The Urban Pantheist

This adorable little dope was flitting around the yard in a panic. My old half deaf half blind dog Charlie was oblivious, but the bird was aware of me and was trying to escape. I went inside for a while so it could sort itself out. The next day we heard three of these things begging their parents for food, in the neighbors trees and bushes that overhang our yard.

If they are robust and fortunate, these Baltimore oriole Icterus galbula* chicks will spend the winter down in the neotropics somewhere. Bright orange and black males and yellower females probably look more in place at the edges of rainforests and coffee plantations than they do in the suburbs.

* "Small jaundiced bird"

I need to post these pictures before I load the new batch on to Photobucket or I'll go batty! This little guy was stuck to the zoo hospital one early morning. He was gone later when I remembered he was there.

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I forgot to post this last night. We heard our first oriole of the year! We couldn't see it, but the song was unmistakable. I think the same individuals claim the same territories around us. Orioles seem to each have different songs, and I'm pretty sure I recognized the melody of the one we heard last night. It's a nice feeling, like seeing a friend you haven't seen in months.

Photo by cottonmanifesto. Location: Olmsted Park, Boston

Baltimore oriole Icterus galbula

The Baltimore orioles return to Boston in April, when cherry and apple trees are in flower, and the caterpillars that feed on them begin to become abundant. Orioles feed mainly on insects, but are well-known for taking nectar and fruit from trees and specially-designed bird feeders as well. They prefer to stay high in treetops in partially-forested open areas, particularly along rivers or streets. There may be more orioles today than ever, due to the increase in habitat caused by suburban development of forested areas. The Audubon Society, studying oriole population trends with data collected from the public; habitat loss in their wintering grounds in Central and South America may threaten the future numbers of orioles.

Though it is tempting to note that this bird shares a name with an American city, both the city and the bird are actually named for the British lordship that governed colonial Maryland, and happened to have orange and black for emblematic colors. Though the oriole is Maryland's state bird, it is probably more common in New England.


Photo by urbpan. Location: Riverway, between Brookline and Boston (The Muddy River, over which the oriole dangles, is the border).