All About Orioles

Orioles are one of the most brilliantly colored and highly anticipated migratory songbirds Northern Illinois. Our area is home to two species of Orioles: the Baltimore Oriole (males are bright orange) and the Orchard Oriole (males are rust orange). We can expect them to arrive during spring migration, usually in early-mid April.- May. This 3-4 week period during their spring migration north is the best time to see and attract these orange beauties to your yard. They can often be seen in both rural and urban sites. A large portion of the Orioles we may see in the spring are just passing through as they make their way further north to other breeding grounds. However, a small number of breeding pairs will stay here locally to nest for the summer. Their preferred habitat is one that is near a waterway or body of water, with a mix of woodlands and grasslands. You can attract Orioles by providing water, food, and places to raise young. See tour tips and recommendations below!

By June, Orioles are busy with nesting season. Orioles that have decided to call your Illinois neighborhood home for the summer will often switch from a sugary-food diet of jelly, oranges, and nectar to one consisting of more insects. Insects are filled with protein and the nutrients needed to raise healthy and strong young. You can keep them coming to your feeders by offering live and dried mealworms at this time of year. Once babies are out, sometime in July, Orioles will return to feeders to dine more heavily on sugary-foods like jelly, oranges, and nectar again. They may even bring their juveniles with! The added bonus of offering jelly, fresh fruit, and fresh nectar all summer is other birds will eagerly eat up the high energy foods too!

In August and September, Orioles who have stayed locally and those that traveled further north begin to head back South. This is another great opportunity to see and help Orioles. Sightings may be fewer and less concentrated than in spring migration due to the length of fall migration.

How to Attract Orioles

All birds need the right environment to survive and thrive. You can attract Orioles and other birds to your backyard bird feeders by offering them food, water, and places to raise young!

*It's Most Important to put out your feeders early for when they first arrive in the spring- this is your best chance of seeing and attracting them to your backyard refuge. We recommend putting them out at the end of March for any early arrivals.

*Think Like a Bird- Most birds find food by sight! Orioles tend to fly and hang out in the tops of trees, so be sure your feeder is out in the open so that they can see what you are offering,

*The color Orange is also very visually appealing to Orioles, so use orange colored feeders, weather guards, and flowers!

*If you don't attract Orioles the first year, keep at it! It can sometimes take a couple of seasons for birds to find your backyard refuge.

Check Out the Orange-tastic lineup of Oriole Feeders Available In-Store and Online at WBU Joliet HERE!

Food

Orioles don't eat seed like other songbirds, but their favorite foods do include insects, nectar, fresh fruit, and jelly. What they eat depends on the season and what they need nutritionally for that season. Orioles tend to eat more insects in the summer during nesting season, due to the need for more protein for growth and development of young. In the Spring and Fall, they tend to eat more sugary-foods which provides energy for migration. You can help these birds by offering live & dried mealworms, jelly, nectar, and fresh fruit!

MEALWORMS: Offer Dried Mealworms in a shallow dish or cup feeder, or mix with any WBU seed blend. Live Mealworms are available in-store for purchase seasonally. (Call Store for more info!)

NECTAR: Use the same nectar you do for your hummingbirds (4:1 ratio or water and table sugar. EX: 4cups water to 1cup Sugar ; EX: 1cup water to 1/4 cup sugar). Keep nectar fresh and don't use food coloring! *Use Nectar Defender to safely extend the life of your nectar*

JELLY: Grape jelly is a favorite of Orioles and other birds including Grey Catbirds, Woodpeckers, House Finches and more! Be sure to offer natural jelly, like BirdBerry Jelly, or jelly without artificial flavor/ coloring and without added sugar. It's also important to only offer an amount of jelly that our birds will consume in a short period of time. Less is more when it comes to jelly. For the safety of your birds, we recommend using a small shallow cup/dish feeder for jelly and to change it frequently so that it doesn't spoil.

FRESH FRUIT: Orioles will eat a number of fresh fruits, but their favorite is Oranges. Offer oranges cut into slices, halves, or quarters. Be sure to only offer what birds will consume in a short period of time and to keep your fruit fresh!

TIP: Use an Orange weather dome to keep your food offerings dry in wet weather and to add extra color orange to your landscape!

Water

All birds need water. Birds need water to hydrate and to keep their feathers in top flight condition. Providing water means they don't have to travel far to find a water source. Migrating birds are always on the lookout for food and water sources along their migration route. You can attract local and migrating birds, some that may not visit feeders, just by offering water! Bids are also attracted to the sound of moving water. Be sure to keep your bird bath clean and frequently replace the water!

TIP: Add a bird bath to help birds! Add water sources at varying heights to appeal to different species of birds and wildlife. Use a bubbler, water wiggler, fountain, or other device to get your water moving and more attractive to your birds! (Added Bonus: moving water limits mosquitos from laying eggs!) See HERE for some suggestions!

Places to Raise Young

Orioles don't use bird houses or nest boxes, but they do create an incredible hanging-basket nest high up in the tree tops. Females select the nest site in her mate's territory and construct the nest by weaving plant fibers, grasses, vines, and other material. Males don't contribute to nest building other than perhaps bringing the female more nesting material. They do however help with feeding and raising the young. Orioles usually build their nest at the end of an upper branch of a deciduous tree such as an American Elm, Maple, or Cottonwood. Look for their basket nest hanging beneath a branch 6-60ft. hiegh in the top of a tree.

TIP: You can help Orioles by planting native deciduous trees that provide places to raise young and shelter. You can also collect natural nesting material to provide these birds with more safe nesting material!

Fun Facts About Orioles

Unlike many insect eating birds, Baltimore Orioles will eat spiny or hairy caterpillars, including such pest species as fall webworms, tent caterpillars, and gypsy moths.
Most male Baltimore Oriole songs vary enough from one another as to be unique to each individual. It is believed females can identify and locate their mate by its distinct song.
It takes as many as 12 days for an Oriole to weave its nest. One Baltimore Oriole was observed spending 40 hours building a nest with about 10,000 stitches and the tying of thousands of knots, all with its beak.
Oriole’s are a member of Icteridae family, meaning that their closest bird relatives include meadowlarks, blackbirds, bobolinks and grackles.
The oriole gets its name from the Latin aureolus, which means golden.
The oldest banded Baltimore Oriole recaptured in the wild had lived 11 years and 7 months.

More Resources:

Learn More About Baltimore Orioles and Orchard Orioles: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/

Follow Oriole Migration and Report Sightings at Journey North: https://journeynorth.org/