April 2025

The Botanical Garden of the Ozarks is pleased to partner with Wild Birds Unlimited to support songbird populations at the Garden! Together, we have refurbished the feeder station and will be offering new opportunities for ornithology education in 2025. As part of this initiative, Wild Birds Unlimited contributes a “Bird of the Month” feature to our newsletters, along with helpful tips and ideas for caring for your own backyard birds.

We are nearing the busiest week for bird migration here in Northwest Arkansas. Between March 1 and June 15, we will see almost 100 MILLION birds fly over our heads during the annual nocturnal migration! While many of these beautiful birds will stay here for the summer, delighting us in shades of blues, greens, yellows, and reds, one of our favorite spring birds usually continues its track north after only a few weeks with us. A flash of orange and black, a beautiful whistling song, and a surprise visit to your hummingbird feeders, who is our mystery bird? That’s right, the Baltimore Oriole!

It’s hard to misidentify an adult male Baltimore Oriole. They show off a brilliant orange body with a black head, back, wings, and tail. The females and juveniles are a bit more difficult, with a warm yellow color and much less black. Their beaks are sturdy and sharp-looking, perfect for digging into fruit. They use a feeding strategy called “gaping”, in which they push their beak into a fruit, then open it, breaking the fruit and allowing the juice to flow. Here in Northwest Arkansas, most of our Baltimore Orioles pass through between mid-April and mid-May, with their peak being the beginning of May. Their preferred nesting trees are native elms, though they will also nest in trees such as maples and cottonwoods. They build a uniquely shaped, hanging nest, where they will lay three to seven blotchy eggs, with a total nesting time between 22-28 days between laying and fledging. 

 To encourage them to nest near you, provide six-inch or shorter pieces of natural fiber string and yarn. During migration season, the best way to attract Baltimore Orioles is with fruit, especially oranges and grape or berry jelly. If you decide to go with jelly, make sure it is an all-natural jelly with no artificial sugars, preservatives, or flavors. If you want to be certain that you’ve got the best of the best, Wild Birds Unlimited sells their unique “Birdberry” jelly, a mix of grape and blackberry that’s been a hit year after year and comes in an easy-squeeze bottle. Baltimore Orioles also enjoy the same nectar you feed your hummingbirds, made with pure white sugar, water, and Nectar Defender to keep it safe longer! Unlike many other birds, they are able to eat hairy and fuzzy caterpllars, including tent caterpillars! If you are lucky enough to have them stick around for the summer, make sure to offer plenty of mealworms, suet, and other high-protein, high-fat, and high-calcium foods. This will ensure their young grow big and strong!

If you would like to see more Orioles at the BGO bird feeding station, make sure to donate to the “Feed a Bird” fund!  To find out more about Orioles and other Arkansas birds, or to pick out your new favorite feeder, visit Wild Birds Unlimited at 745 E Joyce Blvd in Fayetteville and 2011 Promenade Blvd in Rogers!  Enjoy the birds!