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Mix up your backyard menu with grape jelly for birds. Fruit-eating orioles, catbirds and tanagers love to eat jelly as a sweet treat. mango sago jelly
Grape jelly is a magic lure for some birds. Fruit-eating birds like orioles and tanagers can’t get enough of the stuff, especially in early spring, when their usual sweet treats are hard to come by. And as migrating birds make their long journeys north, they’re especially inclined to stop by backyards that feature energizing jelly on the menu.
Watch your feeder long enough and you might also see other birds eat grape jelly, like robins and gray catbirds, which are attracted to yards that offer both jelly and a water source. Additional birds that visit these sweet feeders, especially during their migration, include northern mockingbirds and rose-breasted grosbeaks. Woodpeckers and house finches might also stop by.
Orioles aren’t too picky when it comes to jelly, but Bullock’s orioles and Baltimore orioles in particular love the grape flavor, because it tastes similar to the dark, ripe fruits they normally eat, grapes included.
You should purchase jelly that doesn’t have artificial sweeteners, colors and flavors. Check the jelly daily to watch for mold. Always clean the feeder out and add fresh stuff if the jelly starts looking dubious.
Did you know: Across the pond, birders serve grape jam to their birds. “Jelly” is what the Brits call Jell-O.
Learn how to attract orioles to your backyard.
“What are some general guidelines for feeding grape jelly to birds?” asks Nancy Jenks of Galesville, Wisconsin.
Birding experts Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman say, “Grape jelly is not harmful in small amounts, but jelly doesn’t provide all the nutrients birds need. Think of it as a snack or dessert, not a main course, and use limited amounts at a time.”
Find out what other foods orioles eat.
“It’s OK to provide a little more during peak spring migration for orioles (April in the South and early May in the North), but after the local breeding season starts, a quarter of a cup per day is a good rule. Smaller amounts are also less likely to spoil in hot weather or to get sticky residue on the birds’ feathers,” Kenn and Kimberly explain.
Learn how to identify orchard orioles.
The best way to set out jelly is in a tray or dish about 1 inch deep and 3 to 4 inches wide. Wild bird feed supply stores offer different types of jelly feeders. One popular style of oriole feeder features a small glass dish.
You can also hang a jelly feeder on a bird feeder pole for extra protection. Just make sure you keep it away from marauding squirrels and in a place where you can easily clean and refill it.
If bees are taking over your jelly bird feeder, Kenn and Kimberly say, “There’s really no way to prevent bees from taking advantage of jelly served from open-style feeders. But here’s an idea: Feeding orioles has become so popular that several manufacturers are now offering oriole feeders with bee guards. They’re designed more like a hummingbird feeder to offer nectar, but grape jelly works in them, too. Fill them with just enough jelly to reach the feeding ports, and be sure to clean them often.”
Psst—also try this reader-submitted oriole nectar recipe.
Get your jelly feeder up in April, when migration is in full swing. It may take some time for orioles to find your jelly feeders.
Birds need to feed their young protein-rich foods, like insects, but once the offspring have fledged, their parents often bring them to jelly feeders.
The feeder will probably see less and less action as summer continues, but things should pick up again during fall migration.
Did you know: Besides oranges and grape jelly, orioles eat ripe, dark-colored fruit like mulberries and purple grapes.
Here’s how to identify baby orioles and juvenile orioles.
Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman are the official bird experts for Birds & Blooms. They are the creators of the Kaufman Field Guide series and they lead birding trips all over the world.
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