How to Discourage Pest Birds from Feeders 

I've had the exact same experience with the dinner bell feeder. Wrapped it in wire netting now. Gonna have to put cages up, but they will also block the two woodpeckers that visit us. 🤔

I hate those birds. They kick all the seed out. They are such a nuisance. They scare off my Cardinals. I would pick them off with a pellet gun if I thought it would make a dent in their numbers.

There is another guy that has a video here who says to take the feeders in for a few days and the nuisance birds will leave. I have fed birds for years without Grackles and Starlings. Well, they found me this year and are terrible. I have a cage feeder but the little birds will not come around while those nasty birds are near by. I guess I am going to have to try taking in the feeders for a few days. I feel bad but Grackles and Starlings are getting most of the food.

@@ellietobe Ye they are greedy as hell! Also not native....at least not to the UK. Invasive species that unfortunately needs to be culled. they are literally everywhere here

@@ellietobe Don't do it. I've tried it. It doesn't work. You lose some of the rest of the regular small birds and then the annoying larger birds still come back again. 🤔

@@zlinky1113 Same here. I brought in the feeders, hoping the cowbirds would go away, but they came back when I put the feeders back out. I’ll try the cage next. Wish me luck!

Unfortunately, the 1.5" mesh wouldn't eliminate sparrows, and adding reflective tape or other shiny deterrents will likely deter other birds just as much as the sparrows. The 1.5" mesh is best for keeping out starlings and jays as flickers are still able to get their long tongues through the mesh as well.

Hello! Looking out my patio door as my only real view of peace includes so many types of visitors to my birdfeeder and bath. Now I have 2 deer, rabbits, a weasels, raccoons, squirrels, but my variety of birds is spectacular! I am new at this, but the dear deer are knocking down my 5ft Angel w 2 hangers. I am missing 4 suet feeders in 2 months, broken down and carried into the trees! At a loss of fine entertainment to my I am nixing them for awhile. I found an bin to put out by the treeline which is where the abandon deer and other eaters live. I put some corn in it hoping to feed these little fellas, but the black birds had a convention out there today..they are bullies. I cant afford them..?? Help

Hello Rey, Thank you for your comment. You could add a mesh feeder and offer Finch Blend in it, which the House Finches will be more attracted to than the thistle alone, or you could feed premium Black Oil sunflower in your other feeder, or Safflower. Switching from the striped sunflower will attract a wider variety of birds, but still not be attractive to the House Sparrows. You could also feed seed cylinders, which come in a variety of blends. Sparrows do not like being forced to cling to a feeder, being much more comfortable with a large, stable platform to feed from. By adding a small weather guard over the top of the cylinder, you could eliminate them from standing on top of the cylinder. You could also choose a flavor like Bug, Nut, and Berry or Cranberry Fare that the House Finches will enjoy, but the sparrows will not readily want to work on. Avoid any seed blends that have millet or corn, which the sparrows and other ground feeders (like pigeons) find attractive. These ideas and more are also shared on Project FeederWatch: feederwatch.org/blog/keeping-house-sparrows-away-from-feeders/ Good work being persistent and striving to feed the birds, despite the pesky sparrows!

I know Amazon has them but be careful and buy a good one. The cheaper ones tend to be poorly made and the wire holes are too small. It may take a few days for the birds to get used to the new feeder but they will figure it out. Some birds are very suspicious and will watch the feeder for a few days to make sure it is safe. Usually the Chickadees are first to go in. They are the bravest little souls. Once they start feeding the finches and nuthatches will soon follow.

@@ellietobe the black capped chickadees are first to test everything I put out. I always say the same thing you just said. They are brave, adventurous and extremely friendly. I love chickadees.

Yes ... happily!

In general, we stock cages that have 1.5” mesh. 2” mesh is also available for people who want to deter the squirrels but allow in larger birds like jays. We haven't heard of any problems with the 1.5" mesh but we always recommend stopping by in person if you have specific questions about feeders or birds.

There are Starling Proof Suet Feeders that have a metal plate that goes over the top of the internal suet cage so starlings can’t feed from the top, and a detachable plate that can also be inserted from the bottom. Most starlings have weak feet so they can’t cling upside down, so the bottom plate isn’t always necessary but may deter other undesirable birds. This plate system allows songbirds to eat from inside the feeder while keeping starlings and other larger birds out. Flickers can still feed from outside the cage however.

