oriole help

chickadee · Sat May 07, 2011 7:11 pm

Hi for 3 years I have orioles in my trees. Every spring and threw out summer. It has been my goal to get them to come down for some fruit. Does anyone have orioles? Can you tell me where you should place fruit and jelly feeders? I have orange half's on a stake thing hanging 5 ft off a apple tree. Away from bird feeders and about fifty feet from my house. Today it flew right by it if the wind would of gave it a little blow it would have hit him in the face. I know they have to be hungry so what can I do to tempt them to find and take my handouts? Does it need to be higher? Out in the open?

Mitch Booth · Sat May 07, 2011 7:37 pm

Chickadee,

Yes we have Orioles and they literally come to our window and peck the glass to let us know they need more meal worms. No joke.

To answer your question I use a large orange feeder that sits completely out in the open. That is key - being in the open so they can see it as they typically hang out in the high canopy of tree tops. I also use the orange suet and the love that as much if not more so than the meal worms and sugar water. Make sure your sugar water has the orange flavoring as well.

Be patient and get everything out in the open and they will be hanging out down low all day long. Use the orange suet, sugar water (orange flavored) in orange feeder and meal worms all out in the open so they can spot them from high above.

Mitch

chickadee · Sat May 07, 2011 8:20 pm

Ok thanks. I figured he flew right by it he should have seen it. But when you say out in the open does it need to be by your window in the open? Or out in the middle of the yard? Out back my deck takes up all the windows. And I live on it so they would not be able to get to the feeders with me outside. Also what do you put the mealworms in? Should I build a platform feeder to put it all on in the middle of the yard? I think my robins will be a pain. Or should I hang it off shepards hook? How high? And I do have one of those orange jelly feeder for them. Not a sugar water feeder. Can they get it out of a hummer feeder? Or does it need to be orange flavor? I just got a 5000 count large meal worms. But they will be in a fight for it with my bully blue bird. Also if you can or have the time I'd love to see a picture of what you are offering and where it is.

Dave Reynolds · Sat May 07, 2011 8:24 pm

Chickadee --

We have Orioles also in one of our tall 40 foot Oak trees. I first hung the feeder from a limb on the tree that they built their nest in. They didn't go close to it, until I hung the feeder from one of those six foot high Shepherds Hooks, and put it out in the open, between trees.

It's a hit now.. They like the oranges cut in half, but they love the Grape Jelly most of all.

Have fun, oh... By the way how are your Martins this year, any Subbies yet.

Dave -- in Ohio

chickadee · Sat May 07, 2011 8:43 pm

Thanks dave. I have not seen any subbies yet. But I'm sure its early. Even knowing my martins showed up this year almost a month early. I have 14 maybe 15. 3 have started building nest. In between the bad weather with all the rain, it is making it slow I think. I also think they love all the new gourds. They do gourd hoping I think some can't make up their mind where they want to build. This is the first year I can't tell if my first sy pair I had that started my site made it back. I always offered only 12 gourds and all the same. And every year he nested in the same one facing my deck. This year I added like 21 gourds and a variety. So iv been told now they may pick a new one. His gourd labeled number 1 sits empty. A pair does sleep in it. But nesting in one like it next to it. You never forget that first pair. I owe it all to him. He would be four this year. I had 7 pair last year. And I have that many back this year. So I like to think he's out their but just moved on to a nicer gourd. they seem to favor the bo11 and the thg. So I was going to add in late may or june 12 more on another rack. It was going to be all natural. Since I have none of them. But they seem to cost more and hard to find for me. So think I will add 4 of them 4 more bo11 and 4 more troyer horizontals. I am rambling. but martins are great I just need to get these orials down out of the trees. He was in the apple tree for a while but high above my oranges. Tomorrow I will get it out in the open. And cross my fingers.

Mitch Booth · Sat May 07, 2011 8:48 pm

Hey Chickadee,

Yes the nectar (sugar water) needs to be orange flavored. They also make suet specifically for Orioles that is also orange flavored. I hang all three feeders (sugar water/nectar, suet and mealworm) off shephard hooks. I have the one shephard hook next to our hot tub and the birds come to it while we are in the tub. They seem very use to us and I had one this evening at the Tropican Orange feeder (as my wife calls it) 10 feet away while grilling out. Just place them in the yard where the can be seen from above. In other words don't place them under your pine tree or under the eve of your house.

The orange feeder is specific to Orioles. Orioles can not drink from a hummingbird feeder as the holes are not big enough.

The meal worm feeder is specific to meal worms as they can NOT climb out of the container and the container has 4 small holes which allow water to drain from it. The sides all have small pieces of wood enabling the birds to perch. I have cardinals, chickadees, tit-mice, bluebirds and nuthatches all feeding from the mealworm feeder.

Here's some pics from the cell phone.

