West · Central Flyway
Orioles in Colorado
Orioles in Colorado come down to 4 species with regular eBird records, led by the Bullock's Oriole. Together they account for 91,243 of the 16 million eBird records from 2020–2024 — 0.6% of everything reported in the state.
The full list: Bullock's Oriole, Orchard Oriole, Baltimore Oriole and Scott's 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 Colorado: 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. Bullock's Oriole (Icterus bullockii) — 81,945 records, 0.5% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from May to July and peaking in May.
2. Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius) — 7,666 records, 0.05% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from May to July and peaking in May.
3. Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) — 1,417 records, 0.01% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in May, June, August and September with a peak in May.
4. Scott's Oriole (Icterus parisorum) — 215 records, 0.00% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from May to October and peaking in June.
When to see orioles in Colorado
Adding up every species’ share of state eBird records month by month, orioles are most prominent in May, June and July and least in March and February. None of the 4 species is a year-round resident, so the timing below is everything.
Summer visitors. Bullock's Oriole arrives around May and is mostly gone after July (peak May); Orchard Oriole arrives around May and is mostly gone after July (peak May); Scott's Oriole arrives around May and is mostly gone after October (peak June).
Passage migrants. Baltimore Oriole is reported mainly in May, June, August and September.
Attracting orioles to Colorado 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 Colorado the oriole most likely to turn up is the Bullock's Oriole.
Orioles in Colorado: FAQ
How many species of orioles are there in Colorado?
4 species of orioles have regular eBird records in Colorado (at least 25 records in 2020–2024): Bullock's Oriole, Orchard Oriole, Baltimore Oriole and Scott's Oriole.
What is the most common oriole in Colorado?
The Bullock's Oriole, with 81,945 eBird records in 2020–2024, followed by the Orchard Oriole with 7,666. It is a summer visitor, present mainly from May to July and peaking in May.
When is the best time to see orioles in Colorado?
May, June and July, when the combined share of Colorado eBird records belonging to orioles is highest. Summer visitors such as the Bullock's Oriole arrive around May.
More birds in Colorado
Orioles in other states
Orioles in Colorado: 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: Colorado 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.