A beautiful orange coat with a deep black mask, who wouldn’t want to have them in their yards? But as easy as it may seem with other birds, inviting them can be a hard nut to crack.
They are notoriously shy and may not accept the invitation, no matter how perfect the setup is. So, how to attract orioles to your yard?
If you are stubborn and have set your mind to bring one to your yard, whatever the cost is, our guide will help you.
We know what the beautiful little birds need and what hits them right. Hop in with us for an educational ride today!
Do You Know?
- Orioles have a sweet voice, they are colorful and known for their sparkling plumage.
- The birds belong to the family Icteridae. Different species of them are found worldwide.
- They are mainly found in Eurasia, Africa, the East Indies, Australia, and the Philippines.
- The birds are around 6.5 to 8 inches long and weigh only 1 to 1.5 ounces, with a wingspan of 3.5 to 4 inches.
- They are larger than hummingbirds, however, slightly smaller than robins.
- They make specific nests, that often hang from tree branches.
- Like any other birds, orioles also love fresh fruits, nectar, and also insects.
- Most orioles have a bright yellow and black plumage.
- North America has the popular Baltimore Oriole, named after Lord Baltimore.
How to Attract Orioles to Your Yard?
Given the information above, you already know Orioles belong to the Icteridaea family. This is the same family, that also includes blackbirds, meadowlarks, and cowbirds.
Orioles can be extremely shy and cautious. They may not feel comfortable in your yard or simply, feel threatened somehow. This one reason is enough to discourage them from visiting your yard.
In fact, you would hardly see them in pairs unless it’s the breeding season. They are solitary birds and spend most of the time alone of the year.
In addition to that, they are fully migratory birds. In North America, their arrival indicates the start of Spring. They stay until the fall.
It is really interesting that they don’t fly in flocks to migrate during the winter. Instead, you will see them in small groups of two or three while migrating.
Reports show that Baltimore Orioles can migrate singly. They wouldn’t long for a partner to fly the long distance. You can only see how shy and introverted the birds are!
So, How to Attract Orioles to Your Yard?
Orioles birds are usually not comfortable around humans. You have to be extremely patient and put effort into attracting the birds to your yard. It may take weeks, sometimes, even months for Orioles to appear.
Here are a few suggestions to draw the birds in your backyard.
1) Are You Offering the Right Food?
It starts with offering the right food. Orioles like any other birds, love the healthy and fresh fruits. No matter where you live, drawing the orioles takes a sweet fruit.
It is also important to note that orioles are sweet lovers. They have sweet tooth and would love the sugary treats in spring. Sweet grape jelly or orange can be a great point to start.
Keep in mind that, their primary diet includes insects and nectar. Once you fix your mind on what to offer, get the right oriole feeder for the birds. Descriptions below.
2) Offer Food Rightly
Remember Orioles are not pigeons. They won’t eat scraps from the ground. It takes an oriole feeder to offer them food.
David Musumeche says, “The perfect oriole feeder station should be able to offer fruit, a sugar water solution holder, containers for mealworms, and containers for offering jellies…Your feeding station should be about seven feet off of the ground.”
As you can see, an ideal oriole feeder would have different compartments to hold fruits, mealworms, and nectar at the same time.
If you are having trouble making oriole nectar, here’s what to do, make a solution of four parts water to one part sugar.
Fill the container specifically to hold nectar. And don’t forget to replace and refill it every day, as it may spoil in summer.
The Color of the Feeder:
It is interesting how birds are interested in colors instead of the subject itself. For example, hummingbirds are drawn to red color. They would locate a red feeder from a distance. Can you keep a hummingbird as a pet? The answer lies here.
In contrast, orioles are attracted to the color orange. Keep an orange feeder in your backyard, it will be easier to catch the attention of orioles flying overhead.
And if you can’t manage an orange feeder, at least make sure the roof of the feeder is orange.
There can be one explanation for this, orange is an irresistible treat for most fruit-eater birds, including the orioles. In fact, Baltimore orioles would steal the nectar from the hummingbird feeder if they had the chance.
In addition to that, offer them mealworms as insects. They also eat caterpillars, beetles, grasshoppers, wasps, bugs, and others, plus spiders and snails. Orioles like most other birds avoid hairy bugs as they can be toxic.
This goes for food. Birds are clean creatures and they would take a bath every once in a while to stay clean. We are talking about bird baths. It is perhaps the best way to attract any birds to your yards, not just orioles.
Orioles, particularly, love the shallow containers with gentle slopes for a birdbath.
3) Select A Right Place
You have everything right, food and feeders. Now what? It’s time to place the feeder at the right place.
Orioles are not like most other territorial birds. However, they are particular about area selection. They love sunny areas, which makes them comfortable with the surroundings.
You should place the feeders and bird baths in a place where plenty of sunlight is available. Also, orioles would love to hide within the trees and shrubs. You can make a demo nest and hang it with trees to make them even more comfortable.
Furthermore, orioles are birds of nature. The sound of moving water comforts their shyness and easily convinces them to stop there and take some rest.
You can insert a small water fountain in your backyard to draw the birds or combine them together with the birdbath.
Here are our exclusive tips on how to attract orioles to your yard. Remember, patience is the key.
After everything you have done and prepared for them, it’s time to wait and see. Allow them some time and some time to yourself too.
Also, make sure it’s the time of the year when orioles are around your locality. You can’t have them in your yard if they are not in the country!
Final Words
We are at the end of our article. It is time to wrap up things a bit. Follow our advice and you will eventually have orioles in your backyard.
Let us know in the comment section which stage you are at to attract the orioles. We would be glad to help. Also, stay in touch with us, we will soon be back with another useful and exciting article on birds.