5 Common Backyard Birds You DON'T WANT at Your Bird Feeder
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 พ.ค. 2024
- Backyard bird feeding is an extremely popular hobby in the United States. There truly are many beautiful and entertaining species that visit bot feeders. However, there are also some species that you DON’T want visiting your feeders. Here are the top 5 birds you don’t want at your bird feeder. Keep in mind this list is subjective!
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Grackle and Starling in cover image by N. Lewis (also show in video)
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We made a follow-up video because so many people asked! So here are 5 ways to keep problems birds away from your feeder! th-cam.com/video/duc2ZC3pn9A/w-d-xo.html
Hi, I just found your channel n could use some advice, since I have been dealing with Pigeons n Hawks. Is there a way to get rid of them without scaring away the smaller birds that I want to keep feeding, safely?
Other than the House Sparrow and European Starling, this list is nonsense. Please stop anthropomorphizing bird behavior and calling them “bullies”. They are not “your” birds. Birds have different breeding strategies, and cowbirds do partially raise their young from a distance. Plenty (most?) of the other native bird species do also kill their own young. Cooper’s Hawks and large blackbird flocks are not an issue if feeders are spread out and place near sufficient ground cover.
Grackles in particular are amazing to watch, and you’re really missing out if you just run out and start chasing away anything black.
@@anti0918 I agree with you, this list is nonsense for the most part. I love feeding corvids like the 2 species of jay native to my area. I don’t chase away crows, ravens or house sparrows. Ravens and jays are really entertaining to watch along with “desirable” species like hummingbirds, robins, etc.
I’m lucky in that I have a huge backyard so I’ve been able to set up different feeding stations so the birds aren’t forced to compete quite as much. I even feed the squirrels even though they can be a real pain in the azz. The only creatures I do chase away are the neighbor’s cats and the occasional Jehovah’s Witnesses. 😂😅😊
I love the Grackle. They sing a little and try to talk if you talk to them. Totally entertaining!!!! BLESSINGS
A couple of years ago, I went through a horrible depression, but the house sparrows saved my life. They visited my bedroom window everyday for about 2 months. They were funny little characters and lifted my spirit. My dad was against me feeding the birds. He said they would just make a mess. I think they visited me because they knew I needed them. They seemed more like angels than birds. Once I moved back to my own home after my recovery, I began to feed my backyard birds and received visits from many different species. They are such a blessing. All birds are welcome at my home.❤️🙏
They certainly are goofy. Check out our video on how they first got introduced to the US
Birds are such a blessing 😭
You can't overstate the murderous effect house sparrows have on native cavity nesters. I have many bluebird nest boxes that house tree swallows and bluebirds. Every year, the house sparrows take over nest boxes so the natives don't have a place to nest, and they actively kill entire families of bluebirds and tree swallows. When you feed this species you are helping to destroy our native species of birds.
Regardless we feed the birds to cure their hunger, in order to collect a good Karma for us., So I feed everyone regardless to cure their hunger, I feel so good, when they flew not hungry, and also keep water next to them. When you feed the birds please think to cure their hunger by feeding them, You will feel much better.
I hate sparrows!!! I had bluebird houses lining the edges of my property in rural NY. The sparrows would come and peck the baby bluebirds to death, then build their nest on top of the dead corpses. When Jesus spoke of sparrows in MATTHEW 10:29, he purposely chose the most despised of all birds for his illustration. Not a coincidence...
About 35 years ago I owned a home that had a large crabapple tree in the back yard. Since my children and I were not big lovers of crabapples, we seldom tried to harvest them and jus left them on the tree through winter. One February day we were experiencing a warm spell. My children came in and told me that we had a whole bunch of birds in the yard. I checked it out and what we had was a couple hundred Cedar Waxwings primarily on the Crabapple tree and they appeared to be having a feed. I told my kids not to bother them and just leave them alone and went back to what I was doing. Around 20 minutes later the kids came and told me something was wrong with the birds. Some of them had fallen out of the tree and some were hanging upside down. I went to see what they were talking about and they were right. Probably 75 to 100 birds on the ground and another 150 or so still in the tree with many of them inverted. It took about 2 seconds to figure out that the crabapples left on the tree had fermented and those damn birds were drunk. I saw a couple of neighbouring cats sitting on the fence and knew we had a problem. I threw on my coat and went outside with the kids. I gave each one of them a dish towel and we began to pick birds of the ground and put them in the dishtowels before taking them into the garage. More birds were falling but we kept picking the up and depositing them in the garage. Nightfall was not far away so I decided to leave them in the garage overnight. The next morning I went out with the young'uns and we opened the garage door. At first nothing came out but after a minute or so they started out the door. Some flew immediately but some just kind of sat there for a while before flying away. I think the ones that hesitated to fly had hangovers and were still a bit wobbly. It never happened again by even today my offspring remember the drunken birds in our yard.
Wow! What a story! Nice of you and the family to assist them!
love this ! thank you for sharing. . . 'those damn birds were drunk' had me rolling 😂🤣😂🤣
Thank you for saving all the little ones, as a birdlover this kind of actions warms my heart greatly❤
I've seen the same behavior in bear and 🦌 deer...We need to start animal AA meetings 🤓!!!
Cool story, thanks for sharing!
This makes me so sad. My bird feeder literally attracted scores of everyone “undesirable” and my dad said “look what you’ve done” to which I responded “I don’t care it’s for whoever is hungry”
Much love all creatures big and small 🥰
It’s okay! They’re still fun to watch!
yeah, I'm not prejudiced....all are welcome.
I agree, except when the bears come around and yank feeders out of the ground because they ate all the birdfood
Funny, the first two mentioned, the grackle and the starling, are my favorites!
Exactly
My backyard grackles used to be annoying bullies, but recently they’ve learned to coexist with my robins and will even take turns at the bird bath. They also tend to chase nearby crows away, which helps keep the area safe for any other birds that are nesting in the area. So I hated them at first, but they’ve slowly worked their way into my good graces. We’ve even been giving them little bits of string from the garden to help build their nests.
Grackles get a bad rap but they are native to U.S. and really shouldn't be grouped with Starlings. I like them, I think they are way cool.
I adore the crow's that come to us. I have issues with the waste disposal units wit wings, namely woodpigions and seagulls. I don't mind birds eating here, I carnt stand when other birds don't get a look in. I know it's in their DNA but it still makes my blood boil, I could put seed out there until the cow's come home, and they would still come. I love starlings they have such characters. I feel so sorry for then when they bring there little noisy fledglings the panic and frustration, tey act so flustered as not just their own but other birds fledglings bother them for food.
@@Starbuckin Nope. They are native of the caribbean, and Africa. They took over alll the caribbean, and parts of florida already. They kill songbirds.
@@CFITOMAHAWK Dude what are you talking about? For starters, "grackle" is a term that refers to several different genera in the New World blackbird family, all of which are native to the Americas. The common grackle (which is most likely what they are referring to) can be natively found across most temperate areas in North America, migrating to subtropical regions like Florida during winter, rarely overshooting deeper into the Caribbean. The boat-tailed grackle is another, slightly less common native species found along the entire east coast of the continent, including Florida. Several other species in the same genus _(quiscalus)_ natively occur in and around the Caribbean, they "took over" those spots long before even the native people arrived, and none of them naturally occur in Africa.
There are some starlings that are erroneously referred to as grackles, but they are unrelated to the New World blackbirds. What you described sounds like the common hill myna (fortunately not as invasive as most starlings) and Tristram's starling (only found in arid regions of Africa). Perhaps you mixed these two up.
@@chitinskin9860 the Common Grackle is considered an agricultural pest species in North America, since huge wintering flocks can cause millions of dollars in damage to corn, rice, sunflower, and other crops. Lethal control measures are often used to stop the damage and may be contributing to Common Grackle declines.
While I agree with most of the birds on your list, all are welcome here. There is absolutely nothing out there for anyone during a harsh New England winter, so if they come, they will have food. My late mom told me: 'If it comes and it's hungry, feed it.' And I do.
Awe, how wonderful. Sorry to be cheesy but that really made me smile.
I do the same. Here in north Georgia loss of habitat occurs as well. Our property is a 1.5 acre heavily wooded sanctuary for critters
We have the house sparrows in England they’re very common here and are always on the feeders.
Same here ☺ 👍 All birds are welcome and beautiful ❤️ 🐦
I live near a wooded area, and I love to greet all little critters! I have multiple birdfeeders up, and I love seeing squirrels, birds, and all the other wildlife surrounding my house. So peaceful and graceful.
