Inyo’s Orioles

The Orioles are arguably one of the most beautiful groups of birds in the world. Those found in the US are members of the blackbird family Icteridae. They are not closely related to the orioles of the old world, which are in the family Oriolidae and also brightly colored.

Six species of orioles have been reliably documented in Inyo County. Half are regular breeders and the others are visitors that range from fairly regular to extremely rare with only one record.

The BULLOCKS ORIOLE is the common, widespread oriole of the county. They arrive in late March, rapidly becoming fairly common until mid August when they begin to withdraw south for the winter. They prefer large shade trees in towns and parks.

The SCOTTS ORIOLE is best found in semi-arid habitats of Joshua Trees and Pinyon-Juniper woodlands. They return in early April and depart by late August. One of the best places to find this fairly common species is at Joshua Flat, east of Big Pine.

The HOODED ORIOLE is a regular summer visitor to the southeast corner of the county and is annual in the Owens Valley. Its breeding status in the valley remains unclear. They are fairly common in early spring (late March and April), but then numbers taper off. They have nested in Saline Valley, Scottys Castle, Death Valley National Park, and Tecopa. Nesting needs to be documented for the Owens Valley. They prefer palms, which are in short supply in northern Inyo County.

The BALTIMORE ORIOLE is the eastern counterpart of the Bullocks Oriole and until a few years ago, they were considered one species and called Northern Oriole. They are more common here in spring (late April to early June) than fall (mid August to early November) with about three-fourths of the 50 records in late May and early June.

The ORCHARD ORIOLE is an eastern species that has been found in the county 23 times. There are nine spring records from 14 May to 4 June and 14 fall records from 13 August to 19 November. While the adult males are very distinctive, great care must be taken to separate females and sub-adult males from the much more expected and very similar Hooded Oriole.

The STREAK-BACKED ORIOLE is a Mexican species that visited just once at Furnace Creek Ranch in Death Valley National Park from 6 November to 21 December 1977. At the time, this was only the third state record.

All of our orioles are migratory and, being insectivorous, all depart in winter for warmer climates to the south. A good way to view them is to attract them with hummingbird feeders with the bee guards removed. There are also special oriole feeders that are similar with slightly larger holes to accommodate their larger bills. These flamboyant birds are with us for only a small part of the year, so now is the time to enjoy these tropical gems.