Baltimore Oriole - Icterus galbula
General Description
Species sexually dimorphic in size and plumage. Males have black head, upper mantle,wings and tail, with the rest of upper body orange; slim white stripe along wing. Females sometimes have dark olive-colored upper mantle and head, along with a paler tail and smaller size.
Distribution
Montana Range
Observations in Montana: 120
Montana CountiesBig Horn, Blaine, Cascade, Chouteau, Custer, Dawson, Fergus, Flathead, Garfield, Glacier, Hill, Lewis and Clark, Liberty, McCone, Missoula, Phillips, Pondera, Powder River, Prairie, Ravalli, Richland, Roosevelt, Sheridan, Teton, Toole, Valley, Wheatland, Wibaux, Yellowstone
Habitat
Species found in open woodlands, woodland margins, hedgerows and urban parks. Winters in woodlands and hedges.
Food Habits
In summer and breeding months, diet consists of catepillars, fruits, insects and spiders. During the winter, diet consists mainly of nectar, small fruit and insects.
Reproductive Characteristics
Clutch consists of 4-5 eggs incubated for 12-14 days. Nests built in conifer trees, attached at rim of drooping branches; made of plant fiber, grass and sometimes animal hair.