I personally believe that rather than deterring certain species from the feeders, we should consider creating different feeding areas in our garden. I have 2x areas with hanging feeders and 2x areas with ground feeding trays. One hanging feeder has a big tray, to allow bigger birds like pigeons, magpies or jackdaws to sit and eat comfortably. The other hanging feeders are for small birds only, like finches, tits or sparrows. One of the ground feeding tray is in cage, letting only small ground feeding birds come in and eat. The other ground feeder is open and everybody is welcome to use it. While I appreciate that some people do not want huge numbers of big birds visiting their gardens, it is important to remember that they also want to live and need to fight for survival, especially during winter time. Lets be kind to all birds, big or small.
I am very interested in the ground feeder you have set up. Sounds like protection against both hawks and cats. My morning doves will not feed except on the ground so far. I have a pie plate in a hanging basket frame that I fill, but I've never seen them use it. If I hang a platform, squirrels will eat it up along with the other birds, I think, but it would be nice to get them a better feeding situation.
@Justyna Parzych I totally agree with you, I believe that having different areas for different species is the way to go. At first, I had a lot of problems with squirrels eating and attacking all my bird feeders, now I have 9 eating areas for them, and they will not touch the bird feeders anymore. I also have ground feeders, a Corvid area for my Crow's Bluejays and Starlings they are there like it or not, and many hanging bird feeders to appeal to different species of birds plus Suet about 3 suet feeders for my woodpeckers especially.
I put out plenty of food every day and do a re-stock in the middle of the day. Plus 5 water stations and most of the time I don't have birds squabbling over food. Plenty for everyone🥰❤️
I feel the same. There are no "unwanted" birds in my yard, everyone is welcome. I have hanging feeders, ground areas with flat stones and I also feed squirrels separate food of their own.
i agree. i strategize what to feed, where, and when. The house sparrows seem to stay at the same place and you can give them a little on the ground while you give more to other birds at other locations. As long as there is some at their spot, they pretty much stay there while the others enjoy without them. We have different birds here, but yeah, the same basic strategies. Here, we have to trick the turkeys into not eating everything first.
I agree. I try to feed them all - except the predators.
I love feeding all birds in my yard. And squirrels and possums as well. They bring me so much joy every day.
Big possum fan
And Oppossums don't cary rabies either 😊
I am honored by any wild thing that chooses to visit me. I raised a cowbird as a child, I guess the tiny bird's nest that mom picked was not a particularly welcoming home, since the little wren tossed him out 3 times before my Mom let me bring him in. Miraculessly, he survived to adulthood and hung around for a couple of years. So, I have a soft spot for Cow Birds.
Wow! That’s pretty cool he survived!
They come into my boat when I'm inside sometimes.
i think cowbirds sound beautiful
All birds are welcome in my small UK garden, as are all other creatures. Doing my best to create a habitat that will support and protect them all. I feel encouraged by the positive comments of other viewers, who are trying to do the same. 🧡😊🤸
#birdbathjamaica 🐦
Same here. I especially love grackles!❤️
I agree with you 100% and just cannot understand the attitude of people who are selective in which bird species, or indeed other creatures they attract to their gardens.
Do people in the UK call backyards gardens?
@@skylerslack12 Yes land attached to domestic properties are called gardens. Yards are normally fully paved areas for commercial and industrial activities.
I gained a passion for bird watching after my mother passed away. Her favorite bird was a Red Winged Black Bird. All her bird feeders are still here plus some additions. A few years after she passed a Red Winged Black Bird would come to the feeder ever morning and make the most beautiful calls before eating. Just last week I saw something incredible, there had to of been 3 males and over 15 females doing synchronized dances above my house, high in the sky. Another time just this year I learned about the Common Grackle, I couldn't count how many there were if I tried. I'd never seen it before, strangely when they move in packs they are known as a "plague" Has only happened here and there so I assume they stop for a snack and migrate elsewhere. Very neat to watch. I have sooo many other cool species that visit daily but I thought this was so interesting to hear everything in this video! As mentioned always leave water for both drinking and bathing! Birds are so fascinating, its beautiful to see so many of us share the same passion
That’s a very beautiful story about your mom
My dear Dad loved the red wing blackbird. Unfortunately he's gone too soon.
@@BadgerlandBirding Hawks rock and if I could incubate and release them I would. I have incubated chickens and quail and had great luck.
I hate the bird that has so many different chirps. Is that a jaybird? When hawks are around, they aren't.
My favorite bird the Millennium Falcon
Red-wings are one of my very favorites! Their song is amazing!!!
My bird and the birds outside that i've fed for years are the joy of my life.
As an ecologist, I find this video really interesting for a few reasons! I live in rural New Mexico, but recently visited my hometown in central Colorado, which is a huge city. I found myself fascinated by our backyard bird feeder, hosting a few species from this list. The interactions between these animals are much more fluid than in more wild areas-because there really is food for everyone, in abundance, because most people in suburbia have a bird feeder. Just goes to show how diverse and special urban ecology can be.
It definitely is a very interesting dynamic
I put out enough of food for everyone and really, all animals eat quite peacefully with little squabble squabble over food. They are 2 feet away from each other and they know there is enough!!
I went to school at a popular tourist destination on the Front Range in Colorado. Except for vultures and the rare raptor flying up high, the only birds we students saw were magpies. Even then, there were not many. Maybe there were House Sparrows in some corners of the place, but I don't remember them. There were not many decorative plantings and the lawns were constantly mowed and blasted with pesticides to bring beat nature into order. So, I have no idea what food was available for birds, but magpies occasionally stopped by to find something. It was so weird, living in an environment devoid of any disturbance to order. But then, this school was all about order and discipline, so there is that to explain it.
Love all birds, put multiple feeders with different size of seed. No competition. Been feeding like this for a decade. Feed birds to help them survive winter and bad weather, have better nesting success, not just for yourself. Always leave out opportunity for bathing and make sure if you leave water out, to change it few times a day. Its a nice reason to get some fresh air also.
Ha, some of us have to work and take care of actual human responsibilities. Who the hell has time to change bird water 'a few times a day'. What, are you rich or work from home a few hours a day? Or are you retired? I was putting out fresh water regularly for the birds and only once even saw one near the water container. This was fresh, pure water, not from the faucet.
@@kevinlakeman5043 Actually I am not rich at all, and I work 8 or more hours a day. On work days I do it in the morning, before I go to work, once I come back from work - at 17h and once in the evening. This is to prevent disease transfer trough water dishes, it is especially important during nesting season. Faucet water is completely OK if you live in a country where it is pure. Water changes take like a minute. I don't find it so problematic and have time for other things too. Once you get it in to your routine it really is not noticeable at all. And I really think it is good for us to have a lot of different activities during the day it makes it more full and rich.
thank you. this vid is very annoying in that it doesn’t give you any advice how to stop these birds. so thanks much :) 🌷🌱
@@feralbluee Pigeons and doves love corn and large seeds, so they will always go for that, while small millet sized seeds will stop interesting them altogether and small birds will love it. The only competition is sunflower seed at winter time. Everyone will want it so it is best to have one communal tray of it and nuts mixed. Even thou pigeons and doves will go for it also, they will also spill enough for small birds to collect below the feeders. Also small birds need just few of sunflower seeds a day and it will be easy for them to find enough. Have fun. The only issue I ever had was a hawk and that is a problem you can not solve. Some birds will be eaten, so best to put feeders near dense bushes or trees.
@DuneDemon8 💕🐦 That is exactly what people, who love birds, should do!
I have many bird feeders, trays nailed to the trees, and water dishes and also ground seeds.....they all love it and all get along.
I can tell you I have lots and lots of all kinds of birds in my backyard and never seen them fight. 😍🐦🕊️🦉
I love my house sparrows they are adorable 🐦🕊️♥️💕
If there is enough water and food for all everyone will get along 🙂🥰😍
My absolute favorite are chickadees (black caped, chestnut and mountain) and nuthatches, I love how they act like they are stiling seeds and peanuts! 😂🤣😂💕💙🐦🕊️💖
I have one chestnut chickadee that comes to my kitchen window to let me know if they need more peanut 😂🤣😂💕 and one nuthatch that takes peanut out of my hand 💕🐦💗
Early morning, mid afternoon and late afternoon I have, anywhere from 6 to maybe 20, of mourning doves that come by every day!
