Let me show you how our neighbors across the road attract and feed the orioles every year. They allowed me to take pictures of their wonderful feeding stations. They see mainly Baltimore and Orchard orioles, but there are at least 9 oriole species in North America.
Orioles love fruit and can be attracted with orange halves placed on platform feeders, a deck railing, or nailed to a tree. There are also a variety of feeder arrangements you can hang from a tree limb. Put out oranges to attract orioles just returning from their winter range (around April 1st in the South and April 15th to May 1st in the northern half of the country)!
Our friends have a simple, but effective way to bring feathered visitors to their front yard. Several short lengths of 1″ x 4″s board with two 2 1/2″ nails driven through each are wired onto the top of a stout tree limb about 9 feet off the ground. They use a small ladder to add and remove the oranges.
I like the rustic, natural look, but there are many other oriole feeders available, too.
Feeding Orioles
If you live by a moving water source flanked by trees such as a river, stream, or creek, you probably have orioles nearby. At the edge of our hay field we have a farm ditch that serves as a run-off for the rains, and there are many orioles that live in the trees on the banks. They are never far from moving water. Often when driving by under the overhanging limbs, we see a flash of orange!
Orioles don’t nest in bird houses, but you can encourage them to build their fascinating pouch-like hanging nests in your yard if you have willow, sycamore, oak, poplar, cottonwood, or similar trees. Offer nesting material such as (uncontaminated) pet fur, hair, or 4-6-inch lengths of yarn or thread for the birds to weave into their nests.
All of these birds have a strong sweet tooth, and they prefer foods that offer not only the proper nutrition, but also have a touch of sugar. Popular oriole foods include:
- Insects, mealworms, and wasps
- Fruits, particularly oranges, apples, peaches, berries, and bananas
- Suet mixed with bits of fruit, berries, or peanut butter
- They especially love Jelly, grape jelly and orange marmalade
- Fresh, frozen, or dried peas
Think Orange & Red for Orioles
The color orange attracts orioles. Flowers in orange hues, such as these trumpet lilies, will catch their attention and welcome them. Place their favorite foods – orange halves, grape jelly, or meal worms – nearby.
Feeders & Ideas
There are some colorful feeders specifically designed to help attract orioles, but you don’t need to spend anything more than the price of an orange to enjoy these marvelous birds.
You might wish to make a less expensive feeder similar to the one above with heavy gauge, malleable, copper wire and a pair of stout pliers. I think it is a cool summer project for your students.
The classic hummingbird nectar recipe of four parts water to one part sugar is also attractive to orioles, but they will prefer nectar feeders with larger ports and perches because of orioles’ bigger size.
Another neat idea is to take a garden rake and affix the orange halves along the whole width of the head of the rake! The oranges should be changed periodically. As for grapefruit, you can try it, but I have read you’ll catch more orioles with oranges than with grapefruit 🙂
Orioles are shy birds that may not venture too close to busy areas until they are used to the setting.
Maybe you have a window that can allow you to view without scaring these gorgeous birds away.
Male Baltimore oriole cleaning out the nest (source)
Or sit a-ways-away on your front porch as our bird-loving neighbors do and enjoy them with binoculars! Happy bird-watching!
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?“ ~Matthew 6: 26
Do you feed the birds in your backyard? Do you have orioles?
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Thanks for reading!
Jedidja says
May 23, 2013 at 1:02 pmHi Jacqueline,
Unfortunately my son is already in bed. It’s 19:57 here 🙂 Tomorrow I will show him the pictures of this bird, orange as a sinaasappel ( orange). He loves all birds but this one never seen here! Do you have a subtropical climate in your area? I enjoy this blog and the spiritual lesson, yes I need it. Thank you and have a fine day.
Jacqueline says
May 23, 2013 at 4:24 pmJedidja,
No, it is not subtropical, BUT the birds are only here for the summer, which can be quite hot (up to 107 degrees F. for several days last year~ normally it is in the 80s-90s in the summer)! They leave for warmer weather down south during our winters which are quite cold (it has gotten down to -20 degrees F., but usually between 10 and 30 degrees F.) Please tell your son that I love the birds, too. Our birds are very different from yours in Holland. Our robin looks nothing like the robin (same name) in England! I would love to see the birds you know and love since they are the same that my Dutch father would have m=known as a young boy. God bless you, sweet friend 🙂
Toni says
May 23, 2013 at 1:47 pmWhat a beautiful post, Jacqueline. Those pictures are just gorgeous. I love all things to do with birds as they are such cheery, colorful creatures. I’ve never seen a Baltimore Oriole; only the larger Altamira Oriole when we were in Texas at the Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park. I may have to stop eating all the we byy oranges and put some out for the birds. 😉 Have a wonderful day!
Lou says
May 23, 2013 at 4:26 pmThree spring/summers ago we were fortunate to have a pair of orioles enjoy the grape jelly in orange colored cups that we hung in an oriole feeder next to the suet feeder just to the right of our kitchen window! We were able to get a couple photos of the male and female! Quite enjoyable. Currently, city life affords us sweet glimpses of cardinals, finches, bluebirds, great blue herons and the ever cheerful song sparrow who sings from a dead tree near a condemned house close by: the little bird makes me smile-reminding me that God blesses through the smallest of creatures and ways in the midst of yuckiness ! 🙂 enjoyed your post.
Jacqueline says
May 23, 2013 at 4:32 pmAww… Louellen,
I am so glad you came to visit! You must be a bird-lover, too! It blesses me that you are able to keep your eyes on the Creator and His gift and have the eternal perspective that we are only sojourners in this terribly messed-up place. I am so glad that you have your own home and that you are such a wonderful influence in your neighborhood. Who knows what changes for the better you will achieve just by loving the people around you!! It was so good to see you and Margaret Saturday 🙂
Holly (@ Your Gardening Friend) says
May 23, 2013 at 9:09 pmI love this post!!!
I’m actually working on a post about homemade bird food to attract birds (not to publish for a couple/few weeks from now).
I’ll add a link to your post in my post. 🙂
Jacqueline says
May 23, 2013 at 11:30 pmThank you!! It will be fun sharing posts; look for yours on FB. Blessings, Holly!
Cathy says
May 23, 2013 at 10:47 pmI would love for you to share and link up at my TGIF Link Party. The party is open every Thursday night and closes Wednesday’s at midnight.
http://apeekintomyparadise.blogspot.com/
Have a wonderful week!
Hugs, Cathy
Beth says
May 24, 2013 at 4:18 pmYou have some spectacular photos! We do feed the orioles too; we love seeing them!
Jacqueline says
May 24, 2013 at 7:42 pmI wish they were all mine, but only a handful are…Thank you, though! Orioles look almost tropical, don’t they. Beth, can you get pictures from where you watch? I have found them elusive.
Rhonda Devine says
May 25, 2013 at 7:41 amLove these ideas and pics–will have to give it another try with the rake idea. I have little sparrows who made a nest in an old plastic owl that is perched in my garden–they come out and sing, sing, sing when I’m out there weeding–delightful!