All About Bullock's Orioles

by Susan Nelson Hopkins

How the Bullock Oriole got its name...

The Bullock's oriole was named after William Bullock, an English naturalist. Considering the transportation of the times, he traveled quite extensively.

Bullock speculated in Mexican silver mines during the early 1820s.

While there, he observed brilliant orange orioles during their winter stay throughout Mexico.

He again observed these same songbirds in their breeding habitats when he journeyed to the Ohio River Valley in the late 1820s.

The Bullock's oriole, Icterus bullockii, is a small blackbird. At one time, this species and the Baltimore Oriole were considered subspecies of the Northern oriole because they interbred where nesting ranges overlapped in the Great Plains area of North America.

Since the mid-1900s, all three have been re-classified as separate species.

Although the main diet of the Bullock oriole is insects, it will gratefully indulge in slices or chunks of fruit on a platform feeder right in your own backyard. Of course, it will visit an oriole feeder. If you are interested, we have a FREE oriole nectar recipe formula... ready for printing. You will also find some sources for related items.

Have a look at the articles in the Care of Wild Birds section. You will find tips and resources for feeding wild birds, caring for baby birds... even how to prevent wild birds from crashing into windows.

The male Bullock's oriole...

He has a black crown, nape, eyeline, throat, back, wings, and tail
His face, under-parts, rump, and outer tail feathers are orange
His middle tail feather is black. All the rest are yellow, tipped with dusky or black.
He also has a white wing patch and white along his wing edges
His bill is very pointed and silvery

The female Bullock's oriole...

She has pale grayish-brownish to yellowish upperparts, with indistinct dark streaking, but without black.
Her under-parts are yellowish or dull greenish gray, becoming paler on belly.
Her throat often has some black coloring.
She also has two white wing-bars.
Her wings are gray-brown, with one or two indistinct wing-bars.

The immature male Bullock's oriole...

The juvenile male is similar to an adult female, but with a brighter yellow under-part.
He typically has an orange-yellow face, a black bib, and a black stripe through his eyes.
The top of his head and the back of his neck are dusky.
He also has a striped back and an orange tail.
His wings dusky with two white wing-bars.
He will start looking like an adult male during his second fall.

The immature female Bullock's oriole...

The juvenile female is similar to an adult female, but paler.
She does not have black on her head or back
She may also have a gray belly

Migratory ranges of the Bullock's oriole...

Winter range... Winters in riparian woodlands and at edge of woodlands, Some are also found in pine, pine-oak, or fir forests. See the map to the right - blue areas...

Summer range... Breeds along riparian and open woodlands, or woodlots with tall trees, including parklands. See the map to the right - orange areas...

Migration range... See the map to the right - yellow areas...

Density observations... See the map to the right - the darker shades represent denser populations.

Bullock oriole nests, eggs, and hatchlings...

Breeding pairs usually locate their nest in isolated trees at the woodland edges, along watercourses, in shelterbelts, and even in urban parks... often near water.

A Bullock's oriole nest is a tightly woven pouch located on the end of a branch, hanging down on the underside, with one entrance hole in the top. The male and female share in building these pendant-shaped nests made of woven of hair (especially horsehair), twine, fibers, grasses, and wool. Nests are even lined with cottonwood or willow cotton, wool, or feathers.

The female usually lays a clutch of 2 to 7 eggs that are bluish or grayish white, sometimes with a purplish tint. They are also splotched, and scrolled with a few (or even many fine) purplish brown lines.

The female tends the eggs during the 11 to 14 day incubation period. The babies have sparse white down, and are quite helpless. Both parents feed the chicks from hatching through fledging - about 11 to 14 more days. They continue to feed the fledglings for a few more days.

Acknowledgements:
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/
http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/BNA/
http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/

More Articles About Oriole Song Birds:
Baltimore Oriole Song Birds
More About Baltimore Orioles
All About Bullock's Orioles
All About Hooded Orioles
All About Orchard Orioles
Oriole Nectar Recipe, Formula, and Tips

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