Who Knew That the Grape Jelly You Put Out for Baltimore Orioles Is Killing Hummingbirds?

Putting out jelly is a common practice for folks who want to feed Orioles and other nectar eating birds, but there are enough downsides to the practice that it might be best to avoid it altogether.

The jelly provides an easy, calorie-laden meal for birds, but, like human fast-food, it lacks nutrients and isn’t a good staple food. It’s particularly bad for fledglings and juvenile birds who need nutrient rich food, high in protein, to grow. A juvenile bird who gets most of its calories from jelly is like a child eating most of its meals at Dunkin Donuts.

But there’s an even more insidious side to serving jelly to birds. It can be a deathtrap for hummingbirds and other smaller birds. Jelly is sticky, and small birds can become mired in a bowl of jelly, especially when it heats up in the summer. Even a small amount of jelly can adhere to a hummingbird’s wings and cause eventual death if not treated immediately.

For more information, visit: https://lauraerickson.substack.com/p/jelly-is-killing-hummingbirds.

The best way to attract birds to your property is to plant native flowers, shrubs and trees that provide them with a natural food source.