When do baltimore orioles migrate

More News. Ask Kenn! Explore Similar Birds. The Bird Guide Adopt a Bird. American Redstart Latin: Setophaga ruticilla. Bullock's Oriole Latin: Icterus bullockii. Scott's Oriole Latin: Icterus parisorum. Streak-backed Oriole Latin: Icterus pustulatus. These birds need your help. Get Audubon in Your Inbox Let us send you the latest in bird and conservation news. Email address. Find Audubon Near You Visit your local Audubon center, join a chapter, or help save birds with your state program.

Explore the Network. Become an Audubon Member Membership benefits include one year of Audubon magazine and the latest on birds and their habitats. Join Today. Spread the word. Stay abreast of Audubon Our email newsletter shares the latest programs and initiatives. Still widespread and common, but surveys show declines in recent decades. In the mid 20th century, Dutch elm disease killed many of the American elms that had been favorite nesting trees for this species in the past.

Open woods, riverside groves, elms, shade trees. Breeds in deciduous or mixed woodland, generally in open woods or edges rather than interior of dense forest. While it's quite common for them to return each year to the same territory, it's rare that they will use the same nest itself.

They often take parts of old nest to build a new one, so you may see them at the old nest site. Bird watchers will find the best viewing of the Baltimore Orioles nest when the leaves are off the trees. You'll see them at the end of branches high in shade trees. The prefered habitat of Orioles is in open woodlands of deciduous trees near parks, gardens, and in suburban settings.

In this tightly woven hanging nest, the female lays 3 to 6 pale blue with dark marks eggs. Incubation of the eggs is done by the female with the male always close by and watching.

Incubation will last 12 to 14 days and the young birds will leave the nest in 12 to 14 days after hatching. Oriole's can tell the difference and will pierce the Cowbirds eggs and either eat them or remove them dropping them some distance away from the Oriole nest.

You can attract this bird to eat from your backyard fruit feeder by setting out orange halves or grape jelly. Our recommended Fruit Feeder.

Another option is by providing a sugar water mixture. Boil sugar water mixture and let cool. This is the same mixture used to feed hummingbirds. Often we're asked "what happened to our birds"? The cause for there sudden disappearence is that while they are nesting and feeding young, the diet changes to add protein so that the young birds grow healthy. Don't worry, sometimes the adults will bring their young to the feeders once they've left the nest.

Begining in April, these birds begin to arrive at their breeding grounds roughly East of the Rockies. The winter migration to the South can begin as early as July, which is much earlier than most species. Bullock's orioles are busy taking care of their eggs and young. In July, they are still rearing their children and are beginning to molt their feathers. Migration peaks in August and September for Baltimore orioles.

Throughout this time they are still shedding their feathers. Most reach their destination in the tropics by the end of October and have finished shedding their flight and body feathers.

Bullock's orioles also are in the peak of their migration during August and September. A few are still molting their body and flight feathers through September. By October most have reached their destination for the winter in Mexico. Baltimore orioles mostly have arrived at their wintering grounds in the tropics in November. A few stay behind longer and ornithologists think that most of the stragglers still found in the northern states in November and December end up perishing when the winter gets colder.

Bullock's have reached Mexico by November and remain there through December, with the exception of those that live in Southern California year-round.

Brian McCracken lives in Portland, Ore.