Orchard Oriole

Icterus spurius

Chestnut and black with a beautiful warbling song, Orchard Orioles are familiar to many Missourians. They are smaller, less-known cousins of the brilliant orange and black Baltimore Orioles. Orchard Orioles are found throughout the state in shrubby and brushy areas of grasslands or other edge-type habitats. In addition to stream-side forest-edge habitats, they frequent trees in backyards and parks throughout the state. Farther west, or in open prairies, this species forages for insects in grasslands as well as trees. Family groups wander in late summer to seek fruit-bearing trees and shrubs (Widmann 1907). They sometimes nest in large loose colonies. For example, one hundred and fourteen nests were found on seven acres in the state of Louisiana (Terres 1987).

Code Frequency

Atlasers used all codes to document this species, reporting them in 70 percent of all blocks statewide. Most were possible breeding records, although they may have represented actual breeding sites. Of all confirmed records, 44 percent were observations of nests at various stages of development.

Distribution

The statewide distribution map for Orchard Orioles is likely a true reflection of their range in Missouri. Parts of the Glaciated Plains, Mississippi Lowlands and Osage Plains natural divisions show several small areas where this species was absent. These areas may reflect a lack of suitable habitat or reflect differences in Atlasers' abilities to detect this species' song.

Average Number of Birds / 100 stops

Abundance

The greatest abundance was recorded in the Ozark, Ozark Border and Big Rivers natural divisions where there is an abundance of forests and streams. These natural divisions averaged about 8.2 birds/100 stops. Natural divisions which have more open land averaged about one-third the relative abundance at 3.0 birds/100 stops.

Phenology

Most birds arrive in late April but an early Atlas Project record of April 6 was only one day later than the early date for the state (Robbins and Easterla 1992). Only one nest with young was recorded later than June, and it may have been a renesting attempt. Nesting activity occurred during May, with one bird reported on a nest by May 8 and fledglings observed by May 31. Most Orchard Orioles depart in late August and early September (Robbins and Easterla 1992).

Notes

There were three records of Brown-headed Cowbirds parasitizing Orchard Orioles. Two reports were of fledglings being fed by adult Orchard Orioles and one report involved a squabble between a cowbird and an Orchard Oriole undertaking a second nesting attempt. Ehrlich et al. (1988) listed the Orchard Oriole as a common cowbird host.

Breeding Evidence

Reported in 836 (69.3%) of 1,207 blocks

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