By Donna L. Cole
It’s that one elusive, frustrating, why-haven’t-I-ever-seen-it, does-it-really-exist bird. We’re at the halfway point for my guest blogging about migratory birds with Four Rivers Heritage Area and I think this one post deserves a very important bird. Not to diminish the importance of the birds I’ve already written about, or will in the coming weeks, but this one has a special role that goes beyond frustrating me – it’s our state bird.
Let’s talk Baltimore orioles. Let’s first talk about birds you’ve always wanted to see, but never have DESPITE HOURS spent in the outdoors with the hope of seeing one, just one. You know, the elusive ___ (fill in the blank). In the comments below, tell me what that bird is. For me, it’s the Baltimore oriole. I’ve spent my entire life in Maryland, short of a few years when I didn’t. That’s a lot of years to have never seen our state bird. How is that even possible? To rub it in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s website, which offers a wealth of information about all birds, states, “Baltimore Orioles are easily lured to backyard feeders.”
As for the Baltimore oriole itself, it is a vibrant, absolutely stunning, black and orange bird – males, like many bird species, hit the genetic lottery with the brighter, more flamboyant coloring. Just like the baseball team with the same name, Baltimore orioles give us their presence during the spring and summertime, heading south in the colder months.
Here’s perhaps where I’ve gone wrong – again, according to Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s website, “Baltimore Orioles seem to prefer only ripe, dark-colored fruit. Orioles seek out the darkest mulberries, the reddest cherries, and the deepest-purple grapes, and will ignore green grapes and yellow cherries even if they are ripe.”
Where can they be seen in the Four Rivers Heritage Area? Obviously, I’m the wrong one to ask, but seriously, I know many people see them, and see them in their backyards and all of our area parks. I’m just not one of them. Wish me luck this year.
More information on our state bird – http://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/01glance/html/symbols/bird.html
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