Even had a band-tailed pigeon come over few times with the doves... So much bigger ☺️💗
These beautiful precious birds make my every day fun and exciting 🥰💜
I hated the grackles when I first started feeding. I then started to feel bad as I noticed their behaviour was changing and developing a “birdonality”. Now they have a great game of peanut chase with the blue jays. I have a white headed grackle that stops by. Plus I set up diversion feeding areas, it seems to work. The “No Hawks allowed” sign doesn’t seemed to be obeyed though
😂
Haha, that's awesome
They are the most entertaining birds I’ve witnessed. My best photos are of grackles. 🥰
Well the blue Jay's are aggressive and chase cardinals away.
House sparrows will steal nests, throw the Robin's eggs out and lay theirs.
I had a northern mocking bird living in a tree right by my old bedroom window and it was the loudest bird I’ve ever heard and it would keep me up at night every night.
I'm really pleasantly surprised to read these comments! I've always said that any bird is welcome, even the crows, I always try to leave food out for everyone...but honestly, the little songbirds are the ones who've taken over and the big crows and starlings don't really come. I have chickadees, finches, and song sparrows, and juncos! I bought a special finch/small bird seed mix which was way more expensive than the huge bags they sell, so that attracted the birds and even had a pair of chickadees nesting in the empty bird box that's been sitting there for years. I helped raise one of their last fledglings, very stressful work but so cute!
Ive noticed that the starlings and black birds only hit me up a week each time they must be migrating to and from. I have all the birds you mentioned too.
My biggest worry now is I didnt realize that Hawks will catch woodpeckers, and the exact woodpecker shown in this video is always at my feeder and its almost like they are deaf because I fill up a number of times per day and it worries me that he is the only species that don't fly away, he is so intent on food that he doesn't even notice me, and now I am worried they are sitting ducks.
@@bunjijumper5345 - I saw a Cooper's Hawk eating a Downy in my backfriend. I was so disappointed. Their cute calls and hopping is such a joy to hear and see. I was surprised that a Downy Woodpecker would be a target of Cooper's Hawks. The physical challenge of a Coop's finding a Downy in a vulnerable position was something I thought unlikely. I wonder how they do it.
i love my grackles - they are so smart. i had one 2 years ago that would follow me around the yard (on foot! just bopping along behind me). i also just leave piles on the ground under the feeders for the larger birds. this frees up the actual feeds for the small birds and the squirrels (i feed the squirrels honestly, the birds just show up because of that). this was the first year we had to deal with cooper's hawks, but my neighbor also got chickens last year so they decided to build a nest between our houses. that was so much fun to watch them learning to fly and hunt! i had mom fly right over my head carrying a snake. you could always tell when it was the mom hunting vs when the fledglings were learning because the birds didnt sound the alarm as fast. still waiting for an oriole. my mom gets them about 10 miles away, but i have yet to see one at my house in the 13 years i've been here. but we get flocks of blue jays and she doesnt so i guess thats a trade off.
I also have coopers hawks and Bluejays. I have 2 bird baths the one in the front the Hawks have claimed. I love both these beautiful birds. It's never dull watching them.
Orioles like orange slices, nectar etc. There are special feeders available. 😀
I love our grackles, too! They have an incredible array of calls that I really love listening to (Not the screaming like a landline phone left off the receiver though, that is an awful sound). I'd almost sworn someone lost a small parrot species before finding out about grackles and realizing they were the ones making the sounds. I've also heard some droid-like squeals and sliding whistles that always make me think of R2D2. They always make me laugh. 😊
Michelle G. you are most welcome to my Grackles,every last one of them. For 35 years myself & my backyard bird had a wonderful thing going. I feed them , they filled my yard with bird song.....win..win.......A few years back the grackles came.....once they came the came in the 100`s..I stopped feeding for over a year & a half hoping they would forget the address......When I started feeding again it took but 3 weeks & they were back again........now because of them no one gets fed......sad....
That was totally funny! Loved the r2d2 reference. Here is my imitation of a crazy jbird call I hear Deedeledoop! HA 🤣 They seem to do that one when they're happy 😊
The best defense against starlings and sparrows are bluejays I have found. They will defend chickadees and other small birds when the sparrows and starlings become harrasive. One day I noticed that some starlings were picking on the chickadees at the feeder and about six blue jays would attack the starlings, making them keep their distance. The next day, the starlings were more respectable; they had been taught manners by the jays.
The blue Jays didnt care about the chickadees, they just wanted to feeding are for themselves.
@Harley Barley thrump n thrysh bird at 0:17
Ive never had an issue with grackles or cowbirds, they are very chill at the feeder. And only flock during migration. They are nothing as bad as the bully Jay's or catbirds. You should also be happy to see grackles in your backyard as their numbers are in serious and mysterious decline
Brown headed cowbirds are nest parasites-you seem educated so you should look into it. Really not good to have around
Grackles and many more. Its amazing how few people notice the decline.
@@ronskancke1489 I've noticed recently too when out looking for them, though I live further west where we get the Great Tailed variant instead of the Common. Back in 2015 I used to see them hanging out around trees all the time.
No worries about the decline, they're alive and well, living in the northern part of Minnesota....LOL, my yard is filled with grackles, cowbirds and house sparrows. Their numbers are plentiful up in my neck of the woods!
I had a pet purple grackle when I was in the 8th grade. They are wonderful and very loving. I’d always be kind to them as well as the rest of those on your list. Poor wild animals have a tough enough life as it is. 🥺
While Common Grackles can be a nuisance they’re considered a Near Threatened species. If you struggle with them taking over a feeder maybe try putting up a weighted feeder that allows you to set it to remain open for smaller birds but close if a larger bird lands on it.
I've personally had trouble with weighted feeders for grackles. They're just too damn clever and tend to figure them out eventually. Caged feeders will definitely work though, provided the holes are small enough.
The grackles I get gravitate toward the suet feeder I have, not so much the perch or platform feeders, and usually leave the other birds alone that prefer the other two feeders.
My biggest "bird bully" are the squirrels and chipmunks where I did get a weighted feeder to keep those out.
@@basil8210 What size opening is good? We have a big problem with the Grackle gang. They take the feeder over and go after smaller birds.
"Common Grackles a Near Threatened species". You must be kidding. They come by thousands and thousands year after year. A real burden.
@ SetApart Common Grackles are in decline but are not a Near Threatened species, maybe do your research first before posting a comment, with that they could be in your area
In UK we have both the Starling and the House Sparrow (and the Tree or Hedge Sparrow). The sparrows were everywhere in noisy, bickering groups when I was little, but have suffered catastrophic decline in recent years. Many starlings died on their migratory routes a few years ago but have made a comeback. They are like strutting adolescent gangs in the garden! Eating everything and dominating the space. However, they have enormous roosts of hundreds of birds and when they all take off together many people gather to watch their wave-like formation,known as a murmuration.
Starlings are absolutely beautiful birds. Watching AutumnWatch a couple months ago, they had a segment about Starlings roosting under a pier. They said scientists still don't know why Starlings perform murmurations. I find them mesmerizing.
@@louisericci5415 I saw that too! I never miss Springwatch, Autumnwatch or Winterwatch. Worth the licence fee just for these programmes alone. I wonder if there is any research in progress concerning murmuration? It's a fascinating and breathtaking phenomenon.
@@julieprior3126 I live in the US so I stream it via BritBox. I think they show it a week or two after it's shown in the UK. I watch them religiously. I really wish they would open the cameras to people outside the UK. I would love to watch them. It's fun to compare the birds by the same name, like Robin and Goldfinch and see how different they are.
Fascinating and breathtaking are perfect words to describe murmuration. I've never seen it in person but would love to!
I like to hear the Starlings chatter to each other at the feeder too. I've seen video of domesticated ones talking. They are amazing at how close to human they sound. Whether singing or talking, they have a very melodic voice.
@@louisericci5415 I'm so glad you are able to see these programmes in the US, but sad you can't see the live cameras between the programmes. I preferred the format they had a few years ago where they had 'story developers' watching the cameras 24/7 and every morning and lunchtime there was a broadcast talking to the story developers and they showed all the best bits they'd seen. That was really exciting because they witnessed some things that the experts had never seen, like a badger partially climbing a tree and another one burrowing under a perimeter fence under cover of darkness and swimming quite a distance to steal and eat most of the avocets' eggs! Poor birds had low numbers of offspring that year.
