Black oil sunflower seeds are a popular choice for backyard bird feeders, known for their high nutritional value. This often leads to questions about which species are attracted to them, including common visitors like starlings.
Do Starlings Eat Black Oil Sunflower Seeds?
Yes, European starlings readily consume black oil sunflower seeds. These seeds are a favored food source, rich in fat and protein, offering significant energy. Their thin shells make the seeds easy for starlings to crack open. Starlings feed by consuming large quantities quickly, often dominating a feeder upon arrival.
Why Starlings Are Problematic at Feeders
Starlings can present challenges at bird feeders due to their feeding behaviors. As a non-native species, their aggressive and dominant nature often displaces smaller, native songbirds. Starlings arrive in large flocks, rapidly depleting feeder contents and leaving little food for other species. This rapid consumption reduces opportunities for other desirable birds to access food.
Methods to Discourage Starlings
Several strategies can help manage starling presence at bird feeders. Specific feeder designs that restrict access for larger birds like starlings while allowing smaller birds to feed are effective. Caged feeders, for example, have wire mesh that smaller birds can enter but starlings cannot. Weight-activated feeders close seed ports when a bird heavier than a certain weight, such as a starling, lands on them.
Adjusting the type of seed offered can also deter starlings. While starlings enjoy black oil sunflower seeds, they are less interested in or find it difficult to consume certain other seeds. Safflower seeds, with their hard shells and bitter taste, are generally unappealing to starlings. Nyjer seed, which is very small, also poses a challenge for their larger beaks. Offering peanuts in the shell can be more work than starlings are willing to expend, as their beaks are softer and less suited for cracking hard shells.
Feeder placement and suet feeder modifications can further aid in deterrence. Starlings are reluctant to feed under coverings, so placing a baffle above a feeder can limit their access. For suet, upside-down suet feeders are effective because they require birds to cling and feed from below, a position that is more difficult for starlings but manageable for agile birds like woodpeckers and nuthatches. Combining these methods often yields the best results in discouraging starlings.
Attracting Desirable Birds with Black Oil Sunflower Seeds
Black oil sunflower seeds remain an excellent choice for attracting a wide variety of desirable native bird species. These seeds are a nutritional powerhouse, providing high fat content for energy, along with protein, calcium, iron, and B vitamins. Their thin shells also make them easy for many birds to open.
Numerous species are particularly drawn to black oil sunflower seeds, including cardinals, chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, and various finches like American Goldfinches, House Finches, and Purple Finches. Grosbeaks, jays, mourning doves, and woodpeckers also frequently visit feeders offering these seeds. This broad appeal makes black oil sunflower seeds a versatile option for bird enthusiasts seeking to support a diverse array of backyard birds.