Identification - There are two race of the Northern Oriole known as the "Baltimore" Oriole and the "Bullock's" Oriole. Both are slightly smaller than a robin. The male of the "Baltimore" race is the only bird in the East with an orange and black body. It is a brilliant orange with a black head, back, and wings. There are two white wing bars. The tail is black with a large orange patch on each side. The male of the "Bullock's" race a brilliant orange with a black throat, eyeline, cap, and back. The wings are black with large white patches. The tail is black with orange sides.
Morsels - After the last ice age, the prairies of central North America were treeless and inhospitable to orioles, keeping the Baltimore and Bullock's Oriole separate from one another. As a result there was no overlap in range and or no interbreeding. The two races were well on their way to becoming different species. However, when the West was settled, shade trees and shelter belts were established allowing the two orioles opportunities to spread from east and west, meet, and hybridize freely. Today they are considered the same species because of interbreeding.
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