Dealing with large flocks of black birds, typically Common Grackles or European Starlings, that monopolize backyard feeders is a common frustration for bird enthusiasts. These larger birds quickly empty feeders and dominate smaller songbirds. The goal is to implement targeted strategies that create a feeding environment accessible to smaller species while being inconvenient or unappealing to the black birds. This approach relies on exploiting the physical size, feeding behaviors, and dietary preferences of the unwanted visitors.
Modifying Feeder Design and Access
Altering the physical structure of a feeding station is one of the most reliable methods for excluding larger birds. Many commercially available feeders now incorporate mechanisms that restrict access based on a bird’s weight. Weight-activated feeders sense when a bird heavier than a set threshold, such as a Chickadee or Finch, lands on the perch.
The feeding ports on these models close automatically when a heavier bird, like a Starling (over 70 grams) or a Grackle (over 110 grams), applies pressure. This technology can often be adjusted to a specific sensitivity level, ensuring that only lighter songbirds, generally below 50 grams, are allowed continuous access. This mechanical exclusion prevents larger birds from establishing a foothold.
A simpler modification involves installing a protective metal cage around an existing tube or hopper feeder. This cage acts as a barrier, allowing smaller birds to pass through the mesh openings while physically blocking larger species. For successful deterrence, the mesh openings should be precisely sized, ideally around 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) square. This aperture is large enough for small birds like Nuthatches and Titmice to navigate but too restrictive for the bulkier bodies of Starlings and Grackles.
The feeder itself should be positioned several inches inside the cage perimeter. This distance prevents birds with long beaks, such as Grackles, from reaching through the mesh to access the food. Another structural change involves using tube feeders equipped with very short perches, or removing existing perches entirely. Since large black birds rely on a stable, horizontal perch for comfortable feeding, a short perch or a vertical clinging surface makes it challenging for them to land and feed effectively.
For suet, which is a favorite food of Starlings, switching to an upside-down suet feeder is effective. These feeders require birds to cling to the underside and feed while oriented downward. This posture is easy for acrobatic birds like Woodpeckers and Nuthatches but awkward for Starlings and Grackles, who prefer to feed upright. This modification leverages a difference in natural feeding behavior to reserve the suet for desired species.
Strategic Seed Choices
Changing the type of food offered is a powerful, passive method for deterring unwanted black birds, as they have distinct palates compared to smaller songbirds. The most effective deterrent seed is safflower, which is readily consumed by Cardinals, Chickadees, and House Finches. Safflower seeds possess a thick, hard shell and a bitter flavor that is unappealing to Starlings and Grackles.
For this method to work optimally, safflower seed should be offered straight, without being mixed into a blend. When safflower is included in a general mix, black birds often toss the unpalatable seeds onto the ground while searching for preferred items like sunflower hearts or cracked corn, leading to significant waste. Providing a feeder filled exclusively with safflower encourages the black birds to abandon that food source quickly.
Another strategic choice is Nyjer seed, often mistakenly called thistle, which is a favorite of Goldfinches and other small finches. Nyjer seed must be served in specialized tube feeders with tiny, restrictive feeding ports. These narrow openings are easily accessed by the small, pointed beaks of finches but are physically too small for the larger beaks and heads of Starlings and Grackles.
It is advisable to eliminate foods that are strong attractants for black birds. Feed mixes containing high amounts of cracked corn, millet, or inexpensive cereal grains act as a magnet for large flocks of Grackles and Starlings. Similarly, offering peanuts out of the shell or suet cakes containing fruit or nuts will draw Starlings, as their bills are better suited for softer, high-energy foods. Switching to whole, in-shell peanuts or pure rendered suet can reduce their interest in these offerings.
Adjusting Feeder Placement
The location and environment surrounding the feeder can be manipulated to create a less welcoming space for larger, more cautious black birds. One effective technique is to place feeders far from stable, easy-to-access perching surfaces like large tree branches or fence tops. Grackles and Starlings are large birds that prefer clear, secure spots to land before approaching a food source.
Hanging a feeder from a long, thin shepherd’s hook or a pole system reduces the stability needed for large birds to comfortably land. The use of a dome or baffle suspended above the feeder can also be useful, as black birds are often reluctant to feed under a restrictive overhead covering. For added protection, a baffle mounted below the feeder on a pole system prevents black birds and other animals from climbing up to the food supply.
Since both Grackles and Starlings frequently forage on the ground, maintaining a clean area beneath the feeder is an important deterrent. Fallen seeds, particularly cracked corn and millet scattered by other birds, become an easy secondary food source that encourages black birds to linger. Regularly sweeping or raking the ground, or installing a wide seed catcher tray beneath the feeder, eliminates this readily available ground meal. This simple housekeeping task reduces the incentive for these ground-feeding birds to remain in the vicinity.