Keep Out the Bullies

Author: ForTheBirds
August 14, 2008
bird feeders

People who enjoy bird feeders are often extremely frustrated with a flock of “bully birds” descending upon their feeders, draining them of all the food and chasing away their favorite songbirds in the process.  Some of the most common varieties of “bully birds” are blackbirds, grackles, pigeons, and house sparrows.  These invaders are usually attracted to a bird feeder by readily available birdseed or suet on the ground or in easy-access feeders.

Some solutions are to lock out the bully birds, which are usually larger in size, by limiting the accessibility of feeding ports.  Keep the areas under your bird feeders as clean as possible to keep pigeons away.  Selecting only certain kinds of foods to dispense in your feeders can be beneficial, because bully birds tend to prefer bread, corn, wheat and sunflower seeds.  Finches will be drawn to hanging tube feeders with only nyjer (thistle) seeds.  Cardinals, chickadees, and nuthatches like safflower seed in hopper or tray feeders.


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