable migrants headed north for the summer. I found these birds at a well stocked feeder in camp where I stayed in Brownsville Texas. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:17 11:02 |
Location:
Breeze Lake |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: BaltimoreOriole_D502562-Breeze-Lake-TX |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Baltimore Oriole(Icterus galbula) |
Description: When first I met the Baltimore Orioles in camp, there were only boys, but a week later the girls joined in. The camp where I spent April in Brownsville, Texas has a "Reseca" or Oxbow lake on its border, Several feeder stations, with tall trees and grassy areas. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:25 18:58 |
Location:
Breeze Lake |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/125 |
File Name: BaltimoreOriole_D507997-Breeze-Lake-TX |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Baltimore Oriole(Icterus galbula) |
Description: I met a lot of Baltimore Orioles in south Texas as they migrated north. They aren’t known here in nesting times. The Convention Center on South Padre Island, Texas is a first rate birding destination. I spent several hours in the morning and several more in the afternoon on this day. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:30 10:01 |
Location:
Convention Center |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/1250 |
File Name: BaltimoreOriole_D500347-South-Padre |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Baltimore Oriole(Icterus galbula) |
Description: This bird was the first of its kind this spring to pay us a visit here. Sunday was a day when the birds and then birders increased their respective presence on South Padre Island. Both are to be expected as spring migration steps up the bird numbers moving through on their way north. |
Date Taken: 2021:04:11 9:42 |
Location:
Convention Center |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: BaltimoreOriole_D5X3955-SPI_ConventionCtr |
© 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Baltimore Oriole(Icterus galbula) |
Description: Orioles arrived this morning in great numbers. This weekend provided the “perfect storm” for a warbler fallout on South Padre Island; a cold north wind, rain, and a ton of birds trying to head north. |
Date Taken: 2021:04:17 13:26 |
Location:
Convention Center |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/500 |
File Name: BaltimoreOriole_D5X6978-SPI_ConventionCtr |
© 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Baltimore Oriole(Icterus galbula) |
Description: Orioles arrived this morning in great numbers. This weekend provided the “perfect storm” for a warbler fallout on South Padre Island; a cold north wind, rain, and a ton of birds trying to head north. |
Date Taken: 2021:04:17 17:09 |
Location:
Convention Center |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/125 |
File Name: BaltimoreOriole_D5X7799-SPI_ConventionCtr |
© 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Baltimore Oriole(Icterus galbula) |
Description: Female Baltimore and Bullock’s Orioles look very much alike. Once both were considered the same species. Spring visits to South Padre Island can produce unexpected results. Sometimes there are lulls in the migration, and other times there are spikes. |
Date Taken: 2021:04:29 11:30 |
Location:
Convention Center |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/250 |
File Name: BaltimoreOriole_D5X3478_SPI-ConventionCtr |
(C)2020 Jack Daynes |


Baltimore Oriole(Icterus galbula) |
Description: This is surely the first migration for this immature female Baltimore Oriole. She may have begun life in a nest anywhere in eastern North America as far north as southern Canada, and will spend the winter anywhere from Mexico to northern South America. |
Date Taken: 2022:09:12 15:24 |
Location:
Sheepshead Bird Sanctuary |
Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/125 |
File Name: BaltimoreOriole_8502438-SPI.ConventionCentre |
© 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Baltimore Oriole(Icterus galbula) |
Description: This Baltimore Oriole passing through south Texas may travel as far as Mexico or even northern South America. |
Date Taken: 2022:09:18 11:46 |
Location:
South Padre Island Bird and Natu |
Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/8000 |
File Name: BaltimoreOriole_8504372-SPI-BNC |
© 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Baltimore Oriole(Icterus galbula) |
Description: We found Baltimore Orioles working over the Giant Reeds lining the shore of the Rio Grande during our afternoon cruise on the waterway. |
Date Taken: 2022:09:25 18:00 |
Location:
Rio Grande River Ride |
Camera Information: NIKON D850, 460 mm, f/8.0, 1/250 |
File Name: BaltimoreOriole_8506979-RioGrandeBoatRide |
© 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Baltimore Oriole(Icterus galbula) |
Description: I don't believe Baltimore Orioles breed in south Texas. These birds are probable migrants headed north for the summer. I found these birds at a well stocked feeder in camp where I stayed in Brownsville Texas. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:17 10:39 |
Location:
Breeze Lake |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/16.0, 1/250 |
File Name: BaltimoreOriole_D502139-Breeze-Lake-TX |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Baltimore Oriole(Icterus galbula) |
Description: While driving to visit friends in Dayton Ohio, I stopped for the night at a rest area and enjoyed a few minutes with the local birds. |
Date Taken: 2023:05:04 6:03 |
Location:
Silver Lake |
Camera Information: NIKON Z 9, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/800 |
File Name: BaltimoreOriole_ZX98112_SilverLake-IL |
© 2023 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Baltimore Oriole(Icterus galbula) |
Description: While driving to visit friends in Dayton Ohio, I stopped for the night at a rest area and enjoyed a few minutes with the local birds. |
Date Taken: 2023:05:04 6:04 |
Location:
Silver Lake |
Camera Information: NIKON Z 9, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/800 |
File Name: BaltimoreOriole_ZX98128_SilverLake-IL |
© 2023 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Baltimore Oriole(Icterus galbula) |
Description: While driving to visit friends in Dayton Ohio, I stopped for the night at a rest area and enjoyed a few minutes with the local birds. |
Date Taken: 2023:05:04 6:05 |
Location:
Silver Lake |
Camera Information: NIKON Z 9, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/800 |
File Name: BaltimoreOriole_ZX98143_SilverLake-IL |
© 2023 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Baltimore Oriole(Icterus galbula) |
Description: While driving to visit friends in Dayton Ohio, I stopped for the night at a rest area and enjoyed a few minutes with the local birds. |
Date Taken: 2023:05:04 6:12 |
Location:
Silver Lake |
Camera Information: NIKON Z 9, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/800 |
File Name: BaltimoreOriole_ZX98182_SilverLake-IL |
© 2023 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Baltimore Oriole(Icterus galbula) |
Description: While driving to visit friends in Dayton Ohio, I stopped for the night at a rest area and enjoyed a few minutes with the local birds. |
Date Taken: 2023:05:04 6:15 |
Location:
Silver Lake |
Camera Information: NIKON Z 9, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/800 |
File Name: BaltimoreOriole_ZX98187_SilverLake-IL |
© 2023 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Baltimore Oriole(Icterus galbula) |
Description: While enjoying a visit with old and dear friends in Pennsylvania, I drove to a nearby nature reserve called Blue Marsh. There, I enjoyed the company of birds I did not see at my friend’s property. |
Date Taken: 2023:06:07 14:55 |
Location:
Blue Marsh |
Camera Information: NIKON Z 9, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: BaltimoreOriole_Z9X5695_BlueMarsh-PA |
© 2023 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Baltimore Oriole(Icterus galbula) |
Description: During my stay near Lake Huron’s Georgian Bay, most locals I met spoke fondly of a location called Tiny Marsh. On March 24th, I spent most of the day there and learned for myself why it is loved by so many folks. |
Date Taken: 2023:05:24 9:32 |
Location:
Tiny Marsh |
Camera Information: NIKON Z 9, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: BaltimoreOriole_Z9X0195_TinyMarsh-Ont-CA |
© 2023 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |

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