Attracting Orioles to your Backyard

Because of their strikingly beautiful black and orange or yellow plumage, their distinctive whistle, spring songs, and their amazing suspended nest, Orioles are quickly becoming one of America's favorite birds. While over eight species of Orioles can regularly be seen in the United States, we deal mainly with three species- Baltimore, Bullocks, and Orchard. All United States Orioles show variation on the theme of black with yellow or orange plumage.

Except for in the Southeast, all Orioles are tropical migrants. While migrations vary from year-to-year, Orioles generally arrive in the South in early spring, Midwest in early May, and further North soon afterward. It is very important that you have Oriole feeders up and ready, or often they will pass you by for better feeding grounds. It is equally important to have nesting materials out and ready to help encourage Orioles to nest in your yard. Although studies are still being conducted on how much we can tempt Orioles to nest in backyards, by summer's end, migrating Orioles are headed back south to their winter homes in Central and South America. It does appear that Baltimore Orioles ranges are expanding, while Bullocks and Orchard Orioles are declining.

Where nesting material is available, Orioles will defend an area of several acres and start building

a pendulous nest. You can help encourage them by offering long strips of twine or horse hair.

Orioles make a pendulous nest with the females normally taking 5-8 days to do all the weaving.

The male defends their territory and occasionally checks out the construction of the nest, but

offers little help or expertise. The nest may be as much as 8 inches in length and is often

supported from the tips of branches that hang out over open areas such as rivers or roads. The

female will lay 4-5 pale gray to bluish eggs, which she alone will incubate until they hatch in

12-14 days. By summer's end all will have departed for a warm winter stay in South America.

Orioles migrate at night so they are tired, cold, and hungry when they arrive in your yard. If you

wait until you see them, you are "too late" to attract the maximum number of Orioles to you yard.

Oranges are one of the keys to attracting Orioles-Cut oranges in half and provide them "juicy

side out".

You can also attract Orioles up close by offering Oriole nectar, jelly, and fruit on feeders by the

house or patio. Many people feed jelly year-around, as not only Orioles, but Woodpeckers,

Robins, Warblers, and others enjoy it. Grape jelly seems to be the favorite.