Baltimore Orioles
This article was run as a part of Jan's birding column in the Life section of the St. Cloud Times, May 2008.
~~~~~The trees are alive with dancing flames. The orioles have arrived en masse. It was a bitterly cold winter and an equally cold spring. Migrating birds arrived later than normal, and still many birds were lost to hypothermia and starvation. Amazingly, this beautiful neotropical migrant, usually one of the last spring arrivals, chose this particular year to make an early return. Feeders are now overflowing with hungry birds.
~~~~~The Baltimore Oriole, Icterus galbula, is our most common oriole. It is a bird of woodland edges and open areas containing large trees. Here, it will build an intricately woven nest hung at heights of up to 90 feet. The nests are connected to forked twigs, and hang down approximately 6 inches. The orioles will readily accept nesting materials of string, yarn, horse mane and tail hairs, and human hairs. They will also use plant fibers and the bark of vines. The nest is lined with plant down, hair, fine grasses, and other soft materials.
~~~~~The population of Baltimore Oriole is showing a slight decrease in recent years primarily due to habitat loss. Fortunately, orioles adapt well to human presence. In presettlement times, they were rarely seen in the Great Plains. The trees they needed for their nests were found only along riverbanks. The subsequent settlement, building of shelter belts, and planting of trees in urban areas actually helped their numbers to increase in the Plains states.
~~~~~The main threat to orioles is pesticides. Spraying trees with Sevin, arsenated lead, and chlorinated hydrocarbons to control gypsy moths and other insects has caused the death of many orioles. Spraying also leads to a loss of food for foraging. Cell phone towers are a growing threat as collisions with them can cause large losses of birds.
~~~~~Many birds are lost in cold springs such as the one we are currently experiencing. Death may be due to lack of food or by collisions with cars as the orioles come into more open areas in search of food.
~~~~~It is very easy to attract these birds to your yard. Orange halves, presented on an orange feeder or platform, are a favorite in spring and early summer. Don’t be afraid to use your old oranges. Even if the skin is hard and shriveled, the orange inside is usually still good. Avoid oranges that have visible mold or a moldy smell. These can make the birds ill.
~~~~~Nectar feeders also work well to attract the orioles. You can use the same nectar used to attract hummingbirds, or use nectar mixes that are flavored with orange. In cooler weather, the nectar should be changed weekly, or every two days in the warm days of summer. Cloudy nectar is an indicator of bacterial growth. It is essential to remove it immediately.
~~~~~Ants and wasps can be a problem when presenting nectar. The use of an ant trap, a simple device you fill with water, will prevent the ants from reaching the nectar. Wasp traps will help control the bald faced hornets and yellowjackets that plague nectar feeders. Be sure to place them soon to keep wasp numbers down. If you wait until large numbers of wasps show up, it is much more difficult to control them. Wasp traps will not harm honeybees, which are facing severe problems due to parasites, pesticides, and disease.
~~~~~Grape jelly is also a wonderful way to attract orioles. It can be placed in something as simple as an empty tuna can on a deck railing (which can be messy), or in a specialized jelly feeder. The orioles will bicker over who gets to feed, so it helps to offer more than one feeder.
~~~~~All types of oriole feeders seem to work best if they are placed under the large trees the orioles like to frequent. Keeping the feeders in the shade helps to keep the food fresh.
~~~~~ Squirrels are usually not an issue, but if you encounter one with a sweet tooth, you can prevent access by placing a baffle above a feeder hung from a tree or on the pole of a hanging system.
~~~~~Offering food upon the orioles’ return in a cold spring will provide them with the energy needed to survive until their higher protein diet of insects becomes available. Use of natural pesticides will reduce unintended oriole deaths. Planting the orioles favorite nesting trees of American elm, silver maple, and apple trees may not make a difference in our lifetime, but will help future generations of orioles to nest successfully. These are easy things we can all do to help assure their long term survival.
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