5 SIMPLE Strategies That Attract Orioles! (2025)

Why is attracting orioles so fun and exciting?

I think it’s a combination of a few things. First, regardless of the species (Baltimore, Orchard, Bullocks), orioles are absolutely gorgeous! I think their exotic orange plumage makes them look like they belong in a rainforest instead of your backyard.

How To Attract Orioles

The other reason is that even though orioles are not rare, they are uncommon to see. I know many people who have NEVER observed an oriole. These shy birds tend to stay high up in the trees AWAY from people. I love being able to show someone orioles at my feeders for the first time and witness how they can’t believe these birds exist near us!

Below you will learn 5 effective strategies you can use to attract orioles!

Assuming you live in the USA or southern Canada, then you can potentially watch orioles in your backyard during the summer months. It’s going to take some effort on your part to initially attract these beautiful birds, but once they start coming, they can quickly become regular feeder visitors.


Strategy #1: Select Foods That Orioles ACTUALLY Eat!

To attract orioles, you can’t use standard birdseed mixes that include foods like sunflower, safflower, peanuts, and corn.

That’s because orioles have a different diet that DOES NOT include seeds. In the wild they prefer eating ripe fruits and insects, so we need to mimic what they naturally eat as best as possible.

In general, there are 4 foods used to attract orioles:

Food #1: Fruit

types of fruit for birds

You finally have a great way to get rid of old fruit in your house that you’re not going to eat!

That’s because orioles enjoy eating a wide variety of fruit, including oranges, grapes, bananas, berries, and cherries.

best oriole feeders for oranges

The fruit that I prefer using is an orange sliced in half. That’s because orioles love eating oranges! And as a bonus, orioles are naturally attracted to the color orange. I also like that oranges are generally inexpensive, don’t spoil quickly if appropriately stored, and can be used in a wide variety of bird feeders.

Food #2: Jelly

When it comes to feeding orioles jelly, it seems that the grape flavor works best.

Jelly that is made for humans is fine for feeding orioles. Just head to your local grocery store and buy an inexpensive brand.

My preference is buying jelly that comes in a squeeze bottle to avoid the mess of scooping it out with a spoon! And make sure you purchase jelly and not jam.

Food #3: Nectar

Similar to hummingbirds, orioles enjoy drinking sugar water for an instant energy burst!

You can purchase pre-made nectar, but it’s easy to make your own! Just mix 4 parts water with 1 part table sugar, and you’re done!

Unfortunately, you typically can’t use your existing hummingbird nectar feeders for orioles. That’s because their bills are too big to fit into the tiny ports that typical hummingbird feeders possess. But have no fear, Strategy #2 below details some nectar feeders that are designed specifically for orioles!

Food #4: Mealworms

Since orioles also love eating insects, they may come to your feeder if you offer mealworms.

mealworms for bluebirds

Mealworms can be offered in two ways: Dead or alive.

  • Freeze-dried (dead): You can buy large bulk packs of mealworms that can be stored for long periods. Freeze-dried is not nearly as appealing to birds as living mealworms.
  • Alive: You can purchase living mealworms either at a local pet store or online. Dealing with living mealworms is a lot more work than buying freeze-dried ones, but birds will go crazy over having a live treat!

In full disclosure, I have not had much luck attracting and feeding orioles with mealworms. I have had the most success with fruit, jelly, and nectar.


Strategy #2: Be Seasonally Savvy With The Foods You Offer.

It’s essential to understand the natural history of orioles. You want to make sure you are putting out the correct food at the right times of the year to have the best chance of attracting them.

Here is what I mean:

In case you didn’t know, orioles are not year-round visitors to most of the USA and Canada. Orioles typically spend their winters in Central America and migrate back north in late April or early May to breed and raise their young. Then in September, nature calls and they make the long migration back south.

For most of us, we have 4 months each year to attract orioles!

And to complicate things a bit more, the diet of an oriole changes from the time they arrive back from migration to the time they leave again at the end of summer.

But don’t worry, here is a simple guide of what and when you should be feeding orioles. Please know that the diet of your local birds may VARY GREATLY, depending on the exact species, weather, location, and food availability.

Diet for Spring and Late Summer/Early Fall:

attracting orioles with fruit and oranges

 

Feed foods high in sugar, such as jelly, ripe fruits, and nectar. The sugar is converted into energy needed for migration. The fruits that seem to work best at oriole feeders are orange halves and grapes.

Summer Diet:

During the summer months, most of an orioles diet consists of insects. The additional protein is needed while they are breeding and raising their young. Try offering dried mealworms in a tray or cup to keep orioles coming to your feeders all summer. Lastly, don’t stop feeding fruits, nectar, and jelly until the orioles stop eating these foods each day.

I have the most luck attracting orioles in spring as they arrive from their migration.

Unfortunately, just as I am getting used to the daily show of orioles each spring, it seems like their diet switches without warning, and they quit coming to the oranges and jelly they reliably ate just days before. At this time, it’s necessary to switch to mealworms to try and get the birds coming back all summer.


Strategy #3: Use Oriole Friendly Feeders.

So far, we have discussed the right foods you need to use to attract orioles and then the best times of year to offer these foods.

