A territory is simply an area an animal claims for its home. Male birds, including orioles, want to find the best territory possible so that when the females arrive they can start attracting them and showing them what a great home they have picked out. You can tell male and female orioles apart. When orioles start arriving in your area, try keeping track of how many males and females you see for several weeks. You should notice the pattern I am talking about.
Insects are far richer in protein than fruit is.
Orioles need a lot of protein when producing eggs, and their babies need a lot of protein to grow fast. The tropics, where orioles spend winters, have many more toxic insects than North America, but plenty of fruit. But it early summer, there aren't a lot of fruits available for orioles arriving in North America. Please take a few minutes to share your suggestions and comments in our Year-End Evaluation Form below. The information you provide at the end of each year is the single most important tool used to guide our planning.