Female Baltimore Orioles (Male vs Female Identification)

Baltimore Orioles (jaundice) is one of seven species of the American yellow warbler in the Orioleidae family. These magnificent songbirds are becoming more common in suburban America, and many backyard birders eagerly await their return each spring.

Males and females are often distinct, although they’re not always easy to tell apart, so what does a female Baltimore oriole look like?

Female Baltimore orioles range from pale yellow to a rich golden-orange underneath. Their upper parts are olive to black with a pair of white stripes on each wing. Older females can be difficult to distinguish from first-year males.

Distinguishing gender based on appearance alone can be difficult. However, birders can make more accurate identifications by looking for certain behaviors, especially during Baltimore oriole nesting season. Females may also be confused with some other American birds, especially other oriole species.

This article describes the identification and behavior of female Baltimore orioles. Read on to learn how to tell them apart from males and other similar species.

Closeup of a perched female Baltimore Oriole

How do you know if a Baltimore oriole is a male or a female?

Adult male Baltimore orioles are easily identifiable by their black head and cape. Their lower parts are usually a richer golden-orange color than the female lower parts.

Female Baltimore orioles may look very similar to males, although their upper parts are lighter in color, ranging from dark brown to olive. They have two white stripes on their wings, while males have only one. Females also have a brownish tail instead of the orange and black of males.

However, as they mature, females will look more and more like males. Read on to learn more about what the female Baltimore Orioles look like.

female baltimore orioles – As women age, they look more like men.

Male Baltimore Oriole

What does a female Baltimore oriole look like?

The female Baltimore oriole is yellow below, dark above, with white markings on the upper sides of the wings. They vary from pale yellow to a rich orange-yellow below. They are darker on top and have a pattern on the back. Their heads may be yellowish or the same color as their backs.

A female Baltimore oriole is about the size of an eastern bluebird and looks about the same year-round. They have a fairly typical songbird shape, with longer legs and tails and a pointed beak. However, their plumage varies in color and may darken as they mature.

Women are highly variable, which can cause some confusion. As they mature, their golden underparts and dark upperparts may become bolder and darker, causing some mature females to look much like adult males.

Older female Baltimore orioles are harder to distinguish from males

Female vs Teenage Male

First-year male Baltimore orioles can resemble females until they develop black head and back feathers in their second fall. The similar plumage makes it a challenge to distinguish females from juvenile males.

Some young males find partners and mate successfully before growing adult plumage. The similarities between these young males and females even make it difficult to separate them. However, some of the differences in behavior discussed later in this article may be helpful in this situation.

Female (left) and male (right) Baltimore Orioles

Same species

Female Baltimore Orioles are most likely to be confused with immature male Or the female Orchard Oriole and Brock Oriole. The latter species overlaps with the Baltimore oriole from Alberta, Canada, to Oklahoma, and the two species hybridized along this narrow corridor.

Orchard Oriole (I. spurius) overlaps with the Baltimore oriole in most of its North American range. Brock Orioles (I. bullockii) are only likely to be confused where they overlap and interbreed.

Female lesser goldfinch and female American goldfinch can also be confused at a distance, although they are much smaller and have short, conical beaks.

A pair of Baltimore Orioles – female on the left, male on the right

Are female Baltimore Orioles bigger than males?

The Baltimore Oriole is a medium-sized songbird with a wingspan of 10 to 12 inches (26-30 cm) and a weight of 1.1-1.4 ounces (30-40 grams). Females are slightly lighter and shorter than males, although size differences are not very apparent in the wild.

Male Baltimore Orioles Length:

• 173 – 188 mm (6.8 – 7.4 inches)

Female Baltimore Oriole Length:

• 6.6 inches (168 – 170 mm)

Female Baltimore orioles are similar in size to males and very similar in appearance. However, some differences in behavior make it easier to distinguish them.

A breeding pair of Baltimore orioles during courtship – female left, male right

behavioral difference

Whether they’re high up in the canopy or feeding on fruit and nectar at a backyard feeding station, you’ll only see these migratory birds a few months out of the year. Female Baltimore orioles start migrating after the males, usually arriving at the breeding grounds about a week later.

Baltimore orioles are territorial when nesting, with males defending their territory and doing their best to keep visiting females from leaving. They can be quite outspoken and aggressive during this time. Females can also be aggressive, although usually only towards other females.

Baltimore Oriole (female) perched on a bush full of berries

sing and call

Female Baltimore orioles don’t sing as often as males. Their songs are also shorter and simpler. Both sexes emit chatter and brief sirens when aggressive action is taken against another Baltimore oriole, or when provoked by the presence of a predator or human.

A female Baltimore oriole calls softly from the nest, perhaps to communicate with a mate. They also make loud calls when they are chasing or being chased by intruders and nest parasites such as cowbirds.

Female Baltimore Oriole bathing in water

nesting and feeding

Baltimore orioles waste no time when it comes to nesting. Pairs are formed within a week, and mating can occur several days after the female arrives at the breeding ground. Males occasionally feed brood or hatching females.

Female Baltimore orioles choose a nesting site after finding a mate and build their characteristic hanging nests within the male’s territory. They build their nests alone, although some males will provide building materials. They prefer to nest in deciduous trees such as American elms.

Nests are usually complete in about a week, and most females lay four or five off-white eggs. They incubate the eggs individually, which can take up to two weeks. She also broods alone, although the male helps feed the growing chicks. Feeding lasted for almost two weeks when the chicks were growing in the nest and two weeks when they learned to forage on their own.

It’s clear that female Baltimore orioles do most of the work when it comes to caring for their eggs and chicks, but can they do it all by themselves?

Female Baltimore Oriole close up from behind

Can a female Baltimore oriole raise her offspring alone?

Female Baltimore orioles are capable of raising their young alone. Although males typically assist with feeding the chicks, one study found that 30 percent of bereaved females provided adequate food themselves.

What color is the female Baltimore oriole?

Female Baltimore Orioles are yellow/orange below and darker above. They have a pair of white stripes on each wing, and their legs and beak are gray. The color of their plumage changes with age.

Female and male Baltimore Orioles eat grape jelly from a feeder

Do Female Baltimore Orioles Call?

Female Baltimore orioles make a variety of sounds, including alarm and aggressive calls, in response to predators and unwanted intruders. Typical vocalizations include rapid chatter, sharp “chuck” sounds at various intervals, chirps, and squeals.

Can a female Baltimore oriole sing?

Male Baltimore Orioles sing unique songs by combining notes in a specific order. Females also sing, but not as well or as often as males. Males tend to sing in bare perches, while females are more likely to sing while foraging.

Female Baltimore Orioles vs Female Orchard Orioles

Female orchard orioles are often confused with female Baltimore orioles. However, female orchard orioles are smaller and have no obvious markings on their backs. Female orchard orioles are also pale yellow and do not develop the rich orange color of mature female Baltimore orioles.