Blackbirds & Orioles
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While they primarily eat insects on the ground, all but the Meadowlark visit feeders. Red-winged blackbirds, cowbirds, and grackles often forage in mixed flocks during fall and winter. None will use nest boxes. Cowbirds lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, often removing the original eggs to ensure theirs will be incubated. If a mixed brood does hatch, the larger cowbird hatchling will crowd out the others and place high demands for food on the foster parent(s). When it leaves the nest, it will join other cowbirds. The Spot-breasted Oriole is found in a very limited area along the southeastern coast. |
| name | area | season | diet/native food plants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red-winged Blackbird | NCS | SpSuFW-B | seeds*, grains*, insects grasses, blackberry |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | NCS | SpSuFW-B | seeds*, insects grasses |
| Boat-tailed Grackle | NCS | SpSuFW-B | seeds*, grains*, insects cabbage palm, mulberry, oak |
| Common Grackle | NCS | SpSuFW-B | |
| Eastern Meadowlark | NCS | SpSuFW-B | insects*, seeds, fruit blackberry, grasses, pine, sunflower |
| Baltimore Oriole | NCS | SpFW | insects*, fruit dogwood, tupelo |
| Orchard Oriole | NC CS | SpSuF-B SpFW-M | insects*, fruit blackberry, grape, mulberry, serviceberry, viburnum, wild cherry |
| Spot-breasted Oriole | S | SpSuFW-B | |
Sp=spring Su=summer F=fall W=winter B=breeds in Florida during season(s) underlined M=Migrant | |||