The next strategy for attracting orioles is selecting specialized bird feeders that can feed these birds their unique diet!

For example, here is a video of one of my favorite feeders for orioles:

YouTube video

View Price - Chewy

I love that it can feed THREE different foods at one time! The feeder holds nectar in the bottom dish, which birds access by sticking their beak through the four feeding ports. On the top orange lid, there are four small cups where jelly can be placed. Lastly, the metal rod used for hanging the feeder can be used to skewer half oranges (not pictured in the above video).

For a complete list of different feeders that can be used to attract orioles, check out my below article! The post gives some great ideas for repurposing some of your current bird feeders for orioles, including using a nail and hammer!

Want a LIVE look at my oriole feeders?

Press PLAY below to see what’s happening at my bird feeding station.

YouTube video

Depending on the time of year, I may not be trying or able to attract orioles. Or you may be reading this at night, in which case you get to see the camera’s impressive night vision, but probably no birds. 🙂


Strategy #4: Provide Water

attracting orioles with birdbaths

This strategy isn’t just for attracting orioles. Offering a water source can also be used for drawing lots of additional species to your backyard, including birds that generally don’t visit feeders, such as warblers, hawks, robins, etc.

The reason is simple. ALL birds and animals need to drink. If you provide a clean and consistent source of water, you may be surprised at what will show up.

To provide water in your backyard, you are going to need to purchase a bird bath (unless you are lucky enough to have a lake or river nearby!).

Don’t believe me that bird baths attract unique birds?

Check out this awesome video of a Red-shouldered Hawk drinking from my ground bird bath.

YouTube video

The heated birdbath seen above is made by Farm InnovatorsView Cost - Amazon

Bird baths come in all sorts of shapes, colors, styles, and price ranges. To see some of my favorite designs, check out this article that I wrote: What Are 12 BEST Bird Baths? (I own #5)


Strategy #5: Plant Native Trees That Appeal To Orioles!

Planting native trees and shrubs are the best way to attract orioles without having the constant maintenance that feeders require. Just think about it, once a tree is established, you don’t have to do anything except maybe water it every so often!

Trees and shrubs provide important places for orioles to nest, hide, eat, perch, and roost.

Here are a few of the best native plants you can use:

Tree species that orioles will use for NESTING: Oak, maple, sycamore, and elm trees.

attracting orioles to nest and have babies, nestlings

  • Along with being preferred nesting locations, these native trees provide large quantities of insects that orioles require while raising their nestlings. Unfortunately, orioles seem to prefer large, mature trees, so if you are just planting a small tree, you may have a long wait on your hands. 🙁
  • On a side note, orioles build some of the most complicated nests of any species. The nests are woven from hundreds of strands of fibers and hang from the ends of tree branches. To encourage nesting in your yard, you can try providing 6-inch or shorter pieces of biodegradable string and yarn, which can be placed in a suet feeder.

Plants that provide fruit for FOOD and NUTRITION:

The list is long, but a few popular fruit trees and shrubs that orioles love are are mulberry, wild cherry, raspberry, blackberry, serviceberry, and dogwood berries.

Lastly, orioles are naturally attracted to the color orange. Try to landscape your yard with plants that have orange flowers. Last summer, I planted a Trumpet Vine in our backyard, which provides dozens of bright orange nectar-filled flowers that should help not only attract orioles, but it’s a favorite for hummingbirds (and Trumpet Vines grow EXTREMELY fast!).


TWO Frequently Asked Questions:

#1. What are the most common species of orioles?

This question is hard to answer because it depends on where you live! Three common species of orioles are observed across the United States and southern Canada.

  • Baltimore Oriole: The most common oriole in the eastern USA. Summer range is most of the USA and southern Canada east of the Rocky Mountains. They spend winters in Florida and Central America.
  • Orchard Oriole: The summer range is the USA east of the Rocky Mountains. Spends its winters in Central America.
  • Bullocks Oriole: The most common oriole in the western USA. Their summer range is west of the Rocky Mountains. Spends winters in Central America.

RELATED: The 8 Orioles Found in the United States and Canada! (w/ Range Maps)


#2. How long will it take for orioles to start visiting my feeders?

Unfortunately, this question is impossible to answer.

To be honest, you may never see an oriole in your backyard, even though you diligently set out the correct foods every day, supply fresh water, and have large, beautiful trees that are perfect for housing oriole nests.

On the other hand, you may put an orange out at the beginning of May and have birds visiting within 24 hours.

If you are having issues attracting orioles, don’t give up too fast!

It’s not uncommon to try for a few seasons before the orioles find you and know they can count on your yard to provide delicious food all season long. My recommendation is to try at least 3 years before giving up.


Final Thoughts and Conclusion:

how to attract orioles to backyard

At this point, I hope you are feeling confident in your ability to attract orioles to your backyard!

We have gone over the following 5 simple strategies:

  1. Feeding the types of foods that orioles eat at bird feeders.

  2. Being seasonally savvy with your food selection.

  3. Selecting appropriate oriole feeders.

  4. Offering fresh and clean water.

  5. Planting native trees and shrubs that appeal to orioles.

And please do not give up!

