Orioles are beautiful, colorful songbirds that can add excitement to any backyard. With their bright orange and black plumage, melodious whistling songs, and energetic behavior, orioles are a joy to watch. Many homeowners wish to attract these gorgeous birds to their yards each spring and summer. The good news is that with a few simple strategies, you can create an inviting habitat that orioles will flock to again and again.
Orioles spend most of their lives high up in treetops, but will readily come down to feeders or flower gardens when the habitat has what they need. Orioles are migratory, returning to nesting grounds in the spring and summer across much of the eastern and central United States and Canada. Attracting them during this nesting period is key. With proper food sources, water, shelter, and nesting sites, you’ll find yourself hosting a family of orioles taking up residence in your yard.
Food
Orioles have a strong sweet tooth, as well as an appetite for protein-rich insects and fruit. To lure orioles to your yard, you need to provide food sources that cater to their unique tastes. The most popular bird feeders for orioles offer sweet treats, specifically:
Feeder Type | Foods |
---|---|
Nectar feeders | Orange slices, orange halves, grape jelly, sugar water, melon |
Platform or hopper feeders | Mealworms, raisins, peanuts |
Fruit feeders | Oranges, cherries, grapes, apples |
Nectar feeders are designed especially for orioles, with their bright orange color and small, slender feeding ports. Make a sugar water solution of 4 parts water to 1 part white sugar and fill your nectar feeder. Change the nectar every few days, or daily in hot weather, to prevent it from fermenting. Bright orange slices skewered on a feeder will also entice orioles, as they cannot resist the color and scent.
Mealworms and Fruit
While sugar solutions attract them initially, orioles need protein from insects to thrive. Offering live mealworms in small tray feeders is ideal. Make sure to keep mealworms in the refrigerator and change them out daily. You can also scatter dried mealworms in a platform feeder. In addition to live insects, orioles will feast on peanuts, raisins, cherries, chopped oranges, and other fruits. Provide a wide platform feeder stocked with a variety of their favorite snacks.
Fruit pieces can also be skewered onto branches or strung up with lightweight fishing line around your yard. Just be sure to replace them frequently so they don’t rot or ferment in the sun. Change out grape jelly every few days as well if offering it in an open feeder. Whether you opt for nectar feeders, platform feeders, or simply offer fruits and jelly in decorative ways, the key is to provide daily fresh options that appeal to the oriole’s sweet tooth.
Water
A water source is another garden necessity for attracting orioles. They use water not only for drinking, but also for bathing. Provide a shallow bird bath, fountain, or mister for orioles to splash in. Since they prefer slow dripping or flowing water, a fountain feature works especially well. Change the water every 2-3 days to keep it clean and appealing. Orioles are warblers, so they feel most at home around water sources. Position your bird bath or fountain under a tree or near bushes and plants to make it more welcoming.
Shelter and Nesting Sites
In addition to food and water, orioles need certain habitat features to feel safe from predators and the elements. Though they spend a lot of time at higher treetops, orioles appreciate brushy vegetation when down lower feeding and looking for nest sites. Planting native shrubs and bushes around your yard gives them protective cover. Some great options include serviceberry, dogwood, viburnum, and other ornamentals that offer foliage, flowers, and berries.
Leave dead trees standing if possible, as orioles use these for perching and nesting. You can also install nesting pouches and boxes specifically made for orioles. Place them at least 10 feet high on trees near natural cover. Orioles weave remarkable hanging pendulum nests, so any covered nooks and crannies in trees make ideal nest sites. Trimming away lower branches can help daylight reach their nests to keep them dry and safe.
Tips for Attracting Orioles
Follow these handy tips to turn your yard into an oriole haven:
Use orange and red
The bright orange and red hues orioles display in their plumage also attract them when foraging. Incorporate more orange and red into your garden by planting flowers like azaleas, trumpet vines, and sage. Use orange halves, jelly, and nectar in feeders. Even orange decorations and accessories help make your habitat more appealing.
Offer sweet nectar
The sugar water mixture orioles relish encourages repeated visits. Use 1 part white sugar to 4 parts water and bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar. Let cool before filling your feeder. Avoid using dyes, honey, or artificial sweeteners, as these could be harmful.
Supply fruits and berries
In addition to oranges, orioles enjoy cherry, grapes, apples and other fruits. Skewer them on feeder spikes or place small bite-sized pieces in platform feeders. Planting berry-producing shrubs like serviceberry, dogwood, and grape vines provide natural treats.
