West · Pacific Flyway
Orioles in California
Orioles in California come down to 6 species with regular eBird records, led by the Hooded Oriole. Together they account for 341,535 of the 62 million eBird records from 2020–2024 — 0.5% of everything reported in the state.
The full list: Hooded Oriole, Bullock's Oriole, Scott's Oriole, Orchard Oriole, Baltimore Oriole and Streak-backed Oriole. Orioles are the brilliant orange-and-black (or yellow-and-black) blackbird relatives that weave hanging pouch nests high in shade trees. They are summer birds across most of the country, arriving in spring and leaving by early fall.
Orioles in California: every species, most-reported first
Every oriole with at least 25 eBird records in the state from 2020–2024, most-reported first. The status label is derived from each species’ own monthly share of all state records.
1. Hooded Oriole (Icterus cucullatus) — 218,420 records, 0.4% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from April to August and peaking in July.
2. Bullock's Oriole (Icterus bullockii) — 113,223 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from April to July and peaking in May.
3. Scott's Oriole (Icterus parisorum) — 4,730 records, 0.01% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from March to July and peaking in April.
4. Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius) — 3,255 records, 0.01% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from September to April and peaking in October.
5. Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) — 1,497 records, 0.00% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from September to May and peaking in October.
6. Streak-backed Oriole (Icterus pustulatus) — 410 records, 0.00% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in January, February and November with a peak in November.
When to see orioles in California
Adding up every species’ share of state eBird records month by month, orioles are most prominent in May, April and June and least in February and November. None of the 6 species is a year-round resident, so the timing below is everything.
Summer visitors. Hooded Oriole arrives around April and is mostly gone after August (peak July); Bullock's Oriole arrives around April and is mostly gone after July (peak May); Scott's Oriole arrives around March and is mostly gone after July (peak April).
Winter visitors. Orchard Oriole arrives around September and leaves after April (peak October); Baltimore Oriole arrives around September and leaves after May (peak October).
Passage migrants. Streak-backed Oriole is reported mainly in January, February and November.
Attracting orioles to California backyards
Orange halves, grape jelly in small amounts, and a nectar feeder with larger ports bring orioles in during spring arrival. Once nesting, they switch mostly to insects and fruit from native trees.
In California the oriole most likely to turn up is the Hooded Oriole.
Orioles in California: FAQ
How many species of orioles are there in California?
6 species of orioles have regular eBird records in California (at least 25 records in 2020–2024): Hooded Oriole, Bullock's Oriole, Scott's Oriole, Orchard Oriole, Baltimore Oriole and Streak-backed Oriole.
What is the most common oriole in California?
The Hooded Oriole, with 218,420 eBird records in 2020–2024, followed by the Bullock's Oriole with 113,223. It is a summer visitor, present mainly from April to August and peaking in July.
When is the best time to see orioles in California?
May, April and June, when the combined share of California eBird records belonging to orioles is highest. Summer visitors such as the Hooded Oriole arrive around April. Winter visitors such as the Orchard Oriole arrive around September.
More birds in California
Orioles in other states
Orioles in California: sources
Every number on this page comes from the EOD – eBird Observation Dataset published by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and distributed through GBIF under a CC BY 4.0 license: California records from 2020–2024, retrieved 2026-09-18. Species are drawn from the families Icteridae; only species with at least 25 records are listed, and a species is called a year-round resident when its monthly share of state records stays above 30% of its own peak in ten or more months. “Records” are individual eBird observations, so they reflect how often birders report a species, not a population count.