Gardening for Hummingbirds & Orioles in Southern Ontario

Vicki Kennedy

The KEYSTONE to it all? Pesticide-free & NATIVE TREES!

To attract specific types of wildlife as residents, we need to give them what they want and need – habitat. Turning a yard into an ecosystem involves several components: food, water, shelter & nesting opportunities. Nature coevolves to maintain a balance; which means wildlife prefer habitats familiar to them & their genetic instincts.
Orioles and hummingbirds are actually suited to very similar habitats and are fond of the same types of foods, and their size difference allows for coexistence without direct competition. They both thrive in open woodlands with a rich and diverse insect population. Both often associate with wetter areas and areas with open fresh water, as these provide particularly good insect foraging.

Native tree species are crucial keystones in any ecosystem where hummingbirds and orioles thrive. These species provide many of the features necessary for the success of these delightful birds; native tree flowers are some of the first to open and have plenty of nectar for a long period. They provide critical sheltering opportunities (more open than conifers – think cool summer breezes and springtime dappled sun), nesting sites, and support vast numbers of insects in a variety of sizes to suit both birds.
To keep it simple: more native plant diversity = more insect diversity = more predators feeding on them. The use of any pesticides will travel up this food chain and directly harm the birds we are trying to attract.

Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds – some facts, observations, associations
• Hummingbirds are unique to the Americas and evolved more recently, and do not recognize exotic plants compared to native plants. Direct correlation is reported between local biodiversity and presence of hummingbirds.
• Hummingbirds have adapted for woodland environments. Evergreens provide cover options for the shoulder seasons, while large leaved deciduous trees such as maples or tulip trees can provide more water sources as dew or rain collects on large leaves, and additional foraging opportunities.
• Nectar fuels insect hunts, which are crucial parts of a balanced diet: vitamins, minerals, proteins, oils & fats. Nestlings are fed exclusively insect diets. Adults must feed every 10-15 minutes or will starve, and only survive each night by going into torpor.
• Hummingbird prey include gnats, aphids, mosquitos, small spiders, daddy long legs, mites, leaf hoppers, various larvae and eggs. Emphasis on small species – hummingbirds swallow prey whole
• Strong association between hummingbirds & spiders; befriending the spiders will attract more hummingbirds. They will steal prey from spiderwebs, or the spiders themselves, and also use the silk in nest building.
• Nest sites are often selected at the ends of tree or shrub branches, usually built 1m to 15m off the ground where there are sheltering leaves above and open space below. They are often built over water, and built only by females. Males have no parenting involvement and are not restricted to a single female partner.
• Appropriately sized water sources or gentle misting devices provide important hydration and hygiene. Misting sprays are particularly attractive to hummingbirds, who don’t tend to visit standard bird baths.
• Allow for or create lookout perches; hummingbirds appreciate open places to perch and watch for predators and prey, which can be as simple as leaving some deadwood in trees.
• Beware the Chinese Mantis – invasive species of praying mantis large enough to prey on hummingbirds. Search for egg masses in the winter & destroy any found; these masses are distinct between species and fairly easy to distinguish.

Plant fibers such as these are heavily used in nest building.  
Baltimore Orioles – some facts, observations, associations
• Orioles prefer tall trees surrounding open areas – clearings in the forest or open woodlands. They are a member of the Icterid family along with blackbirds and meadowlarks
• They are attracted to ripe fruit and bright, nectar-rich flowers. Seem to prefer darker coloured berries, will ignore yellow cherries and green grapes for example
• During breeding season (May through summer) they feed heavily on high-protein insects, and during migration season they feed more on ripe fruit and/or nectar to fuel long flights. Nectar is more heavily fed on in the tropical wintering ranges, where Orioles are critical pollinators.
• Insects include beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, moths, snails, and caterpillars including the invasive spongy (gypsy) moth. Orioles are one of the few birds that will eat fuzzy/spiny caterpillars.
• Where high quality habitat exists, orioles will nest close to one another, sometimes within the same tree. They show a preference for white elm*, and to some extent cottonwood and maples; placing nests far out in the fine branching. Females weave hanging nests high in the trees using the nearby grasses, sometimes bark and vines, over the course of a week or two with little or no help from the male. Both parents will feed nestlings, though only the female incubates.
• * Dutch Elm Disease: There are several strategies to mitigate the risk of DED with White Elm; look for nurseries offering disease resistant genetics, plant in low numbers, and space individuals far apart to prevent root contact. Planting this species despite the risk is important for its overall genetic health & survival, and both orioles and hummingbirds will aide in protecting the tree from the associated disease-carrying insects.

For hummingbirds and orioles alike, their insect-heavy summer diets mean preserving local biodiversity is crucial to providing suitable habitat. Traditional landscape design values & conventional aesthetic (which is where education has focused) prioritize limited variability and repetition, and clean bare earth or mulch. This is not conducive to a thriving insect population or their predators.

Native Plants to Support Hummingbirds:
Nectar sources:
• Nodding onion
• Giant yellow hyssop
• Wild columbine
• Milkweed
• Canada Milkvetch
• Blue flag iris (bloom coincides with arrival)
• Michigan lily & Canada lily
• Tulip tree
• Cardinal flower
• Wild lupine
• Monkey flower
• Wild bergamot
• Beardtongue
• Woodland phlox (important early source)
• Obedient plant
• Trumpet creeper & trumpet honeysuckle vines (creeper highly aggressive)
Prey plants:
• Cup plant
• Obedient plant
• Milkweeds
• Buttonbush
• New jersey tea
• Wild Columbine
• Asters
• Goldenrods
• Pearly everlasting
Nesting Material:
• Milkweed
• Thistle
• Cattail
• Willow
• Fireweed

Native Plants to Support Orioles:
Fruiting plants:
• Black / pin cherry (tree)
• Mulberry (tree – aggressive)
• Serviceberry (shrub/tree)
• Black / Purple Aronia Berry
• Blackberry & raspberries
• Blueberries
Other support plants:
• Tulip tree (nectar & insects)
• Trumpet Honeysuckle (nectar & nest material)
• White Elm* & Maples, cottonwood (nesting & insects, *Dutch Elm Disease still of some concern)
• Insects – focus on moth/butterfly larval host plants
o Oaks – species depends on site conditions
o Hackberry
o Chokecherry
o Pagoda dogwood
o Sassafras
• Big & Little Bluestem grasses (KEYSTONES; insects & nest material)

Photos courtesy of author. Info sourced from:
Canadian Wildlife Federation
Nature Canada
Carolinian Canada
Birds Canada
Wild Birds Unlimited Brookfield
Audubon Society
Beesweet Nature
In Our Nature