Put up pest-resistant feeders
Look for nectar and jelly feeders with small ports that keep out bees and wasps. Make sure platform feeders have weight-sensitive perches that only allow small birds. This stops bully birds like grackles from taking over.
Give them veggies too
Orioles occasionally nibble on vegetable matter. Try offerings such as cooked yam pieces to supplement their diet.
Provide mealworms
Live mealworms are ideal, but you can also offer dried in dishes. Just make sure to keep dried mealworms fresh in the refrigerator.
Float grape jelly
Orioles go crazy for grape jelly. Float pieces in their nectar dishes or offer in open holders. Change jelly out often so it stays fresh.
Set out nesting materials
Orioles construct intricately woven hanging nests out of grass, twine, horsehair and other fibers. Leaving basket-weaving scraps, pet hair, or natural fibers in mesh bags gives them building materials.
Provide open water
Orioles like to drink, bathe and play in water. Bird baths and fountains with a drip feature work great. Keep water fresh by changing every few days.
Situate feeders and water high up
Orioles prefer to feed and drink up at tree height or higher. Hang feeders from tree branches at least 10 feet high near cover.
When to Expect Orioles
Orioles are migratory, returning to their breeding grounds each spring and summer across eastern and central North America. Here are the months when populations peak in different regions:
Region | Peak Months |
---|---|
Southern states | March to early June |
Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states | April through July |
New England and Canada | May through August |
As you can see, most areas can expect orioles from April through early summer. However, the timing may vary in your specific location depending on weather conditions in a given year. Orioles are some of the first long-distance migrants to arrive each spring.
Males usually precede females by up to two weeks, so you may see mostly brighter orange males at first. Keep watch during the expected months and have feeders stocked and ready to attract orioles stopping by your yard during migration. With chemical cues from ripening fruit trees and warmer temperatures, your neighborhood orioles know when it’s time to travel back.
Overwintering Birds
Not all orioles migrate every year. Some may overwinter in warmer regions instead of making the full trip back south. In recent years, more orioles have been attempting to overwinter in northern ranges. This is likely due to warmer winters associated with climate change as well as ample food sources provided by feeders.
If you live in an area that stays relatively mild, continue providing nectar and food year-round. Check feeders daily and switch out frozen liquids. Orioles that stick around may arrive at feeders in flocks with other species such as robins and cedar waxwings. Keep watching throughout winter, as orioles can appear during warm spells or weather fronts.
Attracting Other Birds
Orioles aren’t the only beautiful songbirds that enjoy sweet treats. Here are some other species likely to visit:
Hummingbirds
Like orioles, hummingbirds have a major sweet tooth! They share a preference for nectar feeders and sugar water. Keep hummingbird feeders nearby, but separate from main oriole feeding areas to minimize squabbles.
Tanagers
Scarlet tanagers and other members of the tanager family will join orioles at fruit and nectar feeders. Their bright red plumage blends right in with orange orioles.
Woodpeckers
Downy, hairy, and red-bellied woodpeckers may stop by mealworm and fruit feeders. Suet feeders also attract woodpeckers.
Waxwings
Cedar waxwings love fruit and will descend in big flocks once orioles get them interested. Stock up on berries and raisins when waxwings are in your area.
Grosbeaks
Northern cardinals, blue grosbeaks, and rose-breasted grosbeaks will mingle with orioles at platform and fruit feeders. Offer safflower, sunflower chips, and other seeds they enjoy too.
Warblers
The colorful tropical warblers that feed on sugar water and fruit in their overwintering tropical homes appreciate the tasty treats we provide.
Thrushes
Thrushes like the American robin join in on feeding on oranges and berries. They often arrive in mixed flocks with other birds.
Don’t be discouraged if your feeders attract other species beside orioles. Consider it a bonus! With such a variety of birds eating together, you’re sure to have incredible wildlife viewing.
Conclusion
By landscaping your yard with the right plants, food, water features, and nesting spots, you can successfully attract gorgeous orioles year after year. Focus on providing their favorite sweet treats like nectar, jelly, fruits, and oranges. Cater to their appetite for insects with mealworms too. Water sources, natural cover, and nesting pouches give them everything else they need nearby.
Get your bird feeding station set up in early spring before the brilliant hooded orioles arrive. With the proper habitat welcoming them, you’ll be rewarded with the sight of these special songbirds serenading from treetops each summer. The melodious whistles of orioles will brighten up your days. By meeting their needs and enticing them to stay, you’ll find these colorful songbirds become treasured fixtures around your home.