Last updated on April 29th, 2022 at 01:40 am
With so many orange-loving birds out there, you might wonder what the best way is to feed them. If you set out oranges, will the birds eat the peel? Or are they unable to digest all parts of the fruit?
Birds can eat orange peels, but most prefer not to because of their tough texture and bitter taste. Orange peels may also contain pesticides harmful to birds. Before setting out an orange feeder, either peel the orange or make sure it’s organic. Juicing an orange is another good alternative.
Do Birds Eat Orange Peels, Seeds, or Pith?
Birds can digest orange peels, but only larger birds with tough beaks will eat them.
Most birds find the peels too tough and bitter to eat, so they’ll eat just the fleshy middle of the orange and leave the rest.
Because conventional orange peels are often covered with pesticides, it’s best to either peel oranges before offering them to birds or use organic oranges instead.
Washing an orange isn’t enough to remove the pesticides, which get absorbed into the skin.
Remember that even birds who don’t eat the peel may come into contact with these pesticides, so always choose organic.
Birds also tend to avoid the orange seeds, although they, like the skin, are non-toxic and could be safely eaten. The same is true of the white pith.
Orange juice can be a safe alternative to oranges, but make sure to use the natural juice from an orange and not store-bought orange juice.
This can contain artificial sweeteners that pose a risk to birds.
Which Birds Eat Oranges?
Although Orioles are the most famous orange-eaters of all birds, numerous species eat these sweet fruits. They include:
- Orioles
- Robins
- Mockingbirds
- Waxwings
- Towhees
- Grosbeaks
- Thrashers
- Woodpeckers
- Catbirds
- Finches
How To Set Up an Orange Feeder for Birds
Some birds will eat every part of the orange, including the seeds, while other birds will just sip juices from the orange instead.
Setting up a feeder that’ll accommodate all orange-eating birds is key.
Usually, this means cutting an orange in half and placing it on a feeder, but you can also cut orange slices and skewer them as an alternative.
Should You Peel Oranges Before Putting Them in a Bird Feeder?
You don’t have to peel oranges before putting them in a bird feeder, and in fact, it’s beneficial not to.
The peel secures the orange on the feeder so that birds can access it, and it holds the juices from the orange so that birds can drink from it.
Peeled oranges may appeal to some birds, but overall, it’s best to leave the peel on.
Best Orange Feeders for Birds
Orioles and other fruit-eating birds are attracted to the color orange, so it makes sense to get a colorful orange feeder to hold your oranges.
The following are great examples of feeders available on Amazon.com that effectively attract orioles and other fruit-eating birds.
Gray Bunny Oriole Feeder
The Gray Bunny Oriole Feeder has room for an orange and a cup of grape jelly, ideal for attracting fruit-eating birds.
It also has an attractive design, as the wire cage that holds the fruit and jelly looks like an orange slice.
It hangs from a chain with a hook at the top, attaching to most bird feeder poles or other hanging structures.
Songbird Essentials Ultimate Oriole Feeder
The Songbird Essentials Ultimate Oriole Feeder has room for four orange halves, larger than most feeders.
This feeder is a good choice if you have a lot of birds in your yard or want to attract a lot of birds.
It is orange, attractive to orioles, and it has perching spots around the perimeter for them to grab onto. It also has room to hold jelly.
Birds Choice Oriole Flower-Shaped Feeder
The Birds Choice Oriole Flower-Shaped Feeder contains a central orange-colored compartment that can hold several different fruits, including oranges.
Its flower shape is appealing to people, while the orange color is attractive to birds.
It’s also a practical choice in that it has plenty of perching space for birds.
Where To Put an Orange Feeder
Orioles live near the tops of trees, so placing the feeder at least at the height of tree branches is wise. That way, the birds will see the feeder and come to it to eat.
Using a bird feeder pole such as the double forked base ZORVEM Shepherds Hook Feeder Pole (available on Amazon.com), you can achieve this.
Best Fruit To Feed Birds
As a general rule, any fruit that’s edible for humans can be eaten by birds as well. Additionally, birds eat numerous fruits that are toxic to humans, like some berries.
The most common fruits that birds eat are:
- Blueberries
- Currants
- Raspberries
- Blackberries
- Mulberries
- Serviceberries
- Beautyberries
- Sumac
- Holly
- Juniper
- Viburnum
- Oranges
- Plums
- Grapes
- Apples
- Cherries
- Crabapple
- Prickly Pear
Benefits of Oranges for Wild Birds
Oranges, in particular, are great fruits to serve to wild birds because of their nutrient density.
Oranges contain numerous vitamins, fiber, and enough calories to be substantial sources of nutrition.
Perhaps most prominent in the vitamins offered by oranges is vitamin C, which is beneficial for birds.
Is Jelly Good for Birds?
Many feeders have compartments for grape jelly, which is attractive to orioles and other fruit-eating birds. But is it good for them?
Jelly is good for birds because it contains plenty of sugar, key for birds fueling up for migration or winter.
Jelly also contains trace nutrients that birds need, including vitamins.
If you want to feed birds jelly, make sure that you find jelly made from real fruit, ideally without added sugar.
Choosing a fruit-based jelly rather than an artificially sweetened jelly increases the chances that the jelly will contain vitamins and other good nutrients for birds.
Fruit juice is also a good alternative to jelly for feeding fruit-eating birds.
Like with jelly, try to find a fruit juice made from real fruit rather than one made from concentrate or with added sugars.