Dealing With Starlings
What's up with all these black birds taking over your feeders? More than likely, it's the European Starling that's been dominating your feeders these days! However, there are several solutions to keep these birds from monopolizing feeders.
- Fill your feeders with just enough fresh food in the morning and then in the evening to be sure your "favorite" birds eat it before the starlings find it.
- Offer your favorite WBU seed blends in tube feeder as opposed to a hopper feeder. This will help diminish the amount of seed that the starlings tend to throw to the ground.
- Safflower. It's a small, white seed that is high in protein and fat. Many of your favorite birds will readily eat safflower; starlings typically do not because the very hard shell is difficult to open.
- Offer WBU Simply Suet, which the starlings don't seem to like. Don't worry, this won't prevent your woodpeckers and favorite birds from visiting.
- Try feeding Peanuts in the Shell to help attract jays, titmice, chickadees, nuthatches and woodpeckers. Starlings don't seem to bother with these much.
- Continue to feed Nyjer® (thistle) to your goldfinches. Starlings don't seem to care much for this seed. Also, you might be surprised to see a few other visitors to your finch feeder; such as chickadees and nuthatches.
- Add WBU On-Guard Cages to your feeders. They allow smaller birds through while keeping out larger birds.