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Follow the return of the Baltimore oriole to New Hampshire

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Orioles have always been a birdwatching favorite, even before the species became a household name thanks to the American pastime. The Baltimore Oriole is known for its striking orange plumage, whistling song and unique hanging nests.

The orioles arrive in New Hampshire to breed from late April to late May, so this is the perfect time to set up your bird feeders with some fruits, such as oranges, some grape jelly and nectar, the favorite snack of these brightly colored birds.

New Hampshire is actually host to two species of orioles, the most common and well-known being the Baltimore Oriole. Its rarer and less striking cousin, the Oriole, is smaller and has more subdued plumage of rich chestnut.

Baltimore Oriole Migration Tracker 2024

As with the hummingbird map, bird enthusiasts can track migrations and sightings in real time, while also contributing their own data using Journey North – a site that tracks the migrations of a number of different species, from monarch butterflies to bald eagles and everything in between.

The first oriole sighting in New Hampshire has just been recorded. On April 29 and April 30, users reported the first sightings of the year around the Seacoast to Journey North map.

However, in February, New Hampshire Audubon posted in their rare bird alert that someone had seen “a bird feeder along Willard Way in Plaistow on February 1,” which is an unusual sighting for the migratory bird.

See the 2024 migration map below. If the embed below doesn’t load, see the 2024 oriole map here.

How to attract oriole in NH

Ripe fruit is a favorite of orioles, so cutting oranges in half and hanging from trees is a reliable strategy. Special oriole feeders filled with sugar water supplement the flower nectar that Baltimore orioles collect, as well as small amounts of jelly – with an emphasis on small ones to avoid soiling their feathers.

They are also known for their preference for dark-colored fruits, and will seek out the darkest mulberries, the reddest cherries and the deep purple grapes, and will ignore green grapes and yellow cherries even when ripe, according to All About Birds .

More: Get ready to put out your hummingbird feeders. See where they are with an interactive map

Green-fingered birders can plant bright fruit and nectar-bearing flowers such as raspberries, crab apples and trumpet vines, all of which Baltimore Orioles will find hard to resist.

How long do orioles stay around?

Usually until the end of summer.

Some Baltimore orioles begin migrating back south as early as July when the young are ready for the journey for the year, but the peak of migration is in August and September, according to Journey North. By October, most birds have reached their wintering grounds.

Baltimore Orioles winter in Florida, the Caribbean, Central America and the northern tip of South America, according to All About Birds.

How did the Baltimore oriole get its name?

The Baltimore oriole is not named after the city, although it can certainly be seen in Maryland. The orange and black plumage bore the same colors as the heraldic coat of arms of the English Baltimore family, after whom the city is also named.

Keep your eyes up when looking for this bird, as they prefer to perch on treetops and upper leaves and look down from above, seemingly like the English noblemen they are named after.

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