@@louisericci5415 I'm in Ireland and not to pick sides but I'd pick our robins over the American ones every time. They're just the cutest little things. Part of the flycatcher/chat family, they have the sweetest song and eternally curious about those big bipedal mammals called humans they see in their territory and sometimes help them feed. Also out goldfinches are a delight, get them at my feeder al the time.
Grackles haven’t caused issues when they show up at my place. Yes they show up in a huge mob but they tend to move on after a few days, and they also tend to prefer foraging below the feeder, rather than from the feeder the smaller birds use. They are kind of the clean up crew.
Yes. I never had to clean up or weed around the feeder when grackles are around. A few will walk around underneath and eat. Never seen them on my actual feeder.
They will take over and even attack or eat the chicks. Be intelligent.
Bird feeding is such a joy! Yes the black birds can be annoying, especially starlings. but it is what it is. The squirrels and chipmunks are invited as well. I always included a squirrel feeder and added a corn cob, peanuts, walnuts, and pecans.. keeping them occupied. Want to attract robins, catbirds and mockingbirds? Try mealworms, blue berries, grapes and raisins..... they'll come. Enjoy 😊
We are always thrilled when a Cooper's Hawk comes by for lunch.
Us too! We shoot them.
I love them too! Cooper's Hawks love eating starlings and rats.
All birds r welcome to my feeder biut u r correct with your list
Thank you! I thought I was about the only person who didn’t mind if a hawk caught a songbird near my bird feeder.
Pigeons are a huge nuisance also. But they do bring in the hawks.
Scattering the seeds widely on the ground as opposed to placing them in one or two feeders helps all birds to access food and get along without getting overly aggressive. Scatter seeds under and between shrubbery and the smaller birds can easily get in, but the larger birds prefer the open spaces on the ground. My Cooper's Hawk only eats Mourning Doves and as much as I love all of my birds, there is no shortage of Mourning Doves !! LOL
I tried that and the feral cats attacked the birds.
I tried that as well, and it attracted rats. Just an FYI, DO NOT SPREAD BIRD SEEDS BETWEEN THE BUSHS OR SHRUBS NEAR YOUR HOUSE.
Thank you!!!
Bad method as cats will easily kill them
And don’t forget to put some apples around.
All the lovely comments from fellow bird lovers on here bring me to tears! I am so glad to hear that all birds are equally loved. Yay!!!
We have Mourning Doves, Brewer's Black bird, Red Winged black bird, lots of lovely sparrows, including a new comer! A White crowned sparrow, red headed finch, Starlings (an absolutely beautiful bird not a bully at all! ) Northern flicker, Robin red breast (American robin) we even have a lovely family of California Quail that visit. Our feeder has been visited by the occasional small rabbit and squirrel, which is always a treat. I will say I have seen the wee rabbit chase away a Magpie or two. Funny! Its a feast! And fills my heart and soul with joy and happiness! No bird should be demonized. We do have an occasional Hawk and I just remove my feeder for a few days until he or she is gone. I love the Hawk too but want our feeder to feel safe for the little gems that visit.
I've used the tips to discourage these interlopers, and it has worked. I've gotten feeders specific for the birds I want to attract, and other smaller feeders to discourage bunches of cowbirds or crackles from gorging themselves. I still get the interlopers, but they no longer take over my yard. Thanks for your help!
Glad that it’s worked for you!
My favorite visitors in our yard are the Flickers. Because they are woodpeckers, they have a killer beak. Most other birds, even some squirrels, give them a wide berth.
Flickers are awesome!
magnificent animals! wish I could attract them year-round
Ditto. My fave bird visitor are also the Northern Flickers. They're markings are so striking.
Finally a bird that can exact revenge on squirrels!
and to think...we nearly lost them forever
-- Northern Flickers are one of the North American migratory birds that was hunted to near extinction for their colourful feathers 🙁
I had two common grackles visiting my backyard mostly in spring and I find their behavior to be sort of cute, specially when they get the chance to know you.
Cooper’s Hawk are usually unpleasant visitors for all the suffering they cause to doves and songbirds, but I guess nature designed them to be that way
My mom gets a lot of grackles, and they are not only quite beautiful with their sheen, but they also don't seem to discourage the other species from continuing to visit or find food. When I've sat and watched with her, upon my visits, the various birds seem to have negotiated a rotation throughout the day that leaves everyone satisfied. That despite the curious and hungry eyes of a certain cat watching near by, as well ; )
As for Hawks, they are a beauty of their own design. Though they bring with them a chilling violence, as well, we can't deny that they are part of a cycle that is greater than us.
Last weekend while at Notre Dame for commencement, saw a hawk swoop down and grab a crow off the ground. The crow’s three buddies flew after the hawk to help, have never seen a hawk get another bird, squirrels in my yard, yes.
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
I have all of these at my feeders including blue jays, red finches, goldfinches, robins, 4 kinds of woodpeckers, chickadees, cardinals, red-winged blackbirds, sparrows, ducks, geese, squirrels, chipmunks, mice, voles, etc. Love them all.
Don’t forgot me
We live in New England. The house sparrow is the main reason my wife and I removed our bird feeders. They monopolized the feeders and made messes. Our feeders were utilized 95% of the time by all of these undesirable species stated here in your video. Once we eliminated the feeders, we started to see more cardinals, woodpeckers, and other more colorful birds in our backyard.
I had a bird feeder a few feet away from my kitchen window. One morning, while watching all the wonderful birds eating from the feeder while cleaning up my kitchen, a Coopers Hawk came and sat on the fence next to the feeder. He then grabbed one of the small birds feeding from the feeder. It was awful! That little bird screamed as the hawk took off with the bird in his clutches. That was it for me. I took the feeder down and vowed I would never feed the birds as it became a trap for that Cooper Hawk. Now, I put out hummingbird feeders and have small fountains and bird baths for the birds. I still get to see a lot of really beautiful birds that come for a quick drink or bathe quickly, but no sign of hawks. Thank God!!🙏🏻
I hear you. I'm about ready to give up, as well.
. 22 or 177
hawks have to eat too
I have some few variations of Cardinals outside my apartment, so I got some bird food with sunflower seeds in them. While the Cardinals are starting to show up to my porch regularly, there’s a lot more House Sparrows that eat up the other bird food and they outnumber the Cardinals 4 to 1
They seem to leave each other alone for the most part, and fight amount themselves more than other birds. I’ve never paid attention to birds like this before or feed them it’s surprisingly relaxing
I've also had American Kestrels take out some of my birds. It gives a whole new meaning to bird feeders.
On my property, they all eat, including the Hawks. It’s all nature but, I do supply the food, other than for the Red Tails. I get humming birds too, at my back porch. They are just amazing little creatures.❤
What would have been really useful would have been to tell us how to prevent unwanted birds visiting the feeders while keeping them available for the birds we do want to attract.
IKR? Totally pointless bird diss video, LOL!
Use Safflower and thistle seed. Grackles don't like it and won't eat it. But other song birds will. Eventually the unwanted birds give and move on but the song birds stay.
A high-powered, zero-scoped
pellet rifle. (Dead accurate! 😉)
@@christopherdaniel5919 Oh yes, you can kill with deadly accuracy ONE cow bird or sparrow out of the 50 in your yard, scare ALL the birds away, and some of the naturally-shy songbirds you wanted to feed will never come back. But the cowbirds and sparrows--the most human-acclimated species? They'll be the FIRST to come back. So what then, just keep shooting one bird? Great solution.
Pellet gun.
Most of the birds on that list are at my feeders! Along with an occasional red tail hawk or a Coopers. We don't have a great variety of birds out here, so I enjoy the antics of the sparrows, and put 3 or 4 feeders out so everyone gets a chance to eat. One you mentioned, but wasn't on the list is ring necked doves. They eat like horses! But they have their sweet moments, too. Thanks for the video!
the doves also like to clap and charge at each other too 🤣
Just started feeding this spring and we have probably 95% House Sparrows. I thought this was pretty standard as i live real close to DC, but now I'm conflicted. We had some House Sparrows nest and raise some chicks in our back porch roof, and now we can see the youngins flying around. I love these Sparrows, but also we want to put up proper bird houses, and I LOVE Eastern Bluebirds and hope to have a nest of them. Not sure what to do
I actually really like common grackles. They’re pretty, and their behavior is astonishing to watch. The males, in particular the mature males, do patrols in my neighborhood, and will teach the younger males to watch the sky for intruding grackle flocks and hawks. When they do see a hawk, they absolutely mob them and chase them off, which is great since I have pet chickens that have faced hawk problems in the past.
