The Baltimore oriole (Icterus galbula) is a small icterid blackbird common in eastern North America as a migratory breeding bird.

The Baltimore oriole was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Coracias galbula.

[4][5] Linnaeus based his account on the "Baltimore-Bird" that had been described and illustrated by the English naturalist Mark Catesby in his The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands that was published between 1729 and 1732.

[8] The genus name Icterus is from the Ancient Greek ikteros, a yellow bird, usually taken to be the Eurasian golden oriole, the sight of which was thought to cure jaundice.

Their build is typical of icterids, as they have a sturdy body, a longish tail, fairly long legs and a thick, pointed bill.

The species has been found in summer and migration in open woodland, forest edge, and partially wooded wetlands or stands of trees along rivers.

In recent times, they are often found in orchards, farmland, urban parks and suburban landscapes as long as they retain woodlots.

[14] From 1966 to 2015, the Baltimore oriole experienced a greater than 1.5% annual population decrease throughout the northern and eastern parts of its breeding range.

[16] The Baltimore orioles' song is a short set of recognizable, sweet whistles that sound like "tyew, pyeer, peededoo, and "teer."

The male Baltimore oriole song is a clear whistle with a vibrant tone that flows and includes a brief sequence of notes that are paired and repeated 2-7 times, lasting 1-2 seconds.

The female Baltimore oriole also sings to communicate and while protecting her nest she gives a distinctive call which sounds like a fierce screech.

The wing-quiver display involves leaning forward, often with the tail partly fanned, and fluttering or quivering slightly lowered wings.

It is a tightly woven, bundle-like pouch located on the end of a branch, consisting of any fine plant or animal materials available, hanging down on the underside.

Rapacious birds commonly prey on both young and fully-grown orioles, the most prolific being the eastern screech owl and Cooper's and sharp-shinned hawks.

Their favored prey is perhaps the forest tent caterpillar moth, which they typically eat in their larval stage, and can be a nuisance species if not naturally regulated by predation.

Baltimore orioles are also fond of halved oranges, grape jelly, and in their winter quarters, the red arils of gumbo-limbo (Bursera simaruba).