Blackbirds (Icteridae)
Baby orchard orioles: from egg to fledgling
A Orchard Oriole lays 3–7 eggs. They hatch after 12–15 days, and the young leave the nest 11–14 days later — about 23–29 days from egg to fledgling.
- Eggs per clutch
- 3–7 eggs
- Incubation
- 12–15 days
- Time in the nest
- 11–14 days
- Egg to fledgling
- About 23–29 days
- Broods per year
- 1 per season
- Nest
- Woven basket hung in the fork of a shade tree
- Uses nest boxes
- No
Stage by stage
- Eggs (12–15 days): 3–7 eggs per clutch. Most songbirds start incubating when the last or second-to-last egg is laid, so the young hatch close together; owls and hawks start with the first egg, so their chicks hatch days apart.
- Nestlings (11–14 days): the young hatch with little or no down and their eyes closed. They grow fast on a diet the parents bring in. In the breeding season orchard orioles mainly eat caterpillars, beetles and ants, mulberries.
- Fledglings: after leaving the nest, young orchard orioles are fully feathered but short-tailed and clumsy. They spend days to weeks on low branches or the ground while the parents keep feeding them.
- More broods: 1 per season.
When orchard orioles nest, state by state
Nesting starts earliest in Alabama (Apr) and latest in North Dakota (Jun). Months are estimates from regional breeding data shifted for latitude.
| State / province | Nesting season |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Apr–Jun |
| Arkansas | May–Jun |
| Delaware | May–Jun |
| Florida | Apr–Jun |
| Georgia | Apr–Jun |
| Illinois | May–Jun |
| Indiana | May–Jun |
| Iowa | May–Jun |
| Kansas | May–Jun |
| Kentucky | May–Jun |
| Louisiana | Apr–Jun |
| Maryland | May–Jun |
| Michigan | May–Jun |
| Mississippi | Apr–Jun |
| Missouri | May–Jun |
| Nebraska | May–Jun |
| New Jersey | May–Jun |
| New York | May–Jun |
| North Carolina | May–Jun |
| North Dakota | Jun–Jun |
| Ohio | May–Jun |
| Oklahoma | May–Jun |
| Ontario | Jun–Jun |
| Pennsylvania | May–Jun |
| South Carolina | Apr–Jun |
| South Dakota | May–Jun |
| Tennessee | May–Jun |
| Texas | Apr–Jun |
| Virginia | May–Jun |
| West Virginia | May–Jun |
| Wisconsin | Jun–Jun |
Found a baby Orchard Oriole?
- Feathered, hopping, can grip your finger: a fledgling. This is a normal stage. Keep pets and children away and watch from a distance; the parents are usually close by.
- Bare skin or only pin feathers: a nestling that fell. If you can see the nest, put it back. Touching it won't make the parents abandon it — that is a myth.
- Injured, cold, covered in flies, or caught by a cat: contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. In the US and Canada, ahnow.org finds the nearest one.
- Don't give water or food. Baby birds can choke, and the wrong food can kill them.
More about orchard orioles
Frequently asked
How long do baby orchard orioles stay in the nest?
About 11–14 days after hatching. Eggs take 12–15 days to hatch, so it is roughly 23–29 days from the last egg to the young leaving.
How many eggs does a Orchard Oriole lay?
3–7 eggs per clutch, with 1 per season.
Where do orchard orioles nest?
Woven basket hung in the fork of a shade tree.
What should I do if I find a baby Orchard Oriole on the ground?
If it has feathers and hops, it is a fledgling and its parents are almost certainly nearby — leave it. If it is naked or has pin feathers, put it back in the nest if you can. Call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator if it is injured.