Orchard Oriole

The Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius) is the smallest species of icterid. Orchard orioles that have been nominated leave their wintering grounds in March and April, and they move into their breeding grounds in late April or early May. In most cases, they depart from their breeding grounds in late July or early August and travel to their winter territories in the middle of August. These migratory birds travel at night.

At the base of the lower mandible, the bill is pointed, mostly black, but there is some blue-gray. The underparts, shoulder, and rump of the adult male of the nominate subspecies are chestnut, whereas the rest of his plumage is black. The ochre is used in place of chestnut in the subspecies I. s. fuertesi (Howell and Webb 1995). Both subspecies' adult females and juveniles have yellowish breasts and bellies and olive-green upper bodies. Adults all have white wing bands and pointed bills. By their second year, orchard orioles are regarded as adults. Males are yellow-greenish as one-year-olds with a black bib.