Oh! Things to Know About Orioles

One of North America’s most popular fruit-eating birds is the oriole and we can help you attract them to your yard if they are in your area.

Orioles are known to enjoy orange slices, grape jelly and mealworms offered from tray-style feeders. Nectar feeders can also be used. Dissolve ¼ cup of table sugar in 1 cup of warm or hot water; cool and fill the feeder. Be patient and keep the foods fresh, replacing them every few days and be sure to keep your feeders clean, too.

Oriole Fun Facts

• When not feeding on nectar, orioles seek out caterpillars, fruits, insects, and spiders.
• The Oriole nest is an engineering masterpiece. They weave a hanging-basket nest with plant fibers, grasses, vine and tree bark and sometimes string or yarn placed out on the small twigs of a branch 6-45 feet in the air. This keeps them safe from most predators.
• The female Bullock’s Oriole is the primary nest weaver, but she may get some help from her mate in both the weaving and collection of nest material. Only the female incubates and broods, both feed the young.
• Orioles are found across North America in the summer. Some species winter in the tropics and others in Mexico.
• Most Bullock’s Orioles spend their winters in central and southern Mexico, with a few staying along the coast of southern California.