Mitch

chickadee · Sat May 07, 2011 9:12 pm

Ok thanks. I have one shepard hook but it is only like 4 ft tall. I will need to get another shepard hook and nectar feeder tomorrow. And I am going to get them out in the open and see what happens. Giving it may take them a few days. They don't nest in my yard. But they have to be nesting close by me. I would think somebody feeds them. But I guess maybe not. About a week ago I was sitting on my deck and about five ft in front of me 3 males go flying by me. I thought they are back! I'm going to try again.then I always see them in the trees by hearing them first. They have such a song it stands out. I have food right under their nose it drives me crazy. I can get martins but not them down to my feeders. (Lol)

Caroline94535-ND · Sat May 07, 2011 10:11 pm

I have several beautiful Orioles all summer long. There are more in the spring and then they spread out during the nesting season.

I have several large nectar feeders for them. I use plain sugar and water, 1:4 ratio, no food coloring, and no flavors. They suck it up and love it. My feeders hang from 4-ft. to 6-ft off the ground. I have orioles at all the feeders and usually several at a time all summer.

I have a simple cup holder (I'll try to find a photo) for jelly. It was a large parakeet treat holder. It's bolted to a flat board which is nailed to the trunk of my feeder tree. I have a circular feeder, with perches on either side, that holds an impaled orange. It hangs from the feeder tree, too.

I have an orange colored, way-overpriced "oriole feeder" that holds two cups for jelly and has a spike on each end for oranges...but it has no perches. It's the last feeder they use. I tried attaching small branches to it last year to add perching.

I have the various oriole feeders hung from the feeder tree along with the other birds' feeders...BOSS, thistle, suet. The orioles join the crowd like everyone else. They do seem to like the "Woodpecker Treat" suet, too. I don't buy anything especially for them...except the jelly (which the chickadees love, too.)

They don't seem to like squirrel guards or tops over their feeders. I think they like to "see" what's above and around them.

Ooops. The site isn't letting my post all photos. I'll try sending some to you.

landonn · Sun May 08, 2011 6:50 am

I use grape jelly and they love it. I have also seen them drink sugar water too.

Landonn

Guest · Sun May 08, 2011 7:46 am

I use an orange color bowl with grape jelly in it. The bowl is placed on the railing of my deck less than 10 feet from the house.

rickluc · Sun May 08, 2011 8:42 am

I have an upside down suet feeder that a oriole has been eating out of this spring. Filled with suet, Just the plain old cheap stuff. Heres a picture of a horse I have been feeding this winter, the same feeder the oriole has been useing.

GeneP · Sun May 08, 2011 8:58 am

The Orioles around here come to my humming bird feeder all the time. My fruit feeder is clamped to a railing that goes around the sidewalk entrance to the house. You can see it is under a Japanese Maple tree. Not in the open at all. The video was shot from a window about 3 feet away. Watch the whole video, as there were 3 that visited in a short time.

http://youtu.be/N01sv2Vwvf0

DakotaLady · Sun May 08, 2011 9:14 am

Rick,

Is that a pileated woodpecker? That is awesome. That is one bird that is on my bucket list to eventually see in real life.

Nice photo.

rickluc · Sun May 08, 2011 9:25 am

Yes. They are getting to be more common in Indiana I think. I had a pair in the woods beside me for at least 4 years now. He, and or she, just started coming in and eating out of the feeder last fall. There has been times when I see two in my yard at one time. So I'm assuming its a pair. Using up a lot of suet. If it goes up like the sunflower seeds have done in the last year, I will have to stop feeding them or put a second mortgage on the house. Now I get the opportunity to feed an oriole. At least the Martins fend for them selfs.

chickadee · Sun May 08, 2011 4:11 pm

I got my stuff out today. And they are in my neighbors yard. That's where I always see them. I told them last year and she put up a feeder for them and said she never seen them come to it. Well he has been out their all day pecking and hitting their window. Do they fight their reflection in the window like cardinals? Or is it that he found her feeder and she did not know it? They have not put it up this year. But I have know patience for this! When he is hungry and my feeder is not buy window but in middle of my yard. He looked right at me when I put the hook in the ground. How long will it take for him to come to it. Ill try post pictures of mine. and my neighbores window has trees all around its not in the open.

chickadee · Sun May 08, 2011 4:16 pm

I got my stuff out today. And they are in my neighbors yard. That's where I always see them. I told them last year and she put up a feeder for them and said she never seen them come to it. Well he has been out their all day pecking and hitting their window. Do they fight their reflection in the window like cardinals? Or is it that he found her feeder and she did not know it? They have not put it up this year. But I have know patience for this! When he is hungry and my feeder is not buy window but in middle of my yard. He looked right at me when I put the hook in the ground. How long will it take for him to come to it. Ill try post pictures of mine. and my neighbores window has trees all around its not in the open. Also hope bird bath is ok by it.