They’re a lot like roosters, where they are incredibly attentive to the females of the group, and have a very strong family dynamic you wouldn’t normally see in birds. When this particular group of grackles visit the yard, they always eat first, and when they’re done, they leave to let the doves and other birds have at the feeder. They’re just so incredibly cheeky and fun to watch lol.
That's amazing....I see this same family dynamic with house finches....
There are some grackles that hang out by my workplace and they're so fun to watch. I love their hilarious songs and calls, they make me laugh so much. Just absolute goofballs, I adore them 🥲
I get large groups of Starlings, House Sparrows, Grackles, Cowbirds, Red Wing Black Birds, Cooper Hawks, Mourning Doves, Chipmunks, Squirrels, Gold Finches, Red Tailed Hawks, many woodpeckers, Groundhogs, Turkeys, Blue Jays and every other species of birds and everyone seems to tolerate each other and get along. Well I mean other then the Hawks who eat everyone. I don’t know I feel like I have a good community of birds and critters who get along for the most part.
Mine all get along well too! I'm happy to hear it's true for other people as well 🙂
Same here in Ohio, they all seem to mostly get along. Night time we have other vistors...we had a feral cat, a possum and a skunk standing in triangle on the patio, only 5 feet from ecah other and there was no animosity. Funniest was the night a raccoon snatched a piece of bread from under skunk's tail. Nothing happened! Must be a truce when eating together. That raccoon has disappeared. It came to the back porch, stood patiently on it's hind legs and waited for us to toss it a bun. It would take the bun and run off into the dark, a couple times came back for seconds. Never caused a problem, the critter was well behaved. As for the skunks, I can tolerate their hole digging for grubs. One of the skunks knows us so well, we can call it and it comes up on the patio to the back door. Funny, the rest waddle away from us but this one. We can tell these individual skunks apart. One has a white head and no stripes, one has narrow stripes, one has very wide stripes, one has has stripes that stop halfway down it's back. They rarely show up together, and sometimes go missing for a week ot two, and then come back. These are our outdoor pets. We have 2 indoor cats, one of the cats is entertained by watching these critters from a window and none of the critters are upset by the presence of the other. It's amazing to see these animals get along with conflict.
The baby (young) Grackles are a hoot. They get so loud about being fed that sometimes other non-Grackle birds at my feeders will shove food at them to shut them up. The Mourning Doves are great. They are so laid back, but they don't allow any other bird to bully them.
I agree with your list as I have been dealing with these birds on a regular basis. It can be very frustrating.
its easier to be kind.
Oh starlings.....had a flock of about 50 of them raid my feeder when it got really cold a few weeks back. They ate all the food in about 15 minutes. I switched to straight sunflower seeds and filling the feeders later in the day and early in the morning. It helped to make them leave. I actually like my regular flock of sparrows and purple finches they share well with others and don't drain my feeder.
Grackles, Starlings, Sparrows are the vast majority at my feeders.
I also get finches and a couple doves (and squirrels, ofc).
I'm partial to starlings, as I raised one from a baby.
When he died (a year later), I landscaped my front yard and put out bird feeders and a bath in his honor.
Now I have literally hundreds of birds that visit my yard each day.
That’s cool that you raised a starling! I’ve actually heard that they make good pets
@@BadgerlandBirding
He was pretty cool.
I tried to release him once he was grown, but he flew in circle and came back, so I named him Boomerang.
He liked to peck my toes (would get angry when I put on shoes to stop him) and, sometimes, if I laid down he would roll around on my chest.
He also would get irrationally angry if anyone touched his water bowl.
I buried him like a foot away from where I found him, just 15 days short of a year later.
I marked the spot with an angel that lights up at night.
@@BadgerlandBirding
He pretty much grew up in the palm of my hand. :)
In Central CA, my mom gets a lot of white-crowned sparrows and mourning doves in her backyard and they are all over her feeders. They get along well with each other(the doves fight amongst themselves though), so she likes to see them. While they were busily feeding, all of them flew off quickly and for a brief moment I saw a hawk in the corner of her yard. It must have been a Cooper's Hawk although I didn't get a good look at it.
Absolutely agree with this list, our biggest issue is the House Sparrow (which showed up when a neighbor put out junk bird feed) and the Starling.
junk bird food in my lexicon is millet, what is it in yours? Nobody eats the millet except the Mourning Doves, who only live here in the summer
I buy cracked corn and sunflower seed and make "fudge" out of lard and peanut butter for the winter crowd
I feed the grackles and starlings in a seperate area different type of food. A cracked corn mixture in a large shallow bowl, scraps, and peanut butter low to the ground. That way the leave the woodpeckers and smaller birds alone higher up who I feed with smaller wire type feeders.
I can't think of a bird I would hate to see at my feeder, even if they were to "take over". All birds are good birds.
I am particularly delighted when a grackle shows up. They have such interesting behavior if you take the time to watch them!
I generally share the sentiment, but I'm not a fan of nest raiders, baby eaters, and birds of prey.
Hell no not 'all birds are good birds'. Birds that attack and even kill other birds, not to eat but to take their nests (rather than build their own) or being territorial are sh## birds. Starlings can carry disease, build nests in houses where they've made holes in the wood, and suck in general. Cowbirds are indeed parasitic, like cuckoos, and their offspring will bully and even kill the newly hatched babies of the actual species that built the nest the cowbirds lay their eggs in.
@@kevinlakeman5043 Hell yeah all birds are good birds and I will die on this hill. It's just nature, there's nothing bad about it. I love cowbirds and starlings and they are each beautiful in their own ways.
They can sound like a horror movie, though (insert shower scene from Psycho);
I have a decent sized flock of house sparrows that visits my feeder. They’ve adjusted to the presence of other birds, and haven’t disturbed any of the nests of birds that are living in my birdhouses. They eat peacefully with the finches, doves, and even quail sometimes. I did see one bother a dove once though. They aren’t horrible like feral/outdoor cats or invasive starlings and I even rescued one of the flock’s fledglings once. As long as they don’t start getting aggressive and invasive, I’ll welcome them at my feeder. Plus, they get outcompeted by blackbirds and crows in bluebird nesting areas. Their numbers only do well by my house.
I have a small flock of house sparrows as well and I have no issues with them. I have an amazing eco system of birds I have created. Everybody gets along. When one bird tried to come in and be naughty, the other birds shun him and won't let him eat. My biggest problem are mourning doves. Super bullies.
@@mickeylombardo1529 Same thing! Mourning doves in my opinion aren't that bad, in my eco system they eat peacefully with the other birds.
@@goldeneagle8740 @Mickey Lombardo I have a pair of Mourning Doves that come to my tray feeder, usually late afternoon to early evening, but not every day. They settle in for a good gnosh. If there are other birds there, they will roost on the sides and eat, going at other birds that may come to close. If there's no other birds around, they just get comfy right in the tray and have a feast..
@@louisericci5415 Mourning doves are underrated
I feed the sparrow at my house. They don't bother me and are great at eating bugs in the summer, when I have the veggie patch growing, so we kind of have a symbiotic relationship going.
Had a bird feeder for years. Ever so often I would go out & see dozens of feathers left behind. I knew a hawk got a dove.
Good list. I live (now) in a small city in Ontario, Canada. I've been feeding birds for decades in a variety of habitats. I've learned to offer only black oil sunflower seeds in a metal mesh feeder with a narrow tray. We get lots of the "goog" native birds. Havnt seen any house sparrows or starling at it. Recently had a grackle, but they have a hard time perching on our feeder. I hear redwing blackbirds but haven't seen on the feeder. I saw a few cowbirds this spring but haven't seen them lately. They never got on the feeder but gleaned underneath it. In the past I've seen both house sparrows and grackles kill other young birds but rarely. Years ago we had a Cooper's hawk once in a while but the little birds all took cover very fast (I garden for birds with lots of cover shrubs and trees). We did see once, years ago, a merlin shoot between our house and neighbour's, under a tree and snatched a mourning dove from a little flock gleaning below one of our feeders. The merlin didn't even slow down but streaked off over another house. Sorry for the dove but it was a spectacular thing to see. Otherwise in over 4 decades of bird feeding, no predation. Thanks for your list. And for your great videos which I just started watching.
Interesting list.
I recently moved to a semi-rural area and began putting out hummingbird nectar, since there was already an abandoned feeder when I moved in.
