In my last post, Good Birding Report: London, Ontario April 17-24, 2020, I mentioned the migration floodgates are about to open. Here in London, I typically see my first oriole and hummingbird by May 5 each year. Now is the perfect time to get your feeders up in anticipation of these birds returning. Having your feeder out when these species arrive will ensure they have nourishment to replace spent energy after their long migration north.
One of the easiest ways to provide nourishment and attract orioles and hummingbirds to your yard is with a nectar feeder. For both birds, a simple mixture of sugar and water is all you need to make food that will fill their hungry little bellies. In a pot on your stove mix four parts water to one part sugar (1 cup of water to 1/4 cup sugar) and bring it to a boil. Boiling helps dissolve the sugar while removing chlorine and other impurities from our tap water. Once the mixture has cooled simply fill your feeder. A larger batch can be made and stored in the fridge for 7 to 10 days if your feeders are quite busy.
There are conflicting reports about whether red food colouring is harmful to birds. I do not use or recommend using red food colouring as anything potentially harmful to birds does not go in my feeders. The red color on the feeder itself is all that is required to attract plenty of hummingbirds. Orioles are typically attracted to the orange colour on the oriole feeders. That being said, both birds regularly visit feeders designed for the other species demonstrating that color isn’t that important so why bother with food colouring?
Properly placing your feeder will help ensure greater success. I like to position mine out of the wind and close to a nearby perch. A tree in the proximity of the feeder works great as orioles and hummingbirds will often land here first before moving on to the feeder. For hummingbirds, a small leafless or dead branch is best to accommodate their tiny bodies.
A shepherd’s hood works perfectly for hanging either an oriole or hummingbird feeder. Certainly with a sweet mixture of sugar and water you are also going to attract insects. Ants will readily climb the shepherd’s hook to get to the feeder and the nectar in it. Do not spray your hook with AntOut or Raid to kill the ants as orioles will gobble them up off the pole. Some feeders now feature a built-in ant moat or commercial ant moats
Oranges are another great option for attracting orioles to your yard. These can either be cut in half or slices and skewered onto tree branches, shepherd’s hooks, or placed on deck railings. Like the sugar water, oranges too will attract insects so be mindful of where you place them. In my experience, squirrels also love oranges and the fresh fruit often disappears shortly after placing it outside.
Grape jelly is also popular with many homeowners for attracting orioles. Unfortunately, most of the grape jelly made for human consumption is sweetened with fructose or corn syrup and provides no nutritional value for birds. If you are going to offer jelly, make sure it contains no artificial sweeteners, colors, or flavours. BirdBerry Jelly
Tracking the migration of orioles and hummingbirds is easy thanks to the Journey North maps. Recent sightings for both species can be viewed on the maps while watching their progress each day.
If you haven’t already, get your oriole and hummingbird feeders out in anticipation of their arrival. Having them out when these birds return will provide nourishment to replace energy burned after their long migration north. With warm temperatures and south winds in the forecast, there is a good chance we could see orioles and hummingbirds by the end of the week, will you be ready?
Good birding,
Paul
Hi Paul,
Loved your picture of the hummingbird heading for the feeder. Amazing photograph.
Cheers,
Gail
Thank you very much Gail!
Hi Paul,
Thank you for your blogs. I’ve just discovered them and am really enjoying them. Question for you,
I live in the Highbury huron area of London, would you say that these species would frequent my bard yard? I’ve seen hummingbirds by the river just up the road just wondering if they’d come to a back yard feeder in a city environment or are they more likely to stay to more countryside locations? I’d love to put a feeder out for them if they’ll use it!
Regards
Jon Spracklen
Hi Jon,
I’m glad you discovered my blog and are enjoying it. Hummingbirds are fairly easy to attract to a backyard. They will readily make repeated trips to a feeder once they have found it. Adding a hanging planter with bright flowers like a fuschia or something similar can also help them find your yard. Orioles can be a bit trickier to attract but given your proximity to the river they too may visit once they return especially during the first few days. I have family and friends in different areas of the city and all of them who put a hummingbird feeder out have hummingbirds visit. You don’t need to spend a lot on a feeder, even the inexpensive ones work well and are a great investment.
Just out of curiosity, what types of birds are you seeing at your feeders now? Just wondering as I’m guessing the migration birds haven’t come back yet.
Seeing mostly the usual birds but a few sparrows mixed including white-throated and chipping. I have heard from several followers today who have had orioles and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks at their feeders so they have arrived.
Could you clarify the ‘usual’ birds for a beginner back yard birder. Thanks.
Hi Jon, by “usual” I mean resident birds or ones that live in our area year round. For me, this is cardinals, woodpeckers, chickadees, and goldfinches. White-throated and Chipping Sparrows are the only migrant species other than grackles that have visited.
Goldfinches, beautiful! I saw one yesterday high up in a neighbours tree but haven’t seen them in my yard yet!!
Hi,
Are orioles territorial? I feed orioles and hummingbirds but this year the hummingbirds have seemed to leave and are not feeding any more. Orioles are still here.
They can be Trish. Usually, the hummingbirds are more territorial. Oftentimes, the hummingbirds will feed upon returning from the south and then disappear a bit while nesting. Planting some of their favourite flowers in your yard really helps. I used to have the same issue but planted cardinal flower (they love it) and even butterfly weed along with other native flowers and they visit all year until migation. I found that once the flowers were in bloom (I did some research so had different flowers blooming at different times but continually from May to September) the hummingbirds would feed more at the flowers than the feeders.