Tomorrow could be the day that a beautiful, orange oriole finally discovers your tasty jelly, nectar, fruit, and mealworms.

What tips can you share that help attract orioles?

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76 Comments

  1. I’ve wanted to put out orange halves but I have a question…do squirrels covet oranges? They are a bit of a nuisance here and I don’t want to encourage them.

  2. I’m in Lake County, OH and my first oriole arrived 4/29. I have used the Birds Choice feeder for several years. The birds love it and it is easy to clean. I didn’t know about meal worms. Will get some for summer feeding. Thanks, Scott, for your informative emails.

  3. would strongly encourage everyone to offer orioles only natural grape jelly without high-fructose corn syrup, as it’s more nutritious and better for their overall health.

  4. Orioles were to the orange and grape jelly feeder until the Mocking Birds started eating there too, now it seems the Orioles are gone. What can I do to get them back ? I love all my birds but especially the Orioles, Grosbeak & the indigo bunting! !

  5. Morning- I have had Orioles for years, ( guess I’m lucky ) I am trying something new and need your opinion on this. One of my feeders has grape jelly & dried crushed up mealworm. Is this an okay way to give them protein and energy, or will the combo make it less attractive. Thank you. Stay safe.

  6. I live in Iowa and hung a netted bag on a branch. I use either an onion bag,potato,or an orange bag. I cut oranges,place them in the bag and watch the beautiful orioles feed off it.

  7. I’m new to birding in the north, I’m from Texas. I love your articles. They are complete in topic but very easy to understand. Thank you.

  8. Wow. This information is so interesting and useful. I will use grape jelly to attractive my birds. Thanks a lot.

  9. I live in S.W. Fl.. in a location that does not allow bird feeders, I plan to plant plants that attract Hummers & a sugar water feeder, will Orioles use this or do I need one specific for them. I plan to plant plants that attract Hummers & butterflies & would like info on plants that would do triple duty for all three

  10. I put out those plastic bee traps. They hang near he orioles feeders and at both end s of our deck. It was VERY effective last summer and I’m stocking up,on the traps now!

  11. Any suggestions about keeping bees and hornets away from the fruit and/or jelly? I tried both last year I two different types of oriole feeders only to find I couldn’t get close enough to change them because of the swarming bees!

  12. My husband and I have been feeding the Orioles for several years now. They are beautiful and have a beautiful song too. We get so exited at the end of April.We put out jelly, nectar and oranges. They are truly amazing, many years they arrive May 1st like clockwork! We are on jar #17 of jelly. They nest in our trees too, so shortly we will see little ones being feed at the feeder. They are such a joy.

  13. Wow! I absolutely love the hawk at your birdbath! Great tips! Thank you kindly. My feeders are on shepherd’s poles mounted on my 2nd story balcony railings. Maybe I get so many orioles because they’re up so high.
    Just because a wild bird “loves” something, that does not mean it’s good for the bird! A decent natural jelly such as Welches Natural Concord Grape Jelly costs only pennies more than cheap generics. Then they’re only getting the naturally occurring sugars and nutrients from the grapes. They don’t need to consume as much because it provides more of the nutrients and natural sugars their bodies need and can digest more readily. The cheaper the jelly, the less good it is for orioles. They can contain dyes, chemicals and preservatives. That stuff and high fructose corn syrup is not found in the wild. It’s not good for humans and it’s not good for birds especially considering how very much food they must consume daily relative to their tiny size. It’s just not meant to be a part of their diet.
    Also Baltimore Orioles feed on suet with seeds in it. That’s how I found out I had orioles. I even have one that eats the Smucker’s Natural Chunky Peanut Butter I put on the top of one of the suet feeders for the chickadees. I’ve never provided insects but on the northern tip of SE Wisconsin my orioles are daily visitors from spring all the way through fall. Possibly because of the suet which I see them feeding from for the duration.
    Lastly, so long as you provide hummingbird feeders with attached perches (orioles can’t hover), orioles will easily feed from them. Unlike hummers, they don’t put their beaks in to drink. Their tongues are long enough (and skinny enough) to lap up the nectar. You’ll need to provide at least two feeders though otherwise the hummers will lose the competition for a single feeder. Happy Birding!

  14. Put the grape jelly in an orange 1/2 that is partly scooped out and set out upright… great attractant.

  15. Thanks, Scott! I didn’t even know orioles existed until I stumbled upon your website. Being an avid birder, as they say, I kick myself for not knowing about these flying jewels! I put up an orange and jelly feeder, and within two days, I had 3 orioles coming to it! Thanks again!!😊

  16. A real easy oriole feeder can be made by turning a tomato cage upside down and pushing orange halves down onto the “legs” of it. Tie it down somewhere higher up if you can. I tie mine on top of an old ladder.

  17. I shared your comment with a friend of mine who is a bird expert, as I had the same experience, she told me that the male oriole is not very bright and he saw his reflection in the glass patio door He thought it was another male competing with him for the females. So he sang long and loud.

  18. It took me a few years but now we have them in the late spring. They like jelly and oranges. Trumpet vines also they like. Good luck