The European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), an invasive species in North America, is known for its aggressive flock feeding behavior, which rapidly depletes seed intended for native songbirds. Introduced in the late 1800s, these birds compete with local species for food and nesting sites, making their deterrence a common goal for backyard bird enthusiasts. Managing starling presence involves implementing practical, non-harmful strategies that make feeders accessible to smaller, native birds while discouraging the larger starlings. This is achieved by modifying feeder designs, strategically selecting food types, and managing feeder placement and timing.
Feeder Design Modifications
Physical modifications to feeders are an immediate and effective way to exclude starlings, capitalizing on the difference in size and weight between the starling and desired songbirds. A successful physical deterrent is the protective cage, or mesh restrictor, placed around a feeder.
These wire cages must have a specific mesh opening size, typically ranging from 1.5 to 2 inches (about 3.8 to 5 centimeters). This spacing is wide enough for small songbirds to pass through to the food source, but too tight for the starling to enter or comfortably reach the feed. For tube feeders, the ports should be several inches away from the outer cage to prevent the starling from reaching the food from the outside.
Weight-activated feeders offer another barrier by using the starling’s weight against it. These feeders are calibrated to detect the landing of a heavier bird, such as a starling (typically weighing between 2.1 and 3.4 ounces). When a starling lands, the feeding ports automatically close, denying access to the seed. Since starlings often feed in flocks, the combined weight of just a few birds landing simultaneously ensures the mechanism is triggered, making the feeder inaccessible to the group.
Strategic Food Choices
Changing the type of food offered makes the feeder less appealing to starlings, which prefer softer foods, cracked corn, and millet. Switching to seeds with a hard outer shell can deter them because their softer bills are not suited for cracking thick shells. Safflower seed is recommended because starlings find its taste bitter and cannot easily open the hard shell, yet it remains attractive to birds like cardinals and finches.
Another tactic involves offering whole peanuts in the shell, which starlings lack the beak strength to open, unlike blue jays and woodpeckers. Nyjer or thistle seed is also typically avoided by starlings. When offering suet, a highly desirable food for starlings, a specific feeder design can be employed to manage access.
Upside-down suet feeders force birds to cling to the underside to feed. This position is awkward for starlings, whose legs are not well adapted for hanging for extended periods. Conversely, woodpeckers, nuthatches, and chickadees are naturally adept at clinging and can feed from this inverted position without issue. Using pure rendered suet without added nuts or fruit can also reduce starling interest, as they tend to prefer suet with these additional ingredients.
Placement and Timing Strategies
Managing the location and timing of feeding reduces a starling’s ability to dominate a feeding station. Open tray or platform feeders should be avoided entirely when starlings are present because their flat design provides an easy surface for a flock. Starlings also engage in “bill-sweeping,” throwing seed aside to find preferred pieces, which leads to significant waste on the ground.
Minimizing this ground waste is important because starlings frequently forage on the ground, often in open, short-grass areas. Feeders should be placed in areas that discourage easy landing, such as hanging them from a shepherd’s hook with a smooth, dome-shaped baffle installed above the feeder. This baffle prevents the starlings from using the top of the feeder as a staging point before dropping down to the ports.
Adjusting the feeding schedule is an effective behavioral deterrent. Starlings are typically most active during the middle of the day, so putting out only a small amount of food early in the morning and late in the evening limits their opportunity to gorge. Providing food only when smaller, native birds are most active and reducing the total quantity diminishes the attractiveness of the feeder to large starling flocks.