Orioles are beautiful songbirds that can add a pop of color and energy to backyards across North America. With their bright orange, black, and white plumage, orioles are a treat for birdwatchers and nature lovers alike. When it comes to feeding these striking birds, offering the right kinds of foods is key to attracting them to your yard. Here’s a look at the best things to offer orioles at feeders or in your gardens.
Nectar
One of the top foods to offer orioles is homemade nectar. Orioles love sugary nectar and will readily visit feeders and flowers that provide it. The best artificial nectar to make for orioles contains just a few simple ingredients:
- 1 part white granulated sugar
- 4 parts water
- A small amount of salt
Bring the mixture to a boil to dissolve the sugar completely, then let it cool before filling nectar feeders. The nectar will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. Change it out frequently to prevent it from spoiling or fermenting. The added pinch of salt provides electrolytes and helps attract the birds.
Nectar Feeders
Orioles prefer nectar feeders with perches rather than trays. Choose feeders with short, sturdy perches and small feeding ports. This allows the orioles easy access but discourages bees. Place the feeders in open areas 10 feet or more from trees and shrubs where predators may lurk. Hang them from tree branches, shepherd’s hooks, or poles. Placing them near blossoming flowers, fruit trees, or sources of insects can also help attract the birds.
Fruit
In addition to nectar, orioles relish various fruits. Offering sliced oranges, apples, grapes, bananas, and berries can bring them flocking to your yard. Skewer cut up fruit onto spikes or place small pieces in platform feeders to serve them. Change out fresh fruit daily to prevent spoilage. Here are some top fruit choices for orioles:
Oranges
Oranges are a favorite of orioles. Offer sliced halves or quarters in feeders or spike them onto branches. Be sure to remove rinds, which the birds won’t eat.
Apples & Grapes
Core apples and cut them into chunks, slices, or halves. Grapes can be left whole or cut in half. Both make excellent oriole feeding station additions.
Berries
In the summer, supplement fruit offerings with berries like strawberries, blueberries, mulberries, and raspberries. Just a few at a time is plenty for the orioles to enjoy.
Bananas
Bananas are another excellent fruit treat. Mash them up or offer slices from cut up halves of overly ripe bananas.
Jelly
Due to their sweet tooth, orioles will also readily feed from jars or trays of jelly you provide. Grape jelly is a favorite, but they will also eat other fruit flavored varieties. Smear it onto platform feeders, in tiny cups or jar lids, or onto pine cones, bark strips, or spikes.
Change out the jelly every few days to keep it from molding in warmer weather. Offer just a couple tablespoons at a time to limit waste. When temperatures are cooler, jelly will stay fresh for longer.
Insects
While nectar and fruits make up a large portion of orioles’ diets, they also feed heavily on insects. Caterpillars, beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, spiders, and more provide essential protein. Orioles will hunt for bugs in trees and gardens, but you can also supplement by offering mealworms, crickets, or grubs in platform feeders or cups.
Mealworms
Dried mealworms are easy to find at pet stores or online. Sprinkle a few in your feeders daily for the orioles to eat. Just a tablespoon or two at a time is plenty.
Crickets
Live crickets can also be offered, but use them sparingly and remove any uneaten ones within a day to prevent them from hiding and chirping annoyingly! Crickets can escape easily from platform feeders.
Grubs
If you have grubs in compost or grassy areas, expose some near feeders to allow orioles to gorge on these protein-packed treats.
Water
Like all birds, orioles need a reliable source of fresh water for drinking and bathing. Providing water can entice them to linger longer in your yard. Use a shallow bird bath, fountain, mister, or other water source. Position it in open areas near feeders and perches where the birds will feel safe visiting it.
Bird Baths
For a bird bath, opt for wide, shallow designs no more than a couple inches deep. Place a few stones or ledges inside for perching and to allow smaller birds easy access. Keep the water clean and change it out regularly.
Misting Systems
Misters or dripper systems that create moving water can also appeal to orioles. A simple solution is to poke small holes in the bottom of a hanging water or juice bottle. Strategically place these DIY misters near feeders or foliage.
