Baltimore Oriole - Maryland

The Mason-Dixon line was surveyed by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon between 1763 and 1767. It continues to serve as part of the boundaries for Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. It was originally surveyed to settle a territorial dispute between the colonies of Maryland and Pennsylvania.

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Icterus galbula - The Baltimore oriole is an eastern subspecies of the northern oriole. Their summer range covers a large area of the Eastern United States; their winter range extends as far south as Mexico and Central America. The male’s orange-yellow and black plumage is vivid when compared to the female’s pale coloration. Male juveniles do not assume the glossy black and orange colors until the male’s second year. Orioles remain solitary until the breeding season, but couples tend to remain monogamous.

Western Meadowlark - North Dakota

Edwinton was the former name of North Dakota’s capital city. The city was founded at a site called Missouri Crossing in 1872. The Northern Pacific Railway changed the name in 1873 in honor of Otto von Bismarck, the German Chancellor; they were hoping to attract German investments and immigration to the region.

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Sturnella neglecta - The western meadow lark is recognizable by its bright yellow breast featuring a distinctive black “V” marking. The meadow lark’s range is spread from Southern Canada to Northern Mexico, with the Western United States serving as a permanent range for the majority of the population. Elaborate nests with roofs and tunnels are woven by the female from grass in pastures or prairies after the male has staked out the territory as his own. The male often gathers two females, each in a separate part of his territory.

Montserrat Oriole - Montserrat

The Soufrière Hills Volcano became active in 1995 and resulted in the evacuation and imposition of an exclusion zone throughout the southern section of Montserrat. The port city of Plymouth was destroyed by pyroclastic flows and more than two-thirds of the island’s population were relocated, many to the United Kingdom.

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Icterus oberi - The Montserrat oriole is in critical danger of becoming extinct. Human encroachment and the eruption of the Soufrière Hills Volcano have become combined threats to this bird’s survival. It is medium-sized, growing to a length of about 20 centimeters. Primarily an insectivore, the oriole does occasionally take nectar from the bracts of false-bird-of-paradise plants; bracts are modified leaves. Pairs are monogamous and typically produce two to three eggs per clutch; in a successful season, they are able to raise three broods.