Updated at: 06-06-2023 - By: Jane Brody

Orioles, like other birds, will frequent trees with their feeders hung from them, so the same rules that apply to hanging feeders for other species also apply to orioles.

The best place to hang an orange feeder, such as an Oriole feeder, is on a brown or green tree since the colors will attract a wider variety of birds. If you want to watch orioles in the wild, you’ll need to find a tree with a branch out so you can watch them eat. If you don’t have a tree, you can still attract orioles by hanging a feeder from a pole.

Baltimore Oriole Bird Feeder-3

Remember that no matter where you hang an oriole feeder, birds will find it eventually; even if they can’t see it at first, they will utilize it.

Since a bird feeder in a backyard isn’t going to be similar to an oriole’s natural environment, the oriole doesn’t need a feeder to be strung to its exact requirements.

Orioles, consequently, have grown to rely on the nectar, jelly, and oranges you serve them at bird feeders, in open containers, or on snares.

Oriole feeders are best kept out of the direct sunlight, so if you can, put them in a tree.

Like most common backyard birds, orioles become accustomed to seeing a bird feeder strung from a pole in a bustling suburban neighborhood, and they learn to feed from it.

In an effort to conceal the nectar, jelly, or oranges from the prying eyes of other birds, you can’t go wrong by hanging an oriole feeder from a single Shepherd’s Hook.

The pole of any bird feeder can double as a squirrel baffle to prevent the rodents from raiding the oriole’s food supply. If you want to keep insects away from the oriole feeder, you don’t have to hang it under an ant moat suspended from the pole bracket, but it makes things easier to maintain.

If you want to start feeding orioles as soon as they arrive, you should put out feeders by the end of March. You may continue doing so until the end of September.

Oriole feeder open to elements

If you want to attract orioles to your yard, you should hang a feeder for them on a pole or a branch in a well-lit position where they can easily see the feeder’s bright orange color from the air.

It is crucial that orioles, like all backyard birds, can see the feeder anytime they fly overhead or quickly land nearby.

Moving the oriole feeder across the yard so that it receives more filtered shade would help keep the feeder’s food source alive.

Positioning an oriole feeder is comparable to positioning a hummingbird feeder. Hummingbirds might not visit an oriole feeder if it is placed high in a tree, perhaps on a thick branch.

Place the oriole feeder in the yard’s sunny, central location so that passing birds may easily spot it.

In contrast, during the warmer months, you’ll want to relocate the oriole feeder on a bird feeder pole to a shadier part of the yard.

Using a wall-mounted bracket, for instance, you can still hang an oriole feeder, so long as it is in plain sight and not hidden away.

Prioritize visible tree branch

Baltimore Oriole Bird Feeder-2

In the wild, orioles eat a wide variety of insects and other arthropods, both on the ground and in trees.

Natural feeding activity for the oriole family includes rummaging through foliage and flipping over leaves to peck at insects.

If you want to attract orioles to your yard, it’s important to know where they hang out in the wild so you can mimic their natural habitat while setting up your feeder.

To that end, if it’s okay with you, I’d like to hang an oriole feeder from a low, open branch of a tree on your land.

Orioles would be attracted to the very conspicuous orange feeder, which is suspended from a branch, against the brown tree bark or vegetation.

Although many of you may not have access to trees or shrubs, a bird feeder pole can be just as effective.

Orioles expect nectar-filled feeders to be placed in a variety of locations throughout the yard, as well as hanging orange slices and grape jelly in containers.

If you put out feeders for orioles, they won’t care where you put them as long as they’re easy to find.

Hung off solitary bird feeder pole

If there isn’t a tree in your yard suitable for hanging an oriole feeder, your first thought should be to install a sturdy yet adaptable bird feeder pole.

If you want to put up a bird feeder, you could, but any extra brackets you buy will just sit there. A Shepherd’s Hook [seen above] may be all that’s needed to hang an oriole feeder without risk of injury.

If you have a tiny yard or property without a lot of trees or shrubs, then a bird feeder pole is the perfect place to put your oriole feeders.

You can hang a tiny jelly feeder or a huge oriole feeding station, depending on the size of your backyard and the number of birds you want to attract.

Oriole feeders loaded with nectar don’t have a roof to protect the food from the elements, therefore they need to be moved into the shade. However, the best jelly oriole feeders, or ones designed just for oranges, will have a roof.

Even though they may look like they’re there to stay, bird feeder poles can be moved if you find that a different location attracts more desirable birds, such as orioles.

Since ants are drawn to the nectar in oriole feeders, you’ll need to utilize a bird feeding station to suspend the feeders above an ant moat.

In addition, a squirrel baffle can be attached to the pole of any bird feeder to prevent squirrels from accessing the jelly in clear plastic containers or drinking the nectar.

Less Sun, more Shade

Baltimore Oriole Bird Feeder

For a while, let’s pause to consider the contents of the typical oriole feeders that can be hung from a branch or a bird feeder pole.

Most people use homemade nectar, which quickly goes bad when exposed to the elements in nectar bird feeders that don’t require any additional refrigeration.

Unfortunately, the sugar water won’t keep for long if it’s exposed to the sunlight.

The nectar in an oriole feeder won’t last forever, so we’ll have to move it to a cooler, shadier location.

Too much time in the sun will cause the grape-flavored jelly in an oriole feeder to deteriorate. While a roof on a specialized oriole jelly feeder will protect the contents from rain, it will not prevent the jelly from rotting under high temperatures and/or high humidity.

Orioles will eat orange slices or jelly, but only if they are fresh and placed out every day.

Hanging oriole feeders within a thick tree that can give natural shade is one way to keep the nectar fresh for longer; another option is to move the bird feeder pole to a location that is shaded for the majority of the day.

Even while jellies and orange slices tend to attract insects like ants and bees, they are nonetheless beneficial.

To Summarize

The orioles in your yard will appreciate the nectar, jelly, or orange slices from their feeders, as these foods provide a steady supply of energy.

Orioles prefer trees and bushes in the wild, so we needn’t provide special food for them when they visit our yards. The orioles won’t care if their food is presented to them on a silver platter or an old, dirty oriole feeder, as long as it is visible to passing birds and never blocked.

Oriole feeders should be hung from tree branches, as this is where wild orioles typically search for food.

If a tree or shrub isn’t readily available, though, you can get by just well without one.

In its place, you can construct a single-bracket bird feeder pole to keep orioles and their nectar-filled feeder out of the path of other common backyard birds.

Birds of all kinds enjoy drinking the sweet liquid, and even if you try to keep the orioles away from it by offering them jelly or oranges, they will eventually find it.

If you’d like to hang an oriole feeder from a branch in a tree, make sure the feeder’s bright orange color stands out against the tree’s green or brown hue.

If you rely on a Shepherd’s Hook or bird feeding station, you may want to consider relocating the pole later in the day to try to position the feeder in the shade.

Depending on the available area, a dense or bare tree is the best option for hanging an oriole feeder; alternatively, you can construct a pole designed to hold just one feeder.

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