DIY Project
DIY Orange and Jelly Oriole Feeder
Orioles are in your yard for a narrow window each spring, and a feeder hung two weeks late is a feeder they never learn about. The build takes an hour. The timing takes planning.
The short answer
- Use 3/8 inch (10 mm) hardwood dowels sanded to a blunt point as orange spikes. Never a nail, screw or wire: an upward-facing metal point near a feeding bird is a real injury risk.
- Hang it up to two weeks before orioles are due back. Late April works for most of the Midwest and Northeast, early April in the South, early May in the far north.
- Keep jelly shallow and small: a tablespoon at a time in a dish no more than 1 inch (25 mm) deep. Deep jelly can mat the feathers of small birds.
- Drill three 1/4 inch (6 mm) drainage holes in the base. Rainwater sitting under the jelly cup is how the whole thing starts to ferment.
- Build time is about an hour with a drill and a hole saw. A cedar base with a removable dish lasts a decade and washes in a sink.
This is a flat cedar base with two dowel spikes for orange halves and a removable glass dish for jelly, sized so it can be taken apart and washed in a kitchen sink. It hangs from four corner chains. Build time is about an hour.
The build is easy. The part people get wrong is the calendar. The Baltimore oriole (Icterus galbula) moves through most of its breeding range in a two to three week window each spring, and a feeder hung after that window has passed is usually ignored for the whole season.
What follows is the cut list, the spike and jelly cup detail, and a region-by-region table of when to have the thing hanging.
Materials and tools#
Materials
- One piece of cedar 1x6, cut to 10 inches (25 cm). Finished size is 3/4 by 5-1/2 by 10 inches (19 by 140 by 254 mm).
- Two 3/8 inch (10 mm) hardwood dowels, 3-1/2 inches (9 cm) long.
- Four 3/8 inch (10 mm) hardwood dowels, 1-1/2 inches (4 cm) long, as cup retainers.
- One shallow glass or ceramic dish, about 2-1/2 inches (6 cm) across and 1 inch (25 mm) deep. A small ramekin or a squat glass votive holder is the right shape.
- Four 1/4 inch (6 mm) stainless screw eyes and four 12 inch (30 cm) light chains with a quick link.
- Exterior wood glue.
Tools
- Drill with 3/8 inch (10 mm), 1/4 inch (6 mm) and 1/8 inch (3 mm) bits.
- A 2-1/2 inch (64 mm) hole saw, only if you want the dish recessed rather than pegged.
- Saw, tape measure, square, pencil.
- 120-grit and 220-grit sandpaper.
- Clamp, safety glasses.
Dowels, not nails
Plenty of oriole feeder plans call for a nail or a deck screw driven up through the base as an orange spike. Do not do it. A hard metal point at eye height for a feeding bird is a genuine hazard, and so is the rust it sheds into the fruit. A 3/8 inch (10 mm) hardwood dowel sanded to a blunt point pierces an orange rind easily and cannot puncture anything else.
Building it, step by step#
1. Cut and sand the base (10 minutes)#
Cut the cedar to 10 inches (254 mm) and ease all four edges and corners with 120-grit paper. Orioles land on the edge of this board constantly, so the edges should be smooth and slightly rounded.
2. Lay out the holes (5 minutes)#
On the centerline of the long axis, mark two spike positions 2 inches (5 cm) in from each end. Mark the dish center at the middle of the board. Around that center, mark four retainer holes at the corners of a 3-1/4 inch (8.3 cm) square, which gives about a 1/4 inch (6 mm) of clearance around a 2-1/2 inch dish.
3. Drill (15 minutes)#
Drill all six 3/8 inch (10 mm) holes 1/2 inch (13 mm) deep. Tape the bit as a depth stop so you do not break through the 3/4 inch board. Then drill three 1/4 inch (6 mm) drainage holes right through the base, one near each end and one just outside the dish square, so rain never stands on the surface.
4. Shape and set the spikes (15 minutes)#
Sand the top 1/2 inch (13 mm) of each 3-1/2 inch dowel to a blunt cone, finishing with 220-grit so there are no splinters. Put a drop of exterior glue in each spike hole and tap the dowels in, leaving 3 inches (7.5 cm) standing proud. Glue the four short retainer dowels in the same way, leaving them 1 inch (25 mm) proud.
5. Fit the hangers (10 minutes)#
Drill 1/8 inch (3 mm) pilot holes about 1/2 inch (13 mm) in from each corner and turn in the screw eyes. Run four equal chains up to one quick link so the feeder hangs level. A level base matters more here than on a seed feeder, because a tilted jelly dish empties itself.
6. Cure and check (5 minutes plus drying)#
Let the glue cure overnight. Run a bare hand over every surface, spike tip and edge. Anything that catches gets more sanding.
Drop the dish between the four retainer pegs and it is finished. The dish lifts straight out for washing, which is the whole reason for building it this way instead of gluing a jar lid down.
Add a roof if you get spring rain
Two 6 inch (15 cm) dowel posts at the back corners carrying an 8 by 12 inch (20 by 30 cm) cedar board will keep most rain out of the jelly. Diluted, watery jelly ferments faster and orioles refuse it. If you would rather not build a roof, hang the feeder under an eave or a broad branch.
Jelly: how much, and how honest to be about it#
Grape jelly works. Orioles, gray catbirds, American robins and rose-breasted grosbeaks all take it. The sensible cautions are about quantity and freshness, not about jelly itself.
- A tablespoon at a time. Enough for a day. Refilling daily is better than a full dish going sour.