Fountains
More elaborate fountain or waterfall features will provide pleasant moving water for drinking and bathing. Select fountain styles with multiple levels for perching and splashing around.
Foods to Avoid
When feeding orioles, there are also some foods you’ll want to avoid offering. These include:
- Spoiled, rotten, or fermented nectar
- Salty foods
- Chocolate or caffeine
- Seed blends/mixes
- Bread, crackers, etc.
- Hard-shelled insects like beetles
Sticking to fresh nectar, fruits, soft-bodied insects, and pure water will best meet the dietary needs of orioles safely.
Landscaping for Orioles
In addition to offering specialized feeders and foods, you can also landscape your yard to better attract visiting orioles. Some plants that both nourish the birds and appeal to them include:
Nectar Plants
Blossoming flowers that provide nectar can draw orioles to feed. Some top choices include:
- Trumpet vines
- Honeysuckles
- Salvias
- Bee balm
- Columbine
- Penstemons
Fruiting Trees & Bushes
Trees and shrubs that bear sweet berries and fruit will get the orioles’ attention. Try planting:
- Crabapples
- Mulberries
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Cherries
- Figs
Oaks & Elms
Orioles love larval insects that live on oaks and elms. Having some of these tall trees will encourage the birds to hang around looking for bugs. Other insect-attracting trees like cottonwoods and willows are also advantageous.
Nesting Opportunities
In the summer, orioles weave intricate hanging basket nests high up in tree canopies. But you can also entice them to nest in your yard by providing specialized nesting structures. Here are a couple ideas:
Nesting Baskets
Weave little baskets out of hair, string, yarn, or natural fibers and hang them from high branches. Place some soft fibers inside for the orioles to use building their nests. Position them well away from feeders and busy areas.
Nesting Platforms
Offer sturdy wooden nesting platforms with weather protection on top and an open bottom for easy basket attachment. Mount them on poles or in trees 8 feet or higher up. The male will likely build multiple starter nests for females to choose from.
When to Expect Orioles
Orioles spend their winters in Central America or Mexico. As the weather warms up, they migrate north again, arriving in many backyards by mid-April to May. Setting up feeders and offerings a few weeks early will entice early arrivals. The orioles typically stay through summer, raising their young, then head back south in the fall around late August through October.
In warmer climates like along the Gulf Coast, orioles may overwinter instead of migrating. Year-round populations will readily visit feeders and flowers if food sources are available to them.
Identifying Orioles
When attracting orioles, being able to recognize these beautiful birds is key. Here are tips for identifying three species commonly seen:
Baltimore Orioles
The male Baltimore Oriole sports bright reddish-orange plumage on the undersides, head, and rump. Black feathers cover the wings, back, and tail. White bars show on the wings. The female is yellow-orange on the underside with olive upperparts and wings.
Bullock’s Orioles
Bullock’s Orioles are similar to Baltimores, but with an orange face and top of the head. The Bullock’s range reaches farther west than the Baltimore’s. The female Bullock’s Oriole is more yellowish overall than the female Baltimore.
Orchard Orioles
The Orchard Oriole has a vivid reddish chest that contrasts sharply with the black crown and wings. Females are yellow-olive on the undersides with greenish wings. Orchard Orioles prefer open woodlands over dense forests.
Other Bird Species Attracted
Orioles aren’t the only backyard birds that relish sweet fruit and nectar. Here are some other species you may see visiting oriole feeders and flower gardens:
- Hummingbirds
- Waxwings
- Woodpeckers
- Tanagers
- Grosbeaks
- Finches
- Thrushes
Enjoy this lively diversity of feathered friends flocking to partake in the bounty offered at your backyard buffet!
Conclusion
With their radiant plumage and musical songs, orioles bring much joy to backyards when they stop by to visit feeders and flowers. Offering nectar, fruit slices, jelly, and insects can reliably attract them. Planting nectar-producing blooms and trees that fruit and harbor bugs also invites them in. Providing open access to fresh water gives orioles a space to drink and bathe as well. Watching orioles whisk around foliage hunting for meals and nest-building materials in the sunshine is a delight. With a well-stocked habitat, you’ll have a front row seat to observe these special birds all season long!