It's been entertaining to see (what I think is) a female Gila Woodpecker come in and hang on the feeder as she slurps up some nectar.
She's quite a mouthy broad, always announcing her presence loudly!😄
Soon after, I got a seed feeder and put out seed, not knowing what might show up.
Sparrows and white winged doves, mostly.
Whenever I saw the doves hogging the feeder, I'd chase them away so the sparrows could feed.
There are grackles and crows in town, but even though that's only 1.5 miles away, they never venture out to where I am.😕
The grackles crack me up. They hang out in the parking lot at the grocery store and check out the underside of the parked cars. As soon as another car pulls in and parks, a couple of grackles hurry over to look for a snack. I've seen them up on the grill of cars, picking off the bugs, too.
And we get fly overs from vultures from time to time. They look like small planes!😳😄
Grackles I’ve never seen at my bird feeder but they perch in my maple sometimes. It’s a treat when that happens
The European Starling is gorgeous! If they’re invading your feeders or nests, please don’t kill them! You’d be surprised how many bird wildlife preserves will take them in. The fact they can mimic up to 20 different species, human voices, and other environmental noises is astounding.
I love all birds, and yes they are overwhelming because they come in huge flocks, but luckily they seem to only take over for a week or so twice per year, so I have to fill up my feeders quite often when those little piggies are around.
I would never kill a bird or any animal!
I really love the grackles. They are so loud when the congregate in the trees around my house. I have to go outside and smack a pipe on my picnic table to get them to move on.
They are a flock of rude birds but I love watching them interact with each other, especially in the spring.
I just saw a cooper's hawk loitering near my feeders the other day! I'm new at bird feeding so that was a new experience. Gorgeous bird. It was during a rain storm so there weren't any other birds at the feeder, thankfully.
It's still a bird you can feed, just by proxy. Feed the smaller birds and you feed the hawk too.
Rainstorm or not, as long as he's around, there won't be any birds!
I’ve known about Brown-headed Cowbirds being a brood parasite but have never actually observed a different species raising one of their young until this past summer. I observed a Common Yellowthroat feeding a fledgling Brown-headed Cowbird. The size difference between the two was absurd. I felt so bad because I don’t believe the CY had any fledglings of its own. Just the BHCB..
It’s kind of crazy they don’t seem to notice. You’d think one day they’d be like “Why is my baby 3x my size and doesn’t look like me”? 🤔
I have also seen another species raising a cowbird. It was a red eyed vireo. Very odd.
I just noticed a few days ago, a resident pair of cardinals to my yard, feeding what I originally though was a fledgeling of their species, but then noticed it was a BHCB. It was as big as it’s dad, and missing the characteristic crest...
Maybe they do notice, but feel differently about it. It is, after all, a baby bird just as dependent as any other. I've read that it's the parent cowbird that kills the eggs and chicks of other species that they use for incubation and rearing. Some articles have stated that if the parent birds reject the cowbird chick, the parent cowbird will destroy their nest in retaliation. This gives the bird a bad reputation, but people forget or fail to realize that other birds do the same sorts of things out of competition for nesting sites and food. The cowbird often allows the other chicks to live as long as their own chick is being fed as well.
Same here. Just in the last few weeks, I've noticed around our feeders a smaller bird (not sure of the species) feeding a much larger fledgling and thought it had to be a cowbird. Honestly it looked kinda ridiculous. And a bit odd since I haven't noticed any adult cowbirds, but I guess they just lay their eggs in another bird's nest and then get the heck out of Dodge, the sneaky little turd burglars.
Blue Jays can be obnoxious at feeders as well. I had a family group that would come in together frequently and they would sit in a tree a bit of a distance away from the feeder and watch it for a while before one of them would imitate a Red-tailed hawk scream. This would inevitably cause the other birds to scramble and would allow the Blue Jays to monopolize the feeder for a while.
I love the grackles that visit my feeder. When I let my cat out into the yard, the grackles fly off but one will stay close and call out a warning that actually sounds like "cat, cat" to warn others. Like most black birds they seem so intelligent.
What a cruel thing to let your cat out knowing birds are nearby.
Evil.
I love House sparrows. I never had any problems with them..they live in harmony with all the other species in my yard..I find them entertaining ...They remind me of little children bickering at eachother...One species you failed to mention are Crows...they raid bird nests, and Blue Jay's will sound the alarm when they are around..The barn swallows are especially threatened by them, and these little guys will dive bomb them. It's funny to watch these big birds run from them..However, at times I had to chase them away from the swallow nest..They are bold.
They offer great pest control if they don't have access to other foodstuff around, too.
They have killed my bluebirds IN THE NEST BOX as well as my tree swallows just prior to fledging...several years in a row. I trap and kill as many of these known pests as possible because they do NOT "live in harmony with all the other species."
In Ireland Crows are my biggest nuisance. I put out loads of feeders and the crows are always first out at dawn and have raided everything. They even take my feeders off the hooks to get at them from the ground and sometimes they end up on the road (the feeders). So when the wee tits and sparrows come along later there's nothing left for them.
There's a colony of starlings roosting inside a train station in the city where I live. They're actually very popular among the people using that station, since they're keeping away the pigeons that would usually occupy that habitat.
I have all these come to my feeders except the cooper hawk & I still have cardinals, wrens, chickedees, several varieties of finches, mourning doves, brown thrashers, dark eye juncos, downie & red bellied woodpeckers, several kinds of sparrows, blue jays, flickers , sometimes grosbeaks . Even had a magpie the other day which is rare in missouri. I have several different kinds of feeders & feed, plus put seed on the ground. I have squirrel feeder too. All of them get along pretty well most of the time. I love watching them all. So they are all welcome in my yard.
I've had the most trouble with bluejays over the years. A nice red breasted grosbeak couple have recently taken up residence at my feeder. A welcome addition.
As a life time birder I disagree with a few of these. Starlings and house sparrows of course are an exception as invasive species. But the native species are perfectly fine- as nature lovers we should respect the birds that arent as “pretty” and “convenient” as bluebirds and cardinals. Grackles are PIGS but they’re very goofy and loveable birds
Cow birds are shot and fed to feral cats
Definitely agree.
Grackles are really annoying on one hand but so pretty and funny. They are lovely parents and to top it off: they seem to be rather intelligent, I daresay comparable to blue jays.
Wish they worked a bit more on their vocals though 😆😆
I like grackles too, they always arrive in hoards in the backyard early spring. Only problem is they love to just crap everywhere on my deck. I don’t have a backyard feeder either! Lol
I would argue that invasive bird species should be respected as well. It's not their fault they were introduced to North America. They're simply trying to live their best lives. Also, starlings in the US have lived here more than 100 generations...how many Americans can say the same? When do we go from "invasive" to "native"?
Noone likes feeder bullies though.
I live in Danmark ("Denmark"), Europe.
The Starling is rarely even seen at bird feeders. Not where I live, anyway. They're quite common, but they seem to prefer feeding elsewhere.
The House Sparrow is very common, but less so than it used to be, because they nest in the eaves of roofs, and modern roofs are often unusable to them. They've also got a lot of competition from the more aggressive (and more intelligent) Tree Sparrow which until a few decades ago didn't live near humans, but that has changed dramatically. The slightly bigger Greenfinch is even more of a bully at the bird feeder - they chase away sparrows and tits, and often each other as well. But since the Greenfinches also want to eat, they can't really keep other birds away, so usually they all get what they want.
The other species mentioned in this video don't live here (and please don't send them over!)
The European Blackbird is now the most numerous bird in the country, but they only visit the feeders sometimes. Most of the time they're busy eating worms.
A worse bully is the Magpie. It is so much bigger that it scares the smaller birds. But again, it's not around all the time.
Hawks - especially Sparrow Hawks - occasionally take a blackbird, but what do you expect?
P.S. You forgot to tell us what to do to keep unwanted birds away.
My suggestion is to do nothing at all. Unless there's a big problem.
That was my thought exactly. Sure, here is an informative list but what am I supposed to do about it? I'm not gonna stand outside with a broom swatting away grackles and sterlings. lol I would like birds at my feeder at all.
@@MysticUser well, in case of grackles and starlings, you can e.g. get caged or weight sensitive bird feeders.
@@lvds5910 I could, but I also enjoy watching my local doves, bluejays and woodpeckers eating at my feeder too, whom are all pretty big.
Besides, I like watching all these birds mentioned on the list too. lol I've also seen the grackles/sterlings eating alongside other various birds and not hogging it anymore than they were.
