Birds

Oriole

Icterus · also called New World orioles

Least Concern ↓ omnivore Temperate forest Temperate grassland

An oriole announces itself with a clear, flute-like whistle from high in a leafy tree, usually before you spot the flash of orange and black that goes with it. Its name is borrowed, taken from an unrelated Old World bird family that just happens to share the same bold colours, and its real claim to fame is architectural: a deep, woven, sock-shaped nest hung from the very tip of a branch, out of reach of almost anything that climbs.

Overview

American orioles are the genus Icterus, brilliant orange-and-black songbirds of the family Icteridae — the same New World family as the red-winged blackbird and the cowbird. They eat insects, especially caterpillars, plus nectar and fruit, and most species are long-distance migrants, breeding across North America and wintering in Mexico, Central America, and northern South America.

A borrowed name, a woven nest

Despite the shared name, American orioles are unrelated to the true Old World orioles of Europe, Asia, and Africa — another case of settlers reusing a familiar word for a similarly coloured but unconnected bird. The female builds a remarkable hanging, pouch-shaped nest from plant fibres, suspended from a thin outer branch too flexible for climbing predators to reach. The Baltimore oriole takes its name, and its colours, from the coat of arms of the Calvert family, Lords Baltimore — the same heraldry behind the baseball team’s name.

Status

Least Concern for most species, readily using gardens with feeders and mature trees, though some populations are gradually declining from the loss of large nesting trees, pesticide-driven insect scarcity, and habitat loss on the wintering grounds.

Oriole: common questions

Are orioles related to the Old World orioles of Europe and Asia?

No, despite sharing the same common name, American orioles and the true Old World orioles are not closely related at all. American orioles belong to the family Icteridae, the New World blackbird family, while Old World orioles belong to a completely separate family, Oriolidae, found across Europe, Asia, and Africa. The shared name reflects a similarity in bold black-and-orange or black-and-yellow colouring rather than any actual family relationship, another example of European settlers reusing a familiar name for an unrelated bird that merely looked similar.

Why does the Baltimore oriole have that name?

The Baltimore oriole is named for its resemblance to the black and orange colours on the coat of arms of the Calvert family, who held the title Lord Baltimore and founded the English colony of Maryland in the 17th century. The colour association was strong enough that the name stuck for the bird, and it later inspired the naming and colour scheme of Baltimore's Major League Baseball team, the Orioles, making the bird a well-known civic symbol for the city long after the original heraldic connection would otherwise have been forgotten by most people.

How can I attract orioles to my garden?

Orioles are drawn to a combination of food and suitable habitat, so offering halved oranges, a dish of grape jelly, or a nectar feeder similar to a hummingbird feeder but with larger perches can attract them, especially during spring migration and the early breeding season. Beyond feeders, having tall, mature trees nearby for nesting and singing, along with a garden that supports plenty of caterpillars and other insects, which orioles need to feed their young, makes a property considerably more attractive to a passing or locally breeding pair than feeders alone.

Why is an oriole's nest shaped like a hanging pouch?

The female weaves a deep, sock- or pouch-shaped nest and suspends it from the tip of a slender, often drooping outer branch, a design that makes the nest difficult for climbing predators such as snakes and squirrels to reach, since the supporting branch is often too thin and flexible to bear their weight safely. The deep, enclosed shape also helps shelter the eggs and chicks from wind, rain, and direct sun, and building such an intricately woven structure, sometimes taking a week or more to complete, is one of the more remarkable feats of avian nest engineering.

Sources & further reading

Written by HideShark Editorial Team · reviewed by HideShark Science Desk. Published September 11, 2026. Last updated September 11, 2026.

Quick facts

Scientific name: Icterus
Diet: An omnivore eating insects and other invertebrates, especially caterpillars, along with nectar, fruit, and berries, and orioles are frequent visitors to garden feeders offering orange halves, grape jelly, or sugar-water nectar
A woven, hanging nest: A female oriole builds an intricately woven, sock- or pouch-shaped nest that hangs from the tip of a slender outer branch, constructed from plant fibres, grass, and sometimes string or yarn she gathers, a design that keeps the nest and its contents safer from many climbing predators
A New World relative of the blackbird: American orioles belong to the genus Icterus within the family Icteridae, the same New World family that includes the red-winged blackbird, the cowbird, and the meadowlark, making them close relatives of birds with a very different look and reputation
A name borrowed from Europe: The name oriole was originally used for an unrelated Old World bird family, the true orioles of Eurasia and Africa, and European settlers in the Americas applied the same name to these unrelated New World birds because of a similarly bold black-and-orange or black-and-yellow colour pattern, despite no close relationship between the two groups
Named for a founding family's colours: The Baltimore oriole takes its name from the black and orange colours matching the coat of arms of the Calvert family, the Lords Baltimore who founded the English colony of Maryland, a naming connection that also gave Major League Baseball's Baltimore Orioles their name and colours
Long-distance migrants: Most North American orioles are long-distance migrants, breeding across the United States and southern Canada in summer and travelling to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America for the winter, often timing their spring return to coincide with the availability of nectar-rich flowers and early insects
Bold colour, cautious nature: Despite their vivid, eye-catching plumage, orioles are often more often heard than seen, spending much of their time high in the leafy canopy of tall trees, and their clear, flute-like whistled songs are frequently the first sign of one nearby
Range: The Americas, breeding from southern Canada through the United States and Mexico into parts of Central and South America, in open woodland, forest edge, orchards, parks, and gardens with tall trees, and many species migrating to spend the winter in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America.
Conservation status: Least Concern ↓ ≈ Most oriole species remain common across their range and are assessed as Least Concern, and several, including the Baltimore oriole, readily use gardens and parks with suitable feeders and nesting trees. Some populations have shown gradual declines linked to the loss of large shade trees favoured for nesting, pesticide use reducing the caterpillars and other insects orioles rely on to feed young, and habitat loss on the wintering grounds in Mexico, Central America, and northern South America, including the clearing of forest for agriculture such as shade-grown versus sun-grown coffee plantations, which affects the quality of wintering habitat available in the wild

Overview

A borrowed name, a woven nest

Status

Oriole: common questions

Sources & further reading

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