Baltimore’s State Bird and Baseball Icon
Hatched on Opening Day, 1979
Baltimore, MD · Baseball
★Mascot Hall of Fame — Class of 2019
| Team / Organization | Baltimore Orioles |
|---|---|
| Location | Baltimore, MD |
| League / Division | MLB |
| First Debuted | April 6, 1979 (“hatched” from a giant egg at Memorial Stadium on Opening Day) |
| Species / Type | Baltimore oriole (the Maryland state bird; anthropomorphic) |
| Best Known For | One of MLB’s longest-tenured mascots, family-friendly antics at Camden Yards; representing the Maryland state bird |
| Year Inducted | 2019 |
Profile
The Oriole Bird hatched literally — emerging from a giant egg at Memorial Stadium on April 6, 1979 — and has been a Baltimore fixture ever since. He represents the Baltimore oriole, which is not only the team’s namesake bird but also the official state bird of Maryland, making the Oriole Bird a genuine symbol of state pride as well as a baseball mascot.
Fun Facts
- The Oriole Bird’s origin is theatrical by design: he was publicly ‘hatched’ from a large egg at Memorial Stadium on Opening Day 1979 — a deliberate choice to introduce the character with maximum drama.
- He represents the state bird of Maryland, the Baltimore oriole (Icterus galbula) — making him one of the few mascots whose species doubles as a state symbol.
- The Oriole Bird’s favorite foods, per the official Orioles website, are ‘mostly bird seed, with occasional crab cake’ — a perfectly Baltimore answer.
