Bullock's Oriole Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  Bullock's Orioles are medium-sized songbirds with slim but sturdy bodies and medium-long tails. Orioles are related to blackbirds and share their long, thick-based, sharply pointed bills.

  Relative Size

  Larger than a Yellow Warbler; about the same size but slimmer than a Brewer's Blackbird.

  robin-sized

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 6.7-7.5 in (17-19 cm)
    • Weight: 1.0-1.5 oz (29-43 g)
    • Wingspan: 12.2 in (31 cm)

  © Janey Woodley / Macaulay Library

• Color Pattern

  Adult males are bright orange with a black back and large white wing patch. The face is orange with a black line through the eye and a black throat. Females and immatures are yellowish-orange on the head and tail, with grayish back and white-edged wing coverts. Immature males show a black throat patch.

• Behavior

  Bullock's Orioles feed in the slender branches of trees and shrubs, catching caterpillars and also feeding on nectar or fruit. They are agile and active, often hanging upside down or stretching to reach prey.
• Habitat

  Look for them in open woodland along streams, particularly among cottonwoods. They also occur in orchards, parks, and oak or mesquite woodlands.