You could try feeding just premium black oil, or safflower, or a combination of both to reduce the starlings’ interest in the feeder. Feeding safflower only is the most sure-fire to deter the starlings, but the black oil is the cardinal’s favorite yet still somewhat difficult for the starlings to eat.

@@moananursery do you know what seed I could put out to discourage grackles that other birds will eat?

We are not sure what an Angel hook is but suggest that wetting (significantly) the area for removal may work unless you have a pole with screw threads and then you will need to literally screw it out of the ground, taking off any supports that might hinder the turning & removal. To get a good grip on the pole for removal, use a vice grip or a pliers wrench.

@@moananursery Great advice, thank you! It rained and stormed here tonight. Tomorrow might be the "moving of the birdfeeder Angel hook!

Thank you for your question. The 1.5" grid should discourage cowbirds and other larger birds, but it won't eliminate them completely. You can feed safflower, suet, nyjer, or whole peanuts to discourage them as well, depending on the birds you wish to see.

We love magpies too! Beautiful and intelligent, these inspiring birds are more than worthy of our support! As you note, however, as a large bird and members of the same family it will be difficult and nearly impossible to encourage the Maggies and at the same time banish the crows at your feeders; best to concentrate on eliminating rodent predation by using some of our hot pepper products.

@@moananursery I disagree, magpies are awful birds who bully and predate smaller birds, not to mention their awful screech.

@@sim2502 Agreed! The ones in my local park always swarming around while im trying to feed the squirrels and the squirrels are actually scared of them. On top of that a lot of the time if the squirrels are burying what I give them the magpies are watching them, then while the squirrel is coming back for more food the magpie steals the squirrel's STASH! :O I mean how big of a D!@# do you have to be to do that? lol

We've found that feeder guards/cages with a 1.5 inch mesh are very effective for keeping starlings at bay while allowing the smaller birds in to eat. Starlings are certainly tenacious though!

Yes, we have 3 plant nursery/garden center stores in the Reno, Nevada area.

I'm AMAZED at how many people like myself have the same Starling problem. but i recently got in contact with the designer of the Roamwild Pest Off Bird Feeder, Adam and he suggested I change the food. He said NO mealworms or suet but instead use sunflower hearts (the inside of the sunflower seeds) but as a mixed seed packet. His first suggestion was to take the feeders away from a week to force the birds to find somewhere else. We started that yesterday. I just hope it doesnt deter the small birds but we shall see

I set ours very low weight. It works. The second feeder, we set the hood down very low. The bluebirds can still get in. We add chrome twists attacked off tue side of the dome with clips, that sparrows who have heard time getting in anyway, will no longer try. The first feeder squares still look large enough to let in those murderous sparrows. Who prey on blue birds and finches nests.

Are the squares small enough on the first feeder to totally prevent murderous sparrows? While letting in blue birds, finches, chickadee, and tufted T mouse birds? Maybe adding some chrome shiny twisting objects outside the grid would help. Also, is the diameter large enough on the first feeder to prevent wood pecker tongues from grabbing food, or killer starlings that stretch/thin out their necks and reach in?

Absolutely! Nyjer is also a great choice for deterring squirrels, grackles, and starlings while attracting finches.

My Grackles and Starlings love the Safflower and when that runs out, they eat the Nyjer

Your best strategy will be to feed the jays separately with peanuts away from a feeding station with black oil sunflower for the cardinals.

Northern Cardinals love safflower seeds. They are the only birds that will eat them, Their short powerful beaks evolved specifically to eat safflower seeds. Put safflower seeds in a separate platform feeder for cardinals. I question the knowledge of someone giving "expert" advice about birds who apparently doesn't know that.

It's all a matter of preference when it comes to "pest" vs "desirable" birds. Larger birds can scare off smaller birds. If someone only wants those smaller birds in their yard then those larger birds would be a "pest" to them, but on the flip side other people like those larger birds better and may instead consider the small ones to be "pests" for eating all the food. It's a personal choice each backyard birder gets to make for themselves! Feeding on the ground can also be dangerous in certain areas due to bears and other wildlife, so this isn't an option for everyone trying to limit which birds are at a given feeder.