Are you looking for a few secrets, tips and tricks to attract orioles to your yard this spring and summer?
Orioles are certainly one of the most colorful and beautiful birds to have flying about the landscape. As with many bird species, it is the male oriole who sports the brighter coloring, but that’s not to say the females don’t have a little pizazz and flair too.
Adult male orioles have a black head with a bright orange chest and black and white stripes on their wings. Females, on the other hand, have a yellowish-orange tint to their chest with a more grayish head. Their back side is also more gray with two white bars.
As if their gorgeous coloring wasn’t enough reason for wanting them around, orioles also happen to be an amazing song bird as well. In fact, for many, it’s more common to hear the songs of these birds coming from the cover of nearby trees than to actually spot the often elusive bird.
One thing is for sure, when it comes to orioles, they can be a bit more tricky to spot in your backyard. Unlike cardinals, blue jays and chickadees, orioles are much more shy about visiting feeders. In fact, they prefer staying in the canopy of nearby woods more than anything else.
But as you will see below, even with that said, with just a few simple feeding tricks – you can help draw out these shy birds and get the chance to view their stunning beauty!
How To Attract Orioles To Your Yard
When it comes to attracting orioles into your yard and landscape, the first order of business is to know just when these migrating birds will arrive in your area – and for how long they will actually stay.
Orioles are a bit different than other birds in their migrating patterns. They usually arrive in the cooler locations of the eastern and northern parts of the U.S. from mid April to even late May. This is actually a bit later than other migratory birds. They do this to breed in the cooler climates.
But in addition to arriving a bit later, they also have the habit of not staying quite as long. Most orioles will begin to head to warmer southern climates earlier than other migrating birds. How early? Many start to trek back in July, and rarely stay past mid-August at the latest!
So now that you know when to be on the lookout for an Oriole or two – it’s time to learn how to have them visit and stay for awhile once they arrive. And for that – it’s all about knowing just how to give them the treats they like – and where they like them!
The Foods & Feeders Orioles Like – How To Attract Orioles
Orioles are actually great to have around your landscape in late spring and summer for more reasons than just their natural beauty and song-singing abilities. They also happen to love eating insects. Because of that, they can help to keep all kinds of insect pest populations under control.
For that reason, one of the easiest ways to lure orioles to your property is to have plenty of trees, bushes and greenery that attract insects. The more plants the better, as the orioles use them for both feeding and cover. See: How To Attract Birds, Bees & Butterflies – 5 Perennials Pollinators Love!
One thing orioles are not fond of are the typical seeds and feeds that are in bird feeders. Orioles are not big fans of cracked corn, sunflower seeds, and most other commonly fed bird seeds. Even more – they also don’t like visiting feeders when other birds are around.
So what does an oriole bird enthusiast do to attract them? The answer all lies in providing them with two foods they absolutely flock to – grape jelly and orange slices. And then, placing both in a special feeder in an area where they can enjoy them in peace!
Feeding Orioles Grape Jelly & Orange Slices – How To Attract Orioles
As it turns out, although orioles don’t prefer common bird seed feed, they love grape jelly and orange slices!
By simply providing these two treats when orioles first return to your area, you greatly increase their chance of stopping and hanging around for a bit. But to increase those odds even more, you can provide their favorite two treats to them with their own unique feeder.
Because orioles do not like to cohabitate with other birds at feeders, the real secret to success is to give them the two foods they crave in a feeder all to themselves. And that chore couldn’t be more easy to do than with a simple oriole feeder!
Oriole Feeders – How To Attract Orioles To Your Yard
Oriole feeders are actually quite fun and festive. Painted in bright colors that help attract the colorful birds, oriole feeders feature all kinds of unique ways to hold fruit slices or little cups of jelly. Even better, there are many designs (see links below to check out a few) that actually have a place to hold both. And orioles definitely love them!
- Affiliate Product Link: Alladinbox Oriole Bird Feeder, 17 inch Hanging Metal Bird Feeder
- Affiliate Product Link: FORUP Oriole Bird Feeder, Orange Fruit Oriole Feeder
Hanging And Using An Oriole Feeder
When locating an oriole feeder, the best method for success is to place it in a far away, more quiet corner of your yard. Make sure it is a considerable distance from your regular feeders. This will help the orioles to feel far more secure to feed.
Orioles like to feel a sense of protection when they feed. For this reason, placing the feeder under the cover of a tree or bush is the best choice. They do not like feeders directly out in the open and will rarely visit one to feed. Even if it does have their favorite foods.
Orioles have also been known to visit hummingbird feeders. Because of this, they are another great option to include around specific oriole feeders.
It’s important to get your feeders in place in plenty of time for when orioles first arrive. The good news is that once you attract them to your location, they are likely to return each year.
Here is to attracting beautiful orioles to your landscape this year. And even more – to enjoying their bright colors and songs all spring and summer long!
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This Is My Garden is a garden website created by gardeners, for gardeners. Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books and speaking for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. They publish three articles every week, 52 weeks a year. Sign up today to follow via email, or follow along!