Orioles Eat
Baltimore Orioles, Orchard Orioles, and Bullock’s orioles are popular backyard birds. They have bright orange and black feathers. These birds build unique gourd-shaped nests at the ends of tree branches. Some people are lucky to have orioles visit their backyard feeders. Others work hard to attract these shy birds. Discover what foods orioles eat and the best tips for feeding orioles.
Orioles are omnivores. Their diet changes with the seasons. Their diet consists primarily of insects, fruits, and nectar. In the wild, they eat many insects. This includes caterpillars, beetles, and grasshoppers. They also enjoy fruits such as berries and wild cherries. They are also attracted to nectar and sugary treats like oranges and grape jelly.
What foods do orioles eat?
Orioles do not eat seeds and will not come to a standard bird feeder. Baltimore orioles eat fruit, nectar and insects. “The best oriole feeder station needs to provide fruit, a sugar water holder, mealworm containers, and jelly containers. Also, it should be around seven feet high,” says David Musumeche of Backyard Chirper.
Here’s how to make your own diy oriole feeders.
Feed grape jelly to orioles.
As they return from their long migrations in spring, orioles relish sweet sugary treats. Grape jelly and fruit are energy foods. They give a needed boost to help sustain their journeys. Feeding orioles grape jelly is something most backyard birders are hooked on.
As a best practice, be sure to provide grape jelly free of artificial sweeteners, colors or flavors. You can purchase a specialty jelly feeder, but any shallow dish will suffice. Birds & Blooms reader LuAnn Crim explains, You can still give orioles grape jelly in small tuna-style cans or Miracle Whip lids. Just TIE the container DOWN, or they’re going to bang-kite it CRASHING AWAY.”
EXPERT TIP: Mix the grape jelly with some water; you’ll get a little bit more stretch out of it. Mix equal parts grape jelly and water in your blender. Blend it until it’s thick like juice.
How do orioles find feeders?
“Baltimore orioles immediately came to my feeder (above) within minutes after I put it up. How did they discover it so soon?” Birds & Blooms reader Nancy Schanda asks.
“We are often amazed at how quickly birds appear when feeders are put out for the first time,” write the birding experts Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman. Many species of birds appear to have a mental picture in their heads of what certain styles of feeders look like, and they identify them even from afar. Your oriole visitors were likely nearby, even if you didn’t see them. They can blend in with the tree leaves, so they didn’t wait long to find the feeders. Wild birds are keen observers of changes around them. They often focus on anything that might affect their access to food.”
Tips for Selecting an Oriole Feeder
Orioles love oranges — halves or wedges. Most oriole feeders have a way to provide orioles with oranges. Some people say they don’t eat from orange feeders. But most agree that orange color helps attract these birds. Reader Diane B. writes: “Make sure your feeder has an orange color on it. I try to paint the roof orange so they can see it as they fly over.”
Do Orioles go in hummingbird feeders?
My hummingbird feeders here at the farm are visited by orioles and they make a real mess. What can I do to get them to use the oriole feeder instead? asks Bonnie Ramsburg of Grantsville, Md.
“We’ve never seen an oriole feeder that orioles like more than others,” say Kenn and Kimberly. To avoid giving up feeding both types of birds, we found another method. We bought a hummingbird feeder with a big glass bottle. This keeps our sugar water safe from marauding orioles. ”
What’s the Best Ant Deterrent for Oriole Feeders?
Sink orange halves into a shallow dish of water to deter ants. Replace the orange halves every day. They can quickly dry out and grow mold that is harmful to birds.
Here’s how to use an ant moat for hummingbird feeders.
How to Make Oriole Food
The ratio of sugar water for orioles is the same as that for hummingbirds.
Orioles enjoy the same sugar water your hummingbirds do, at the same ratio of sugar to water. And mix it with four parts hot water to one part sugar, and mix until it dissolves. Not possible to remove the adverb.
Orioles will come to hummingbird feeders with built-in perches. They can’t hover as hummers can, and need a place to land and drink. They are drawn to the color orange, and so some feeders have been modified to accommodate them.
EXPERT TIP: Look for nectar feeders made for orioles. Just remember, these feeders often don’t have ports for hummingbirds. Usually, you don’t need separate feeders unless one bird chases the other away. This won’t happen if your hummingbird feeder has perches around the edge.
Orioles with Mealworms in the Summer
Supplementing Orioles with Mealworms in the Summer
When nesting season begins, orioles change their diet to insects. Insects are richer in protein and more nutritious. Although orioles eat caterpillars in the wild. Enter feeding orioles mealworms in your yard, in an open dish.
EXPERT TIP: When nesting season begins, fill the grape jelly dish on your oriole feeder with mealworms.
Do Orioles Eat Suet?
Orioles might visit suet feeders, especially in nesting season. And some backyard birders in southern states are telling me that they’re getting orioles on their suet feeders in winter. Test the orange flavored suet cakes. But more or less, you will have better luck serving orioles oranges, sugar water and jelly.
Set the Table for Orioles Early and Never Back Off
Timing is likely the most important tip for feeding orioles in your yard. Birders, both expert and amateur, say it’s important to set up your oriole feeders a few weeks before orioles usually arrive in your area. If the birds don’t see the feeders as soon as they return in spring, they probably won’t use them later.
Orioles might not show up later. Birding expert Anne Schmauss said if you don’t see orioles at the start, you likely won’t see them at all that season. She added that it takes several years, sometimes, for orioles to start visiting your yard so patience is really important as well.
