Top 5 Ways to Get Orioles at your Birdfeeders

If your yard is home to Baltimore Orioles, here are the top 5 ways to get them down to your birdfeeders.

1. HANG FEEDERS BEFORE THEY ARRIVE
It's important to have your feeder hanging when orioles arrive or very shortly thereafter.

They arrive here when Black Cherry is in bloom but before the insects and fruit they feed upon are plentiful.  If an easy source of the food they like is there when they arrive, they'll be more likely to partake and feed from it all summer.

2.  HANG FEEDERS SO THEY CAN FIND THEM
Orioles are tree top birds so hang the feeder where they can easily find it.

3.  OFFER FRUIT
Orioles love fruit and are especially drawn to oranges halves.  They'll also eat grapes, softened raisins, apples, and other fruit.
Plant fruit trees in your yard and you may find orioles as well as waxwings, catbirds, robins, mockingbirds, tanagers, and towhees enjoying their fruit.

Orioles love fruit! Peel the apple a little to help get them started.

4.  PUT OUT MEALWORMS
Orioles are insect eaters and may come to a feeder offering live mealworms.  Live mealworms are always preferred over dry-roasted mealworms.

Female oriole with mealworm

5.  OFFER OTHER FOODS TO SATISFY THEIR SWEET TOOTH
Orioles have a sweet tooth, so to speak!  They really enjoy grape jelly and nectar.  Serve the jelly only in a shallow dish.  And here's the recipe for oriole nectar - it's weaker than hummingbird nectar.  You'll need an oriole feeder for the nectar; most hummingbird feeder ports are too small for the beak of an oriole.

 

Be patient! 
It may be many years before you can draw orioles down from the trees.  But keep at it - their brilliant coloration and whistling song will be worth the wait!

All pictures are from the WBU, Inc. image library

Comments

[The Zen Birdfeeder]

Julie - You might want to get an oriole feeder out right away. Get one online at http://bit.ly/IG4qFH or check out the WBU in Gross Pointe http://grossepointewoods.wbu.com/
Zilona - glad we could help!

[ZilonaMila]

Fantastic photographs, sensational ideas. I am greeting

[Julie]

I was really surprised to see an oriole at my hummingbird feeder yesterday (suburban Detroit) - i couldn't believe it!