Nov. 6/2024

 

13 Fun Facts About Orioles! (#7 is my favorite)

By Lindsey Dahle

First, these birds are absolutely beautiful. Their fiery orange & yellow plumage makes them look like they belong in a tropical rainforest! And their beautiful songs are a cheerful addition to any backyard. 

Additionally, even though orioles are not rare, they are uncommon to see. I know many people who have NEVER observed an oriole as these shy birds tend to stay high up in the trees. I love showing someone orioles at my feeders for the first time & witnessing how they can’t believe these birds exist near us!

#1. Orioles love the color orange.

Orioles are attracted to the color orange because it mimics many of the native flowers they drink from. Unfortunately, many backyard birders make the mistake of putting orange coloring in their oriole nectar, but this isn’t necessary. Instead, you can use an oriole feeder with an orange cap or base.

In addition, orioles also love to eat fruit, & oranges are one of their favorites! Try placing halved or quartered oranges in your backyard for them to consume. My favorite oriole feeder is the Ultimate Oriole Buffet. It has nails for hanging orange halves & cups for grape jelly, another favorite of orioles!

#2. Orioles can’t resist caterpillars.

Although many people associate orioles with nectar & jelly, they mostly eat these foods to replenish their strength after migrating. However, once orioles have started to nest, they switch to eating insects & spiders almost exclusively. Their favorite insect types are caterpillars like gypsy moth caterpillars, cabbage worms, & tent caterpillars. They even eat spiny & hairy caterpillars, which most other birds avoid!

Orioles also eat spiders, wasps, crickets, & grasshoppers, so if any of these critters are causing problems in your yard, try attracting orioles! Just make sure not to use pesticides because you’ll be killing their primary food source.

#3. Orioles have a sweet tooth. 🙂

Orioles enjoy eating sugar. And I mean, can we blame them?

Specifically, these birds enjoy sugary foods during & directly after their long migration north & south. The sweet, high-energy treats provide them with much-needed energy. Naturally, orioles drink nectar from flowers & look for fruit.

But luckily, bird feeding enthusiasts can attract orioles to their feeders in spring using the following sugary foods:

Jelly

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

Jelly that is made for humans is fine for feeding orioles. Just head to your local grocery store & 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 & not jam.

Nectar

Like 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, & you’re done!

Unfortunately, you typically can’t use your existing hummingbird nectar feeders for orioles. That’s because their beaks are too big to fit into the tiny ports that typical hummingbird feeders possess.

#4. Orioles don’t eat birdseed.

 

Unfortunately, your regular bird feeders won’t attract orioles at all. This is because they don’t eat any typical feeder foods, like sunflower seeds & peanuts.

In addition to grape jelly, oranges, & nectar, one food that MAY attract orioles to your feeding station is dried mealworms. Since they’re insect larva, mealworms fit into the natural diet of orioles.

#5. They’re extremely sensitive to pesticide use.

Pesticides are just about the worst thing you can use if you want to attract orioles!

Here’s why:

A. Orioles eat pests! Their diet is made up almost entirely of caterpillars, spiders, & insects that pesticides are designed to kill. If all these creatures die, the orioles will have nothing to eat. Since they don’t eat birdseed or other common bird foods, they’ll have to move on to find a meal.

B. Pesticides can contaminate other sources of food. For example, when Orioles arrive at their breeding grounds after migration, they eat fruit & nectar for quick energy. Pesticides can easily blow onto fruit trees & berry bushes, contaminating this food source & making the orioles sick.

Additionally, orioles may be better at controlling pests than the chemicals anyway! One of the best facts about orioles is that they eat many insects that cause damage to gardens but leave beneficial insects & pollinators alone. So, skip the pesticides & invite an oriole to dine in your backyard instead!

#6. Every oriole has a unique song.

All orioles sing clear, flutelike songs & whistle loudly. But each individual has a unique song that other orioles can identify!

They use songs & calls for many different purposes. For example, male mating orioles usually sing long, melodic songs, while warning calls are short, sharp “chucks.”

If an oriole is defending its territory or competing with another bird, it’s likely to make a series of staccato chirps that sound like “ah-ah-ah.”

#7. Oriole nests are incredible structures!

Orioles are the master engineers of the bird world!

This is my favorite fact about orioles. I find their nests to be truly amazing! They create intricately woven baskets that hang from tree branches. The materials can vary, but generally, orioles prefer long fibers pulled from immature trees or other hardy plants.

The baskets have 3 distinct layers. The outer layer is made of tough, durable fibers woven together like a basket. A second layer is made of springier materials like grass or bits of leaves. Finally, the interior is lined with downy material like cottonwood or cattail fluff, feathers, or delicate plants.

This complex nest is so durable that up to 85% of oriole nests are still hanging the next spring! Despite their durability, orioles rarely reuse a nest. However, they will take materials from existing nests to build new ones.

#8. Not all orioles are bright orange.

When most people think about orioles, they picture the bright orange & black of a Baltimore or Bullock’s Oriole. But the truth is, many orioles are yellow, burnt orange, or even brown!

Female & juvenile orioles have muted colors that range from grayish-brown to yellow. Even though they aren’t as bright, they’re still beautiful!

Orchard Orioles are another species that isn’t typically orange. They have a black hood & back similar to a Baltimore Oriole but a burnt orange or chestnut color on the chest. Some species like the Hooded Oriole & Scott’s Oriole are bright yellow.

#9. Orioles are members of the blackbird family.

This is a fact about orioles that many people find hard to believe.

Despite their bright coloring, orioles are members of the family Icteridae, which are blackbirds. Other members include grackles, red-winged blackbirds, & Brewer’s blackbirds.

Orioles were given their genus name from the Latin word aureolus, which means “golden.“ Their colorful feathers are all the more beautiful when you consider they’re actually blackbirds!

#10. There are 8 oriole species in the United States!

It might surprise you to learn how many different types live in the USA because many of their ranges don’t overlap.

For instance, we only have 2 types here in Ohio, Baltimore & Orchard Orioles. But in California, there are 3 completely different species.

There are 33 species of oriole, but most of them stay in South America & Mexico year-round.

#11. There is a pro baseball team named after an oriole!

It’s true! The Baltimore Orioles are named after the popular bird that migrates to Maryland during the summer. It might seem like a simple connection, but actually, the history is complicated & fascinating!

The original leader of Maryland & the namesake of Baltimore was Lord Cecil Calvert Baltimore, & the colors of his family crest are orange & black. So, residents of Maryland began calling the Baltimore Oriole the “Baltimore-Bird” after Lord Cecil’s colors. The Baltimore Oriole has had a rich history in Maryland since well before the Major League Baseball team was started!

Once Major League Baseball started a franchise in Baltimore, it seemed only fitting that they would be named after the state bird, so the Baltimore Orioles were founded.

But, for a while, the baseball Orioles were the only Baltimore Orioles that existed! Believe it or not, from 1973 to 1994, Baltimore Orioles (the birds) were lumped in with a western relative, the Bullock’s Oriole, & called the Northern Oriole.

In 1995, the 2 species were split, & since then, 2 types of Baltimore Orioles come back to Maryland each spring. 🙂

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