Quick identification
Baltimore oriole (Icterus galbula)
Adult males are orange and black with white wing bars; females range from yellow-orange to deeper orange with gray-brown wings.
Season and local range: Regular spring and fall passage migrant.
Habitat and island setting
Flowering and fruiting trees, gardens and woody migrant traps.
Where to look
Look around native plantings and water features at the Convention Centre, Nature Center and Valley Land Fund lots. Birds may move as tides, wind, fronts, water levels and activity at the site change.
What the bird is doing
Orioles feed on insects, nectar and fruit. Use public viewing areas and avoid crowding volunteer-maintained feeding or water stations.
Watching birds
Use binoculars or a camera zoom, stay on public paths and leave feeding, resting and nesting birds enough room to continue normal behavior. If a bird stops feeding, stands alert, calls repeatedly or moves away because of you, increase the distance. Check access information in the South Padre Island birding guide before making a special trip.