Keep Starlings Away from Your Birdfeeders: Tips and Tricks

2 min read 23-11-2024

Keep Starlings Away from Your Birdfeeders: Tips and Tricks

Starlings. Those sleek, iridescent birds that seem to appear everywhere. While they're certainly beautiful in their own right, they can quickly become unwelcome guests at your bird feeder, outcompeting smaller, more desirable birds for food. Their aggressive nature and sheer numbers can leave other species struggling to find enough to eat. So, how do you enjoy your backyard birdwatching without the starling takeover? Here are some effective tips and tricks to keep these feathered bullies at bay.

Understanding the Starling Problem

Before diving into solutions, it's crucial to understand why starlings are so successful at monopolizing bird feeders. Their adaptability and social nature allow them to quickly locate and exploit food sources. They’re also highly intelligent and can learn to overcome many deterrents relatively quickly.

Why Starlings are a Problem:

Aggressive Feeding: Starlings are notoriously aggressive feeders, often chasing away smaller, more delicate birds.
Large Numbers: They often congregate in large flocks, overwhelming feeders in short order.
Adaptability: Starlings are highly adaptable and can quickly learn to circumvent deterrents.

Effective Strategies to Deter Starlings

Now that we understand the challenge, let's explore proven methods to keep starlings away from your bird feeders:

1. Choose the Right Feeder

The type of feeder you use plays a significant role. Starlings struggle with feeders designed for smaller birds.

Weight-activated feeders: These feeders only open when a lighter bird lands on them.
Tube feeders with small perches: Starlings prefer larger, more stable perches. Small perches make it difficult for them to feed comfortably.
Suet feeders with cages: These protect suet from larger birds while still allowing smaller birds access.

2. Strategic Placement

Careful placement of your feeders can also make a difference.

Location, Location, Location: Place feeders close to protective shrubs or trees, offering smaller birds a quick escape route from starlings.
Avoid Open Areas: Avoid placing feeders in wide-open spaces where starlings can easily swoop in.

3. Food Selection

Starlings are omnivores, but they have preferences. Offering foods they dislike, or are less efficient at eating, can help.

Avoid cracked corn: This is a favorite food of starlings.
Offer Nyjer (thistle) seeds: These seeds are difficult for starlings to eat.
Use smaller seeds: Starlings prefer larger seeds.

4. Other Deterrents

Beyond feeder types and placement, there are other tactics to consider.

Visual Deterrents: Shiny objects, reflective tape, or plastic owls might deter starlings temporarily. These usually lose effectiveness over time.
Auditory Deterrents: Motion-activated noisemakers can startle starlings, but their effectiveness is also temporary.
Netting: Covering the area around your feeder with netting can prevent starlings from accessing the food.

Persistence is Key

It's important to remember that starlings are clever birds. You might need to experiment with different strategies and combinations of methods to achieve the best results. Be patient and persistent, and you'll eventually find a winning combination that keeps your feeders filled with the smaller birds you want to attract.