You may recognize the oriole from Baltimore's Major League Baseball team
The Baltimore oriole is a small icterid blackbird common in eastern North America as a migratory breeding bird. It received its name from the resemblance of the male's colors to those on the coat-of-arms of Lord Baltimore. Observations of interbreeding between the Baltimore oriole and the western Bullock's oriole led to both being classified as a single species, called the northern oriole, from 1973 to 1995. Research by James Rising, a professor of zoology at the University of Toronto, and others showed that the two birds actually did not interbreed significantly.
The Baltimore oriole is the state bird of Maryland. It is also the namesake and mascot for the Baltimore Orioles baseball team.
Like all New World orioles, this species is named after an unrelated, physically similar family found in the Old World: the Oriolidae. "Oriole" ultimately derives from Latin aureolus, "golden". The genus name Icterus is from Ancient Greek ikteros, a yellow bird, usually taken to be the Eurasian golden oriole, the sight of which was thought to cure jaundice. The specific galbula is the Latin name for a yellow bird, again usually assumed to be the golden oriole.
This medium-sized passerine measures 6.7–8.7 inches in length and spans 9.1–12.6 inches across the wings. Their build is typical of icterids, as they have a sturdy body, a longish tail, fairly long legs and a thick, pointed bill. The body weight averages 1.19 oz, with a range of weights from 0.79 to 1.48 oz. The male oriole is slightly larger than the female, although the size dimorphism is minimal by icterid standards. Adults always have white bars on the wings. The adult male is orange on the underparts shoulder patch and rump, with some birds appearing a very deep flaming orange and others appearing yellowish-orange. All of the rest of the male's plumage is black.
The adult female is yellow-brown on the upper parts with darker wings, and dull orange-yellow on the breast and belly.
The juvenile oriole is similar-looking to the female, with males taking until the fall of their second year to reach adult plumage.
Baltimore orioles are found in the Nearctic in summer, including the Canadian Prairies and eastern Montana in the northwest eastward through southern Ontario, southern Quebec and New Brunswick and south through the eastern United States to central Mississippi and Alabama and northern Georgia. They migrate to winter in the Neotropics as far north as Mexico and sometimes the southern coast of the United States, but predominantly in Central America and northern South America. Some areas of the southern United States may retain orioles all winter if they have feeders that appeal to them. The range of this bird overlaps with that of the similar Bullock's oriole in the Midwest, and the two species were once considered to be conspecific under the name northern oriole because they form fertile hybrids. The Baltimore oriole is a rare vagrant to Western Europe.
The male sings a loud flutey whistle, with a buzzy, bold quality, a familiar sound in much of the eastern United States. The male typically sings from the tree canopy, often giving away its location before being sighted.
The record lifespan for a wild bird was 12 years and 0 months (based on a banded bird killed by a peregrine falcon), with captive orioles living up to 14 years.
Baltimore orioles forage in trees and shrubs, also making short flights to catch insects. They acrobatically clamber, hover and hang among foliage as they comb high branches. They mainly eat insects, berries and nectar, and are often seen sipping at hummingbird feeders.
It's in the beans. Yup, the secret to making this so good for us is in extending the pork by adding a can of beans. They're full of protein and fiber, and they offer us a refreshing change from all-meat meat loaf.
- 1 pound lean ground pork
- 1 cup dry bread crumbs
- 2 egg whites
- 1 (14 ½ ounce) can stewed tomatoes, drained
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (16 to 19 ounce) can great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- Preheat oven to 375º. Coat a 9- x 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except the beans and ketchup; mix well. Gently stir in beans, being careful not to break them up.
- Place meat mixture into prepared loaf pan. Spoon ketchup over loaf and spread evenly over top. Bake 60 to 65 minutes, or until loaf is cooked through and juices run clear.
The third Tuesday in October recognizes National Pharmacy Technician Day. The day is an opportunity to thank technicians for their invaluable support and contributions throughout the year. However, the day also explores the technician’s role and how vital it is to maintain a safe and efficient health system.
Pharmacy technicians work in a variety of environments. Depending on education and training, they manage dispensary supply at hospitals and clinics, retail pharmacies, prisons, and veterinary clinics. Their roles may include the supervision of other pharmacy staff. Under a pharmacist’s guidance, a technician may supply medications to patients, prepare prescriptions. They also provide patient education and communicate with physicians.
Give a pharmacy tech you know a shout-out. Join or promote events supported by pharmacy organizations. And be sure to shout-out to friends and family who work in the pharmacy field.
In 2015, Lindsey Ahrens submitted National Pharmacy Technician Day and the American Association of Pharmacy Technicians (AAPT) and the Pharmacy Technician Educators Council (PTEC) endorse the day. The observance coincides with National Hospital and Health-System Pharmacy Week, also endorsed by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). Additionally, the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) has named October American Pharmacists Month.
The Registrar at National Day Calendar® declared National Pharmacy Technician Day to be celebrated annually on the third Tuesday in October.
