Arriving in mid-March, these skilled artisans craft hanging, bag-shaped nests, intricately woven with thousands of stitches and knots, all done with their beaks. Our local Bullock’s and Hooded Orioles create these masterpieces using plant fibers, grasses, vines, and tree bark. They often hang them high in trees, especially in palm trees.
Left: Male hooded oriole at an oriole feeder
The female oriole builds most of the nest and is the only one that incubates the eggs and raises the chicks after they hatch. She gets help from her partner to feed the chicks, which is good, because the entire process from laying eggs to fledging takes only about 30 days. The Orioles need the chicks to fly and grow, because they will begin returning to Mexico in September. Perhaps that’s why parents often guide chicks toward nectar feeders or jelly offerings so they can grow quickly.
One of the most popular fruit-eating birds in North America is the oriole. Of our nine species, Baltimore’s is common and widespread in the east, while Bullock’s is common in the west.
Our Bullock’s Orioles used to be considered the same species as the Eastern Baltimore Oriole, but genetic studies have shown that they are two different species. Bullock’s Orioles were named after William Bullock and his son for their ornithological work in Mexico in the early 19th century.
Right: A Bullock’s Oriole enjoys an orange half.
Both Hooded Orioles and Bullocks are large songbirds, about eight inches long, but Hooded Orioles are more slender. Their “hoods” are yellow, not black. They eat mainly fruits and enjoy them in the form of nectar or jellies, if they can get them. They add flying insects to the menu, especially when they have growing chicks.
They arrive in mid-March and quickly get busy building nests and laying eggs so they can leave in September. You can attract them to your garden by having nectar available when they are searching for a nest location, as well as cut oranges and a bowl of Birdberry jelly. You can also help by providing additional nesting materials, such as natural fiber twine, twine, or pieces of rope less than six inches long.
