Homemade Oriole Bird Food
Most Orioles spend their winters in Florida, the Caribbean,central Mexico, Central America and the northern part of South America. While there, they enjoy a steady diet of fruit, caterpillars,insects, spiders and nectar. While it may be difficult to attract them with caterpillars andinsects, you can certainly attract orioles with nectar, nuts, suet, and fruits such as oranges, cherries, apples, pears or bananas and even grape jelly. Platform or tray feeders often work best when offering foods such as nuts, oranges, cherries, apples, pears or bananas to orioles. But they should be hung from a tree branch or placed on your deck rail instead of on the ground. Try using a variety of foods until you determine which food works best. I usually set the food out as if it were on a plate:
Obviously you will need to keep an eye on the food to make sure that it doesn't go bad. Most wild birdsfeed in the morning and in the evening, so there is no reason to leave it out during the heat of the day. You should change the fruits often to keep them fresh. There are oriole bird feeders on the market that dispense nectar (see recipe below).They are very similar to hummingbirdfeeders. They are usually orange instead of red. Since orioles don't hover while they eat, the oriole feeders are sturdier and should have a perch. If you are going to use an oriole feeder, consider making your own homemade Oriole bird food. Here is an easy recipe:
|
