![]() Hang mirrors: Birdhouses for woodpeckers, wood ducks and owls are often taken over by European starlings. ![]() (This device works against squirrels, too.) Lightweight birds can reach the food because the treadle does not drop down when they perch.ĩ. When larger, heavier birds land on a treadle, it drops down over the bird food. Buy weights: Look for a bird feeder that has a weighted perch or treadle. He can’t guard a feeder that he can’t see.Ĩ. The simple solution is to set up an additional sugar-water feeder on another side of your house, out of sight of the other male’s domain. Only “his females” and their young are allowed to feed undisturbed. Offer alternatives: A male hummingbird is often aggressive and protective of a sugar-water feeder that he considers his own. Smaller birds are too light to roll off the bottles while feeding, or they can cling to the wire cage.ħ. When a bully lands on a soda bottle, the weighty visitor rolls off the perch. Use bottles: Thwart suet-eating bullies at a cagelike feeder by inserting a long perch that extends out both sides, placing a small soda bottle over each end. Some commercial tube feeders have perches above the food ports, where the birds have to stretch downward to feed-something that bully birds can’t do either.Ħ. ![]() Finches can cling to the sides of a tube feeder and eat all day long. Aid acrobats: Bully species usually require a perch to hold onto while eating, but most finches and many other small feeder birds can eat without perching at food ports. By offering just those seeds-and not wild bird seed mixes-only finches, chickadees, nuthatches, cardinals and grosbeaks will come to the feeders to dine.ĥ. Generally, bully birds do not like safflower or nyjer (thistle) seeds. Be selective: Selective feeding is another way to control the kinds of birds that eat at your feeders. The bullies are not likely to fly into the can to get the discarded seed.Ĥ. ![]() To solve this problem, place a garbage can under a hanging feeder. Catch seeds: Many people find that foiling bullies at feeders isn’t quite enough because they often eat the food that the other birds drop on the ground. Starlings are reluctant to go under any sort of cover.ģ. To stymie starlings, hang your suet feeder under a domed squirrel baffle or buy a starling-proof suet feeder, which allows birds access to food only from beneath the feeder. Take cover: Starlings are known for their love of suet cakes, and it is not unusual for them to eat a whole cake in a single day. The downside is that desirable birds such as northern cardinals are also too large to enter.Ģ. Bullies such as blackbirds, pigeons and crows can’t squeeze through. It allows smaller birds to pass through and enter the feeding chamber. Look for a rubber-coated mesh that surrounds traditional tube, suet and tray feeders. Go modern: New innovations in feeder construction can limit the size of birds able to feed in your yard-and bully birds are generally larger than most of the more “desirable” feeder birds. Follow these simple steps to keep starlings and other bullies from taking over your backyard bird feedersīully birds such as blue jays and European starlings are a nuisance, but you can take some simple steps to prevent them from dominating feeders-and allow less aggressive birds to enjoy your hospitality.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |