Baltimore and Orchard Orioles: The Two Types of Orioles in Pennsylvania
September 13, 2026
Every spring, backyard birders across the Commonwealth scan the treetops for a flash of orange, but only two types of orioles in Pennsylvania actually show up with any regularity. North America is home to eight oriole species overall, yet Pennsylvania yards see just the Baltimore Oriole and the Orchard Oriole in numbers worth watching for.
Their return often overlaps with the arrival of hummingbirds in Pennsylvania, since both groups follow similar migration cues and share an appetite for sugar water once they land. That timing overlap is why so many backyard feeding stations end up hosting both birds within days of each other each May.
This guide breaks down how to tell the two species apart, where each one nests and forages, and what it actually takes to pull them into a backyard feeder before they move on to the next yard.
Baltimore Oriole
The Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) is the state’s most familiar oriole and the bird most people picture when they hear the name. Bird Watching HQ notes that Baltimore Orioles are the most commonly seen oriole in Pennsylvania, and they’re often heard before they’re seen since they tend to stay high in the canopy.
The species owes its name to colonial history rather than geography. The Baltimore oriole was originally named after Lord Baltimore, the founder of the English colony of Maryland, because the orange and black matched Baltimore’s heraldic colors, and the bird has since become the state bird of our southern neighbor, Maryland. An adult male is hard to mistake for anything else, with vivid orange plumage set against a jet-black head, back, and wings edged in crisp white bars.
According to volunteer data cited by State College’s Nature’s Ways column, Baltimore orioles breed throughout Pennsylvania and most of the eastern U.S. and southern Canada, with volunteers for the Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in Pennsylvania finding nesting Baltimore orioles in every county of the state and the population holding steady. Their diet leans heavily on protein early in the season, since this species feeds primarily on insects, with hairy caterpillars being among its favorites, but they also love mulberries, blackberries and blueberries.
When Baltimore Orioles Arrive
Timing a feeder setup matters more than most people expect. Carnegie Museum of Natural History reports that Baltimore Orioles arrive in southwest PA by mid-to late-April, and a Wild Birds Unlimited location in Sinking Spring, PA notes that Baltimore Orioles, known for their flute-like song, typically follow just a few days behind the hummers.
By early summer, the birds shift toward wild food sources and visit feeders less. Bird Watching HQ has tracked Baltimore Orioles in Erie County and reports seeing them from May 6 to Sept 6, Fairview, PA in Erie county, before they head back toward Central America, northern South America, and even Florida for the winter.
Pro Tip: Skip the store-bought red nectar. As one Pennsylvania Wild Birds Unlimited shop puts it, forget the red dye, it’s unnecessary and potentially harmful, and the best recipe mimics flower nectar with four parts water to one part white granulated sugar. The same sugar-water mix works for setting out nectar feeders for hummingbirds nearby.
Nesting is one of the easiest ways to confirm a Baltimore Oriole is breeding nearby rather than just passing through. Per the Bedford Audubon Society, their distinctive hanging nests are often easily found, usually suspended from some downward-angled tree branch, typically in a tall shade tree along a yard’s edge or near open woodland.
Orchard Oriole
The Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius) is the smaller, quieter cousin that plenty of Pennsylvanians overlook entirely. Heritage Conservancy describes it as the “russet” oriole of the pair, noting the orchard oriole is almost russet in color, and it’s the smallest type of oriole in North America.
Size is one of the clearest field marks separating the two species. According to a Monticello Park birding resource, Orchard Orioles are about 20 percent smaller than the Baltimore, and the bill is shorter, and the wingbars are not as prominent. An adult male shows a black head and back, while the underparts are deep chestnut, whereas females are greenish yellow overall, described elsewhere as dull yellow-green with gray wings.
| Feature | Baltimore Oriole | Orchard Oriole |
|---|---|---|
| Male Coloration | Bright orange with black head, back, wings | Deep chestnut with black head, back, tail |
| Female Coloration | Orangey-yellow with brownish upperparts | Greenish yellow with gray wings |
| Relative Size | Larger of the two | About 20% smaller |
| Feeder Visits | Frequent, relatively easy to attract | Infrequent, harder to attract |
| Preferred Habitat | Suburban yards, parks, deciduous trees | Near streams, lakes, orchards, scrubland |
Habitat preference offers another clue when the plumage is hard to judge in dappled light. The Bedford Audubon Society notes that Orchard Orioles are found in habitats similar to those occupied by Baltimores, but besides being much more sparsely distributed, seem to be especially fond of locations near bodies of water such as streams and lakes.
Nesting behavior is well documented by the Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology, which describes the species as monogamous, with a nest that is built in 3-6 days by female with some help from male; suspended from forked terminal twig well hidden by leaves. Incubation runs about 12 days, and once hatched, young leave nest in 11-14 days.
Common Mistake: First-spring male Orchard Orioles are often confused for females of either species. One field observer logged with the Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology described exactly that mix-up, noting the female was seen first, thinking initially female was a Baltimore, until seeing the male, who is yellow with the black bib of a first spring male. Look for that partial black bib and greenish-yellow body to catch the difference before assuming it’s just a young Baltimore.
Feeder behavior sets this species apart from its more visible cousin. Bird Watching HQ notes that while many oriole species regularly visit bird feeders, Orchard Orioles are much harder to attract to them, and you’re probably more likely to see these orioles in your backyard searching for insects in shrubby vegetation or eating mulberries from a tree. When they do visit flowering plants, they earn their keep, since a Kettle Moraine Woodworking guide points out that Orchard orioles love nectar, and are known pollinators as they move between blooms, much like the bees in Pennsylvania gardens that share the same flowering shrubs.
Fall departure adds one more contrast between the species. Observations from a Monticello Park birding log found that very few Baltimore Orioles have been recorded during fall migration, and in many years none have been found, while an Orchard Oriole has never been recorded at Monticello during the fall, suggesting Orchard Orioles tend to slip south earlier and more quietly than Baltimores.
Both species leave Pennsylvania on their own internal clock rather than a fixed calendar date. As Bird Watching HQ explains regarding departure timing, there isn’t a specific date every year that orioles leave Pennsylvania to head south for migration, since they rely upon their instinct to tell them when it’s time to go, a pattern true for both Baltimore and Orchard Orioles as summer winds down.
Once these two visitors head south, the backyard show doesn’t end entirely. Keep an eye out through late summer for fireflies in Pennsylvania lighting up the same trees the orioles just left, and watch feeders for other colorful regulars, including birds with red heads that often move through the same habitat. Between the two, a well-stocked feeder with fresh orange halves, grape jelly, and clean sugar water gives both types of orioles in Pennsylvania every reason to stop, feed, and stick around long enough to breed.