Orchard Oriole

The orchard oriole is the smallest oriole in North America. They are found in the Eastern United States up to the Canadian border in the north and down into Mexico in the south. During the winter they migrate down into Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. They often do not spend a lot of time on the breeding territory, arriving late in the spring and returning to their winter habitat before the end of summer.

Orchard orioles mostly eat insects and spiders during the breeding season. Besides insects they will also eat fruit, especially during the non-breeding season. These orioles were attracted to fruit that was left in the trees at the South Padre Convention Center. Down in tropical areas of Central America, during the winter, the orchard oriole will eat nectar and pollen from flowers. While they feed at the flowers pollen often collects on their feathers and then drops off at the next flower that they visit. Thus they join butterflies and bees as important pollinators in the area.

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