From grape jelly to high-protein insects, orioles' diet changes with the seasons
Orioles flock to jelly feeders, only to disappear in summer.
By VAL CUNNINGHAM, Contributing writer
May 25, 2021 — 10:31am
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Q: I love to see the orioles at my grape jelly feeder each spring, but wonder why they disappear in late May? What can I do to keep them around?
A: It's not that you're doing anything wrong with your oriole feeding system, it's just that their needs change as breeding season arrives. Those early Baltimore orioles were happy to gulp down your grape jelly, but now that they're feeding youngsters in the nest, they need high-protein insects for their young. This diet speeds up nestling development and lets them grow to the size of their parents in less than two weeks.