Best Oriole Bird Feeder

Last Updated: Oct 15, 2021 @ 3:34 pm.

Best Overall Oriole Bird Feeder: Birds Choice Flower Oriole Bird Feeder Small Orange

Let’s talk oriole bird feeders!

Before we get into what we think are the best bird feeders for orioles, here are some quick tips and advice on attracting these beautiful birds.

There are 8 species of orioles and they are migratory birds—they leave for South America in the fall and come back north to the US in the spring.

If you’re lucky enough to be one of the states orioles frequent, they are among the most beautiful birds you can find. And the good news? They really appreciate a good meal at the end of their long flight. 

Our tips:

• Orioles prefer grape jelly, oranges and sugar water when they first arrive in the US. They need the energy from this high sugar diet after their trek. Once they start breeding and nesting, orioles need more protein—so you may want to switch to mealworms after a few weeks.

• Orange and yellow are key colors to attract these birds. Many of our readers who are birding enthusiasts tell us that when they put out those oranges, orioles appear quickly thereafter. That’s why most oriole feeders are orange in color.

• Jelly can get moldy or grow bacteria quickly. You’ll want to clean your oriole feeder daily to avoid getting the birds sick.

Now that you’re ready to get started attracting orioles to your backyard this spring, here’s our top pick for best oriole feeder overall: Birds Choice Flower Oriole Feeder. And here’s what we like about it: 

What We Liked

• Orange jelly cup is removable for easy cleaning and filling. It holds three oz. of jelly.

• Powder coated, steel wire design includes two spikes for orange halves.

• Birds love it.

What Needs Work

• If it rains, water fills the jelly cup. Some readers purchased separate rain baffles to cover their feeder or placed it under the eaves of their homes.

Best Budget Friendly: Heath Outdoor Products CF-133 Clementine Oriole Bird Feeder

Made of powder coated steel wire and painted orange, this unique orange slice sculpture holds a glass cup for jelly and includes a couple spikes for orange halves. Here’s more.

What We Liked

• The steel wire is UV resistant, so the orange color doesn’t fade.

• Comes with an attached hanging chain.

• Affordable.

• Birds like perching on it.

What Needs Work

• Glass cup can break if dropped. It would be better to have a plastic cup, especially if you have kids around who want to help with refilling.

• Some readers complained the orange halves fell off. We didn’t have this issue, but there were some complaints about oranges not staying on the holders.

Best Jelly Feeder: Perky-Pet 253 Oriole Jelly Wild Bird Feeder

This feeder accommodates just jelly for feeding orioles (no oranges), but it has a unique feature: you can use a store-bought, 32 oz. jar of jelly and merely screw it onto the base! So easy!

Thanks to this design, you don’t have to transfer jelly from the jar to the cylinder that comes with the feeder. Can’t get much simpler than that!

What We Liked

• Built-in jelly stirrer. You just turn the knob on the bottom of this feeder a few times when you hang it up and it helps break up clumps of jelly.

• Orange base tray has plenty of room for multiple birds. 

• Drainage holes for rain.

What Needs Work

• Glass jelly jars are heavy. If you can find store-bought jelly in plastic jars, they are lighter weight and help the feeder stay balanced better. 

• Jelly can drip through the drainage holes. You may not want to place it over a deck for that reason—hanging it over grass or mulch may be better.

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We’ve been rating and reviewing products for the home and families since 1994. We do extensive research, evaluating products with an eye toward quality, ease of use and affordability. When we purchase a product for hands-on testing, we do so with our own money. 

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