Orange in the Orchard

Attract a pair of vibrant nectar-loving orchard orioles to your backyard with sweet treats.

- KAITLIN STAINBROOK

East of the Rockies, an oriole that’s smaller and much darker than a Baltimore dashes through the flowering trees. The bird you’ve spotted is probably an orchard oriole. The two birds share similar markings, but where a male Baltimore oriole has a bright pop of orange, the orchard oriole sports a darker chestnut color.

Female orchard and Baltimore orioles look alike, too. They share a warm-hued chest, head and tail feathers, but the female Baltimore has touches of tangerine orange while the orchard’s color runs closer to greenish yellow.