Page 10 - North Haven Magazine Issue 33 Spring 2024

Attracting Orioles to Your Yard

by Sally Brockett

Did you just see a bird with a flash of neon orange flying through your yard? Look carefully and notice if there is black on the head and
wings. If so, it is probably a Baltimore oriole looking for food and perhaps a place to nest. It is fun to share your yard with these striking
birds, who sing beautifully and build unique hanging nests. Let us learn more about orioles and encourage them to visit.

There are eight species of orioles that reside in the US and a few species that might be a rare visitor from South America. However, only
Baltimore and Orchard orioles live in this area and these two can be easily identified.

Baltimore Oriole Orchard Oriole

The male Baltimore oriole is a medium-sized, brilliant orange bird The male Orchard oriole is smaller than the Baltimore, with a
with a black head and back. The chest, belly, rump and outer tail rusty-orange-colored chest and belly, black head, back and tail.
feathers are orange. The bill is long and sharply pointed. The fe- There are some traces of white on the wings. The female is a yel-
male has a brownish-to-yellowish head and back, with some yellow low-green color.
around the tail. Both sexes have white wing bars.

The habitats for both types of orioles are Other birds will enjoy the oriole feeder and evening will teach them when to come for
similar. They enjoy deciduous wood edges, provide entertainment for you: this treat and help ensure that you get to
tall shade trees, riverside groves and semi- see them. It is an exciting time for photos.
open clearings. Orioles migrate to warmer • Gray catbirds
climates for the winter and return to Con- • Northern mockingbirds If ants try to attend the oriole dinner party,
necticut in early April to late May. • Red-bellied woodpeckers use ant moats to discourage them. Also, use
• Brown thrashers peppermint essential oil to deter ants from
The orioles’ diet consists of mostly insects • Tanagers climbing up a pole.
and berries or other types of fruit. They do • Rose-breasted grosbeaks
enjoy nectar from flowers and feeders, so Oriole feeders are available at local gar-
using feeders is an effective way to attract Additional enticements: den centers or there are easy do-it-yourself
these beautiful birds. They will eat suet, es- • Cut up some pieces of fresh grapes, plans on the Internet. The Daytime Garden-
pecially if it contains some mealworms and apples and bananas and put them in ers recently assembled kits prepared by
bits of fruit. the dish. Walt Brockett to take home. These feeders
offered posts for two orange halves and a
Attracting orioles to stay in your yard re- • Put out an oriole nectar feeder near dish for jelly, suet or mealworms. Orioles
quires some attention to their diet and your orange feeder. Use a sugar-wa- are attracted to the color orange, so it is
needs. Timing is everything as they migrate ter recipe for orioles as you do for helpful to have some orange color on the
north to nest in early spring. hummingbirds. (4-parts water to feeder. If you see these feeders in your
1-part pure sugar) neighborhood, watch for brilliant flashes of
• Put orange-colored feeders out the • Keep sugar-water fresh and don’t use orange!
first week in April to catch early arriv- food coloring.
als as they migrate north. • Orioles will eat suet and mealworms,
• Offer orange halves on the feeder so put those in the dish. Look for suet
and grape jelly in a dish. Keep it fresh. that contains fruits, mealworms and
peanut butter, or make it yourself!
• Put the feeder in an open area about
five feet off the ground so the birds • They are not seed eaters and usu-
can see it. ally only eat seeds that are small or
cracked open by other birds.
• Hang your feeder near a birdbath. Now is the time to attract orioles because
If your birdbath has a bubbler, that Grape jelly is a favorite treat for orioles, they are migrating and looking for great lo-
is even better because the sound of but it should be offered in limited amounts. cations to live this summer in Connecticut.
water attracts birds. Think of grape jelly as dessert rather than a You can help them locate in North Haven
• Be patient, it may take several sea- meal. Use jelly that is natural with no pre- by installing feeders to attract them to your
yard. Then you can enjoy their beauty and
sons, but they will often return if servatives and no high fructose corn syrup. their cheerful songs.
they like your yard. A tablespoon put out in the morning and

10 North Haven Magazine - Spring Issue 2024