So yeah. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@@MysticUser I totally agree. Have 1 caged feeder for the small birds and the rest are regular feeders.
Your reply was interesting. Green finch I'd not heard of. I'm in Colorado and have Gold finches visiting my feeder. Absolutely beautiful singers. I miss the Magpies. When west nile virus came they got wiped out in my neighborhood. I miss them. Such smart birds.
The cowbird is high on my list, when I saw one I’d scare him away like turkeys (my other avian foe) once I learned their nature and I watched my eastern phoebe porch nest. We’ve had that family for 9 years. They built an addition the parents move into when the chicks are almost gone! This year they really built up the sides with moss and last year had 3 broods!
Here in Syracuse NY, we've never seen issues between grackles, cardinals, blue jays or sparrows.
It's not just about putting seed out.
Much has to do with taking an active roll with the birds.
All the birds I listed visit us all summer and because of how one treats and... talks to them makes all the difference.
We even have a large male woodpecker that each morning knocks only twice just to get a peanut in the shell, unsalted of course.
Amazing! Beautiful story!💜
We host a first year Cooper's hawk every winter. Love to have them!
We get full families of starlings, grackels , Bluejays, chickadees , cowbirds, sparrows, junko, my "pet" raven, crows, gulls and pigeons even get fed . Everyone shares and is fairly harmonious but we also use scolding chirps if anyone gets too big for their britches. Other than the newly moved in Merlins we've been seeing attack some birds around here we haven't had much trouble ! 😅 we feed all the "bad birds" as well as the others.
All birds are welcome! We have big birds on top of the feeders and the smaller ones on the ground because the bigger birds throw pieces on the floor. The big birds fly away when people walk nearby and the smaller birds stay. We have a lot of feeders in the street and a big assortment of food for all.
I have found that with the following strategy, I've been able to keep the grackles and starlings down to the occasional (and fruitless) visit to my feeders. I use tube feeders, for one thing, which allow more precise targeting of the birds who can access the food. The mix that is for songbirds generally, I put in a tube with a cage around it that restricts access to birds no larger than a bluebird. This is excludes the numerous cardinals that I am delighted to host, but the red-bellied woodpeckers can take from it with their long beaks and tongues. For the cardinals (and other songbirds) I have another tube feeder (no cage) in which I put safflower-*-white-*- safflower-- which has a hard shell that grackles and starlings do not like. The doves also cannot roost on this feeder, as the perch is too small for them. I have a suet block feeder for the smaller woodpeckers, which is also kept in a cage, which also keeps the starlings and grackles out, and a wire mesh feeder for goldfinches (which holds nijer seed)--another set up the pests cannot access. I love watching a gang of starlings aggressively descending on my set up licking their chops, and then moving from feeder to feeder finding nothing to eat, only to leave the premises after about 5 or 10 minutes. So long suckers!!! Nothing to be done about the sparrows, though I do throw out their nests whenever they try to build in my birdhouse. One time when they got too numerous, with about 12 juveniles ramming around, I just pulled all the feeders down for a couple of months, and when I put them back up, all the juveniles had decamped to greener pastures. My one regret is that I used to feed live mealworms, which is the best way to attract bluebirds (my particular favorite). I didn't find a feeder for the worms that I could keep the starlings away from, and I ended up having to take it down, which has decreased the number of bluebirds I see in my backyard. 😢 Oh well. At any rate, that's where I'm at now with it, and enjoying it a lot more since I have the bad-boys under control. Most of my feeders I got from Wildbirds Unlimited, btw, who have a nice pole system that holds multiple feeders, catch trays (essential for safflower), cages, squirrel baffles, etc.
I have the same kind of set up. I use a caged platform feeder for the mealworms. Blue birds are sitting waiting every evening for their mealworms. I have been feeding the dried and hope to up the ante the summer with live ones. I do not have an issue with starlings coming around (yet) so the bluebirds, tufted titmouse, chickadees and nuthatches love this feeder. The downy woodpeckers can get in as well.
@@yourbestfiend512 Very cool! Thanks for the tip! I'll look around for one. Where did you get yours?
I found the tube feeders helpful also at getting rid of the large crowds of grackles and cowbirds. I was going through so much seed daily and they chased off all the birds I wanted . I got two tube feeders one with safflower and no ledges in the bottom and they have pretty much given up. They eat some off the ground as so my morning doves which is fine. But now my cardinals and house finches come daily and I get to enjoy them. Now if I could just get rid of the neighbor cat
In North East Ohio I have had nothing but trouble with house sparrow at my bird feeder. They also disrupt nesting birds like robins, finch and wrens. It got bad enough that I removed my bird feeders. Now even without a feeder I see a greater variety of birds in our garden and flowers. The sparrows are still around but only a few since there isn’t an easy meal for them.
Heh, almost all of these are at my feeders in southern NH.
1) Grackle - I see these from time to time, but are rare enough that they've never been a problem. Their iridescent plumage is very unique.
2) Starling - the only one on the list I don't think I've seen
3) There are hawks all over this region. Saw either a sharp shinned or Cooper's snatch a Junco off one of my feeders one winter (possibly late fall or early spring), then land in the tree. Just stomped the poor thing into the branch whenever it would start to struggle. Eventually flew off to the top of a tall pine nearby.
4) During lockdown, one particular Cowbird drove me absolutely bananas. I was trying to work from home at my computer, and this thing kept arguing with its reflection in the window. Would do its puffing flare up and ch-CHEEP call. Over and over again. No matter how often I'd yell at it and chase it away. Eventually had to tape paper all over the outside of the window to get it to go away and stay away. Which was tough when it rained and the paper didn't want to stay taped to the window! 😆
5) Sparrows (and I think some finches) are by FAR the most common bird in my yard. Most are brown with light brown speckles, but there are others with more distinct patterns. They don't seem to be bullying any of the other birds, so far as I can tell, but I might try that filament trick as seen in the followup video if they do.
Why so isn’t you just tape the paper on the inside?
@@YoMama9021 Because the glass is still shiny. Papering the inside would actually make it worse, it'd block all the inside light making it even more of a mirror from the outside..
Im fortunate to have a large garden and have many feeders throughout I normally buy 25 kg of fat/mealworm pellets monthly and therefore supply the most needy no matter their shape or slze . If they're hungry there's a constant of winter food . I don't distinguish . The other seasons I supply only sunflower hearts which I buy in bulk .
I would add House Finch. Camps out at the feeder and is picky what it eats. That is, not only is it eating more than other birds at the bird feeder, it is also throwing out plenty.
They are also very messy with their poop around the nest.
seen the exact same thing. they hog the feeders for hours, even with all the seeds they toss away it's insane how much they eat
I don’t mind the raptors but the pigeons/rock doves are a pest as well, definitely on my list! Thanks for posting the information
Seagulls are big problem in United Kingdom scavengers noisy dirty mess and encourage rats
I've watched just today a yellow headed blackbird bully several greckles from a feeder. We get almost all the birds on this list, and many more. Almost always the birds are getting along even if interested in the same food. The greckles throw the food out and on the ground and all the birds feed from what the throw out. Including the ducks, geese, various finches, red wing black birds, juncos. We have barn swallows and Northern Flickers busy with the bugs as well. Having more than one type of feeder and type of feed helps.
Agree totally with this list, although squirrels and bear are the challenging pests in my backyard. Usually a wise selection of feeder types and suet/ seed will deter the large flocking birds. Avoid platform feeders when winter subsides; for the big birds, these are like the Golden Arches for famished human counterparts.
I had a little house sparrow on the ground beneath my feeders. It attacked a female cardinal on the ground too, even with the male cardinal near her. I couldn't understand why it did that. Thank you for this video! Had no idea why the house sparrow was so randomly aggressive.
BB gun for them . They are Pest
common grackle. my absolute favorite bird. killer eyes. so smart. always welcome at my feeders.
The Great Tail Grackles and Brown Head Cow birds, and Starlings that visit our yard, actually get along well with the other birds and they haven't taken over. We have a pair of cardinals, a pair of Blue Jays, and numerous Mourning Doves that visit the feeders. The Titmouse's come in early Spring, and the goldfinches as well. Yes, the House Sparrow's are hilarious to watch 😂. We have tons of those, but all of the birds actually get along at our 4 feeders. San Antonio TX here ❤.
I have red winged black birds, sparrows, mourning doves, robins and some sort of a bright yellow bird. It’s so satisfying to see them eating and all of their antics.
