On the Bird Etiquette Instagram page, bird.etiquette, we feature Friday Fun Facts during the winter months. We post information about a bird that we have photographed along with a design we created of that bird. We thought we would post some of those fun facts here and decided to start off with the striking Baltimore Oriole, one of our most recognizable—and beloved—North American species. You can entice one to your yard by offering fruit slices or jelly. With a little luck, you'll be rewarded by a visit from arguably the most brilliantly colored songbird in North America.
Baltimore Orioles got their name from their bold orange-and-black plumage: they sport the same colors as the heraldic crest of England’s Baltimore family (who also gave their name to Maryland’s largest city).
American orioles are in the same family as blackbirds and meadowlarks.
Baltimore Orioles build remarkable, sock-like hanging nests, woven together from slender fibers. The female weaves the nest and it usually takes about a week to complete.
Young male Baltimore Orioles do not molt into bright-orange adult plumage until the fall of their second year.
Baltimore Orioles seem to prefer only ripe, dark-colored fruit. They seek out the darkest mulberries, the reddest cherries, and the deepest-purple grapes, and will ignore green grapes and yellow cherries even if they are ripe.
They don't eat birdseed - only fruit, nectar and insects.