- Shallow only. A dish no deeper than 1 inch (25 mm), never filled to the rim. Small birds occasionally fall in, and jelly in the feathers is difficult for a bird to preen out.
- Plain grape jelly. No artificial sweeteners and nothing containing xylitol.
- Pull it in the heat. Above about 85°F (29°C), jelly ferments within hours and draws wasps.
The fuller discussion, including whether to dilute jelly during nesting season, is in grape jelly for orioles and feeding during nesting season.
Oranges are simpler. Cut them across the equator, push the halves cut side up onto the spikes, and replace them every two days or as soon as they dry out or grow mold. Orioles also take halved grapes and soft berries, covered in fruit for birds.
When to hang it, by region#
Orioles arrive on a schedule that shifts north through the spring. These are typical first arrival windows for the Baltimore oriole in the East and the Bullock's oriole (Icterus bullockii) in the West. Hang the feeder about a week before the early end of your row.
| Region | Typical first arrivals | Hang the feeder by |
|---|---|---|
| Gulf Coast and Florida | Mid to late March | March 15 |
| Texas and the Southwest | Late March to mid April | March 25 |
| Mid-Atlantic and lower Midwest | Mid to late April | April 10 |
| Great Lakes and Northeast | Late April to early May | April 20 |
| Northern Plains, Pacific Northwest | Early to mid May | May 1 |
| Southern Canada | Mid May | May 5 |
These are averages and they move a week either way with the weather. If you are unsure, err early: an empty feeder hanging for two extra weeks costs you nothing except the jelly you throw out. The regional context is in spring bird feeding and feeding birds during migration.
Height and open sky
Orioles work the canopy, not the shrub layer. Hang this feeder 6 to 10 feet (1.8 to 3 m) up, in the open, near a tall tree rather than tucked against a wall. Being visible from above is what gets it found by a bird passing over, which is not how most feeder placement works. General siting is covered in where to hang a bird feeder.
Ants, wasps and the rest of the trouble#
Sugary food outdoors attracts insects. Two fixes cover most of it.
An ant moat hung above the feeder, kept filled with plain water, stops ants completely. The same approach used on nectar feeders applies here, and it is covered in ants in a hummingbird feeder. Never use oil or grease on the hanging wire; it fouls feathers.
Wasps are harder. Keep the jelly dish shallow, wipe spills off the base every time you refill, and move the feeder 10 feet (3 m) if a wasp nest establishes nearby. More options are in bees and wasps at hummingbird feeders.
Cleaning and end of season#
Lift the dish out and wash it with hot soapy water every single day the feeder is in use in warm weather, and at least every other day in cool weather. Wipe the cedar base with a damp cloth and let it dry. Sugar residue on wood grows mold quickly, and dried jelly turns to glue. The disinfecting details are in how to clean a bird feeder.
Most orioles go quiet at feeders by early summer as they switch to insects for their young, then some return briefly in late summer before migrating. Leave the feeder up through August if you enjoy the chance, then take it in, wash it, and store it dry.
Getting more out of the setup#
A single jelly dish is a start. What actually holds orioles through a season is variety and water.
- Offer nectar alongside jelly, at the same 4:1 water to sugar ratio used in the hummingbird nectar recipe, in a dedicated oriole feeder with larger ports.
- Add mealworms in a shallow dish during nesting season.
- Provide moving water. Orioles use a bird bath readily and the sound draws them in.
- Keep a couple of orange halves out even after the jelly gets busy, because the color is what advertises the feeder to new arrivals.
The rest of the approach, including the plantings that matter and how long to expect the birds to stay, is in how to attract orioles and the species account for the Baltimore oriole.
Frequently asked questions#
When should I put out an oriole feeder?
Hang it one to two weeks before orioles are expected in your area. That means late March in the Gulf states, early to mid April in the mid-Atlantic and lower Midwest, late April in the Great Lakes and Northeast, and the first week of May across the northern tier and southern Canada. Migrating orioles scout as they pass, and a feeder that is already out gets found.
How do you attach orange halves to a feeder?
Push each half, cut side up, onto a 3/8 inch (10 mm) hardwood dowel standing about 3 inches (7.5 cm) proud of the base. Sand the top of the dowel to a blunt point so it pierces the rind without being sharp. Do not use nails or screws pointing upward.
Is grape jelly safe for orioles?
In small amounts, yes, and orioles take to it readily. Offer a tablespoon at a time in a shallow dish, use plain grape jelly with no artificial sweeteners, and refresh it daily in warm weather because sugar ferments fast. Deep pools of jelly are the genuine risk, since a small bird that falls in can end up with matted feathers.
Why are orioles not coming to my feeder?
Usually the timing: if the feeder went up after the birds settled onto natural food, they have no reason to investigate. It can also be visibility, since orioles find feeders by sight from height, or fermented jelly and dried-out oranges, which they will refuse. Hang it high and in the open, keep the fruit fresh, and put it out earlier next spring.
What else can I put in an oriole feeder?
Orange halves and grape jelly are the standards. Orioles also take nectar at the same 4:1 water to sugar ratio used for hummingbirds, plus mealworms during nesting season and occasionally soft fruit such as halved grapes. Skip honey, brown sugar and red dye.
Do I need to paint the feeder orange?
It helps a little and it is not essential. Orioles respond to orange from a distance, so an orange-painted base or a few orange halves on the spikes both work as a visual flag. If you paint, use exterior water-based acrylic on the outside surfaces only and let it cure for a week before hanging.