The easiest way to keep the "pest birds" away, is to plant a bunch of native plants in your garden and allow them to produce seed. The native birds will be attracted to those seeds, whereas the "pest birds" will be less interested.
If you don't have a garden?
@@kevinlakeman5043 Window boxes, son.
Execution
@@Theanimalfarm077 unnecessary and savage. You going to fry up a little sparrow?
@@kevinlakeman5043 If you don't have a garden, you don't have a bird feeder so why even watch this video?
The only way we found to keep the sparrows from turning our yard into a scene from "The Birds" was to offer only sunflower seeds in our feeder. No typical bird feed with millet. We still get them, but in much smaller numbers.
Yes, I've done the same. I only use whole sunflower seeds and socks with thistle. Those attract my favorite birds. Male sparrows will aggressively take over nesting sites of house finches and probably goldfinches too. Although I've only seen them ransack house finch nests. It's devastating to watch. Thankfully the sparrows have almost entirely disappeared from the area now. I used to prefer to be 'live and let live' with the sparrows, and everything, but now it's good riddance to the little demons.
Get a pellet gun get rid of them !
I live in Arizona, and recently had a bunch of blackbirds start eating all the cat food put out for the stray cats around my neighborhood. They are chatty and love my place. Even gang up on the young red tailed hawks we have in the neighborhood. Not sure if the birds are crows or grackles but they have been a great asset to my yard since they have even started eating insects and the blasted little birds that were crapping all over my gazebo furniture. Between the big blackbirds and the hawks, our little pest birds are finding someone else to pester so I for one am thankful for them. Pigeons are another pest type bird I'm happy to see taking a hike to a different yard also.
The first starter home 🏠 I bought when I was 33 a duplex with a 2 bedroom in front and one in the rear. It had a semi rough back yard with a medium incline to the next street. My home office (self employed plumber) was in the rear of the house in a beat up old laundry room. Started with a few dollar store bird feeders, then some suet cakes nailed to the tree in metal gear . With in a few weeks I had a very large variety of bird's coming into the yard daily. Even squirrel's we're there regularly destroying the 🐦 bird feeders so I built some larger squirrel feeders giving them Peanut butter and other nuts . My favorite breakfast and coffee place was in my office watching the bird's and squirrels go from one feeders to another. The next spring 🌽 Corn plants were popping up under every bird feeder. I actually harvested some corn that year and turned my yard into a small bird sanctuary
I can understand that some birds are problematic around feeders but since I'm stuck in a highrise and have no backyard to relax and birdwatch, when I am able to feed birds of any kind, I welcome them.
In a big city anything you can get at a feeder can definitely be entertaining
I alway's loved the house sparrow...im surprised to hear they can get agressive. I only feed the birds in the snowy months here in new england.I try to feed all of them,seems like the bluejays are a bit over-populated here....they love the unsalted peanuts as do the crows.Yesterday i seen a grey squirrel actually push aside a crow that was after it's shelled pecan, i was glad to see it defend it's food.yeah iv'e been cheating this year because theres no snow yet, just can't help myself from bringing some paradise to the back yard.. .
We live in Raleigh , NC and have been feeding birds for 3 years with black sunflower seeds and have not seen any of the birds you listed above at my feeder. We see birds in this order. House finches, cardinals, black capped chickadees, tufted Titmouse, woodpeckers, and golden finches (rarely)
I have a nest of house sparrows directly under my upstairs AC window unit. They’re at my feeders every day. And aside from the mamma bird following the blackbirds around and vocally policing them, they’ve been great. The policing has actually been hilarious.
Unfortunately I have every single one of these in my yard including the Cooper’s hawk on occasion. The sparrows are insane! I can’t stand the starlings and don’t know how to get rid of them. The sparrows have taken over:( I honestly don’t know what to do. I have a lot of other beautiful birds that visit but I’ve noticed some have disappeared as well.
Badger land Birding do you have any suggestions please??
If you want to limit the House Sparrows, you need to limit what's in the bird seed. They love cracked corn (but not whole kernel corn) and millet. They're not keen on safflower, which is why I put Golden Safflower in my feeders for the Finches (the American Goldfinches LOVE it!) and even the Cardinals will eat it. I also heard they don't like shelled peanuts and they definitely don't like in the shell peanuts, which is what I put out for the Blue Jays.
You have to be careful with in the shell peanuts. If they're raw, which they usually are, if they are buried in the ground or in planters, they will grow. The squirrels are especially novice farmers and you and your neighbors may find peanut plants sprouting up if the squirrels have access to them.
You can also provide a dedicated feeder with the food the House Sparrows like away from the rest of your feeders. You can proved a really big feeder or several feeders so you don't have to refill them frequently.
get yourself a pellet rifle and thin them out!
I agree with Louise's post. The fact is that a lot of the bags of bird seeds are cheap, because they are filled with cheap filler ingredients like millet to bulk up the weight. You get what you pay for. If you want to get rid of the sparrows, you have to spend a lot more $$$$ on the fancy fruit and nut bird seed mixes that are free from fillers. I buy the fancier mixes. I get a few sparrows, but they never stay for long. They'll eat a peanut or two, lose interest, and fly away.
@@louisericci5415 for me the gold finches love unshelled sunflower the most because of their softer bills, i put some in a tube feeder and thats only ever had gold finches, had it up for about 2 months now
@@louisericci5415 House Sparrows love shelled peanuts. They also can get used to eating safflower. They even take large striped sunflower seeds from the bird feeder (whether they eat them or not is a different story).
You are right about squirrels being novice farmers. This summer, I noticed several sunflowers growing in one of my flower pots (which contained crocus bulbs that never grew). I am certain that a squirrel took some sunflower seeds from the bird feeder and planted them. They were beautiful sunflowers, and the birds really enjoyed eating the seeds from them. The sunflower heads were bent down, so the birds had to struggle a little to get to the seeds, but I think they enjoyed it; it was a sort of game.
I never had a peanut plant in my garden though. I buy roasted, unsalted peanuts for the birds. I read that it is healthier for them than raw peanuts.
I whole heartedly agree with your unwanted bird list. Being an Eastern Bluebird Landlord for 23 years now, I have seen just about everything the #1 outlaw aka, house sparrow, can and has done to our native cavity nesting birds. I do not allow them at my feeders and I certainly do not allow them to nest in my boxes.
how do you control that?????
Very nice video. I try to feed any bird that needs it during winter especially. I just saw an eastern bluebird for the first time at my feeder. It is my state bird but never had seen one in 50 years. The starlings are rude and tend to bother the other birds but I guess they to eat as well as the squirels.
I like these birds and welcome them. Evening grosbeak are great.
When supplement feeding birds don't forget they require water as well. I ground feed, putting seed on bricks about my backyard and elsewhere fairly low - eighteen handfulls of a seed mix a day, I also put out peanuts for the larger birds (and yes I started feeding the squirrels originally before adopting the birds as well so I don't consider them any problem, nor the odd rabbit). Along with those feed piles I also have five water containers on the ground and a bird bath.
My list of the five most detested birds...at feeders and in general...includes House Sparrows, Brown-headed Cowbirds, European Starlings, Mourning Doves and Rock Pigeons. I also do not tolerate squirrels at my feeders.
Mostly agree accept rock pigeons. They're my 2nd favorite bird species so I try to feed them when I can.
I have never forgotten the first time a flock of beautiful evening grosbeaks descended on my platform feeder in Colorado. They went through twenty pounds of sunflower seeds in about a half hour. The grosbeaks were mysterious---you never knew when they'd show up nor when they'd decide to leave.
Grackles I don't mind. They are native and move around a lot. Plus I enjoy how they look, and I've never had any problems with them. Then again, I don't use traditional bird feeders, mainly just having native berries, nuts, and cones that birds like growing around, which may make a significant difference.
I appreciate the presence of any birds of prey, they feed on more abundant, often invasive species, and keep things like starlings and house sparrows on the move.
Brown headed cowbird, I also haven't had that many issues with. They aren't very common where I live, and they aren't really all that threatening, given that most of the time they simply stunt the growth of their hosts rather than killing them. Their population is unnaturally high though, due to habits of many suburban places, which is probably why I don't see them very often.
As for European starlings and house sparrows, they are extremely annoying, sometimes so abundant that they drown out all the other bird noises, tend to be disease magnets, and outcompete everything. I appreciate birds of prey so much because they often target these guys, or at the very least get them to move away.