skip to main content

Orioles prefer grape over strawberry

13 years ago

I wanted to see if the orioles and catbirds had a preference when it comes to jelly, so I put out a container of grape jelly on one side and strawberry (organic, no less) on the other side. The grape jelly won hands down. Good thing too, cause grape's a lot cheaper. They eat about 3/4 cup every day.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
13 years ago
That's good to know since I'm often tempted when other (non-grape) jellies are on sale. I've never done a side-by-side test, but apricot spreadable jelly (on sale) is currently well appreciated. I'll go back to grape when the apricot is finished.

Thanks,
Claire
donald lucius
13 years ago
mine like the fruit more than the jelly. watermelon is a favorite or pieces of apricots or cherrys or berrys. and they peck on orange halves but really drink fresh orange juice from a glass bowl better. i put a tray on a platform feeder and put the fruit or cherrys or berrys in it. and orange juice on a small glass bowl. they don't care for plums though
Related Discussions
Attracting Baltimore Orioles...............
Q
Comments (15)
I also have that feeder... $10 at a local garden shop last year. A couple of things about the feeder: - The color fades if you hang it in the sun all summer. Mine is still orange, but paler than it was. There is a clear difference between the underside and the sun-exposed top side. - I never saw an oriole use the perches. To eat the orange they will hang from the metal rod. Post-migration, when they stopped eating orange and instead preferred grape jelly, they would still cling to the metal rod and stretch down to eat the jelly from the trays. I never saw an oriole drink nectar, but I was a few weeks late getting this feeder up and it's possible they just no longer wanted nectar by that time. I would like to see orioles using the perches, so I'm considering putting an orange slice over each nectar hole and holding them in place by sticking something(stick/nail) down into the holes. - We had never seen orioles before, and I wasn't really expecting to see any when I put the feeder out, but within a couple days there were two of them out there eating the orange. This year I am going to get the feeder out sooner and I also have a vibrant orange bucket sitting in the garage that I'm going to throw over a fence board. Between the feeder and bucket I'm hoping any orioles flying over the area will drop in for a closer look.
...See More
jelly for orioles
Q
Comments (17)
I use the cheapest grape jelly I can find, and have not had an oriole pass it up, or a catbird for that matter. However, I have read that the jelly jars are dangerous to use. Once the jelly gets to a low level, the bird can get caught in the jar as it goes in and can get trapped and die. A few places have discontinued selling them. Something to think about. I use an oriole feeder I bought on ebay a few years ago. It has 2 cups for jelly, and two places for oranges. It's also covered and is made of recycled plastic. The birds love it.
...See More
Favorite Oriole Feeders?
Q
Comments (27)
I had a series of raccoon (probably) attacks on my jam feeders, resulting in breakage of the jelly jar itself and the hanger. For a while the coon was throwing the other feeder on the ground, and I would just put it back up in the morning. The last time though, the metal hanger disappeared so I couldn't use the bottom. I rigged up a temporary feeder out of a hanging flower pot apparatus and I plopped a few spoonfuls of grape and apricot preserves in the saucer. This feeder was meant to be a stopgap until I rigged up a better one, but I'll leave it up as long as it lasts. The neighbor's dog is back from a long vacation and this feeder hasn't been bothered. This morning I saw the first Baltimore Oriole fledgling at this feeder. I think that's a fledgling in front with the mother in the back watching over the baby. This feeder was meant to be a stopgap until I rigged up a better one, but I'll leave it up as long as it lasts. I plopped a few spoonfuls of grape and apricot preserves in the saucer. Claire
...See More
Why aren't the orioles coming to my orange feeder?
Q
Comments (15)
catherinet: I've had several suet cages disappear - sometimes I find them farther away as if the coon got tired of carrying it and just ate the suet there. The jelly feeder was different. At first the dish disappeared, and I found one of them across the street, but the coon apparently learned that if it took the dish away across the street it would never refill. But if the coon dropped the empty dish under the feeder, I would put it back up and refill it. So every morning I'd find the empty dish neatly left under the feeder. I appreciated that and that's probably one of the reasons I was willing to share with the coon last year. And then there was the time I wondered why my hummingbird feeder that hung on the deck railing was empty every morning. I took the feeder off the deck and hung it on a shepherd's hook in the yard. Claire
...See More
chickadeemelrose
13 years ago
Our catbirds love grape jelly, no doubt about it. They love orange slices too. I had a catbird last summer who would eat the grape jelly and let me walk by quite closely, he became so accustomed to having his meal several times a day whether I was nearby or not.

We have a lot more catbirds now than last year, and a couple of them are quite large (one I saw was the size of a robin). I think they have a nest somewhere nearby. I will have to keep the fruit and jelly feeder filled!
donald lucius
13 years ago
we cleaned out the pantry and rearranged it last week and we found 3 jars of homemade apricot jam in the back. This week i have been alternating between grape and the apricot
some of the birds eat the grape better and other prefer the apricot. but i do have to fill the bowls twice a day
to keep up. the woodpeckers and grosbeaks are getting their fill also.
glad2garden
Original Author
13 years ago
There were 3 baby Orioles at the feeder today! They looked like sparrows at first until I saw the mother or father feeding them jelly. When I looked closer I could see a tint of orange on them. They were so cute begging for jelly! I hope they like living here and stay around for a while.

Related Stories

TRADITIONAL HOMES Houzz Tour: Historic Concord Grapevine Cottage’s Charms Restored

By Becky Harris

This famous property had fallen on hard times, but passionate homeowners lovingly brought it back

GARDENING GUIDES Vegetables and Flowers Mix in Beautiful Edible Gardens

By Margie Grace - Grace Design Associates

Ornamentals, meet your edible garden mates. We know you'll get along just beautifully

GARDENING GUIDES We Bust 4 More Native Plant Myths

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Have you been taken in by these fallacies about gardening with native plants?

GARDENING GUIDES Attract Hummingbirds and Bees With These Beautiful Summer Flowers

By Annie Thornton

Roll out a welcome mat for pollinators to keep your landscape in balance and thriving

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES A Quick-Start Guide to Bird-Watching for Fun and Learning

By Alison Hodgson

Set out some seed and grab your field guide. Bird-watching is an easy, entertaining and educational activity for the whole family

GARDENING GUIDES Backyard Birds: Invite Entertaining Hummingbirds Into Your Garden

By Habitat Network

Hummingbirds — unique to the Americas — zip through open landscapes seasonally or year-round. Here’s how to attract them

EDIBLE GARDENS How to Grow Your Own Sweet Summer Crops

By Marianne Lipanovich

This guide will help any gardener get started on growing the freshest warm-season veggies and berries for summer

BEFORE AND AFTERS See 6 Yards Transformed by Losing Their Lawns

By Annie Thornton

Wondering whether a turf lawn is the best use of your outdoor space? These homeowners did, and they found creative alternatives

FARM YOUR YARD If You Have Room for Only One Summer Crop ...

Get an edible that’s long on flavor even if you’re short on space, with a long-time gardener’s favorite picks

GARDENING GUIDES 10 Easy Edibles for First-Time Gardeners

By Marianne Lipanovich

Focus on these beginner-friendly vegetables, herbs, beans and salad greens to start a home farm with little fuss

Sponsored

Hope Restoration & General Contracting

35 Reviews

Columbus Design-Build, Kitchen & Bath Remodeling, Historic Renovations

More Discussions

A MORE SPECIFIC QUESTION, PLEASE

0

What bird is this?

2

Did you know Hummingbird-flower mites?

0

where is everybody?

0