Baltimore oriole
Icterus galbula
Bird
Migratory songbird of open deciduous woods and edges whose summer diet is dominated by insects, especially caterpillars (including hairy and tent-forming species many birds avoid), making it a meaningful predator of leaf-eating larvae in the garden. It supplements that protein with soft fruit and visits flowers and sugar-water for nectar, so fruit-bearing native trees and shrubs such as mulberry and cherry draw it in. It weaves a distinctive hanging pouch nest near the drooping tips of tall deciduous trees.
Conservation
IUCN Red List: Least Concern. Widespread and common across its breeding range, though it is sensitive to loss of mature deciduous trees and open woodland.
Plan for this species
Location-fit plant set for Chicago, IL: host and specialist plants first, then nectar, fruit, seed, foliage, and shelter plants that still fit the current and mid-century climate read.
0 essential relationships / 6 supporting plants
Host/specialist links: 0
Forage/pollination links: 6
Shelter links: 0
Relationship roles: 2
Cardinal flower
Supporting / Nectar plants
Firecracker penstemon
Supporting / Nectar plants
American elderberry
Supporting / Fruit plants
American plum
Supporting / Fruit plants
Apple
Supporting / Fruit plants
Black cherry
Supporting / Fruit plants
Plants in the catalog
Nectar plants · 2
Fruit plants · 6
Range
Breeds across eastern North America from the Great Lakes and New England south to Texas and the Southeast; a Neotropical migrant that winters in Central America, northern South America, and the Caribbean.
Sources & citations
Cite this page
Use this citation for the Plotwright wildlife record. Use the source cards below to explore the references that informed its taxonomy, range, conservation, host plants, foraging, and habitat.
Plotwright. (n.d.). Baltimore oriole (Icterus galbula). Retrieved 2026, August 20, from https://plotwright.com/wildlife/baltimore-oriole
Sources used for this record
This record is compiled from the sources below.
Cornell Lab: Baltimore Oriole
Bird-guide reference for identity, eastern North American breeding range, low-concern status, insect/fruit/nectar diet, and hanging tree nests.
GBIF: Icterus galbula
GBIF backbone record corroborates the accepted binomial Icterus galbula and its eastern North American to Neotropical range.
iNaturalist: Icterus galbula
iNaturalist research-grade observations corroborate species identity and its eastern North American breeding range.
Wikipedia: Baltimore oriole
Encyclopedia article corroborating taxonomy, migratory range, and breeding lifecycle.