Discouraging blackbirds from your backyard

While I am against the wholesale indiscriminate killing of birds, there is no doubt that some of them are far more desirable to have around than others. In particular the European starling has established itself so successfully in this country that native bird species are being squeezed out of their niche. With some 200 million starlings in the US, there is no danger of their numbers reaching a critical point. Yet they are cute, intelligent, and eat a lot of nasty bugs. It isn’t like they are good for nothing.

Blackbirds in general are targeted as undesirable crop ruiners and feed foulers. Backyard birders complain that grackles are like the annoying party crashers that won’t leave. People like crows in theory, what with their love of shiny objects and comic antics, but once a few show up at the feeder out back- there goes the neighborhood!

All blackbirds look alike. Just get them off my birdfeeder!

First, it might be helpful to know just what kind of bird you are not enamored with. “Blackbirds” are included in a scientific family of birds that encompass the meadowlarks,  bobolinks, and orioles- as well as the various species of blackbird. Cowbirds, ravens, crows, grackles, and starlings are all dark colored  birds that can hog the food at a backyard feeder.

Crows and ravens are quite large, with ravens being the larger of the two- like a crow on steroids. Its beak will have a rise in front by the face. Ravens also have a gliding, soaring flight. Crows “flap” a lot more.

Crows and ravens are intelligent and can also mimic speech, though not as prettily as the starling.

Grackles are larger than most songbirds, with a long wedge shaped tail.

They will have an iridescent coat, with the female being more drab. Look for their bright yellow eyes.

Starlings look different  during different seasons. In winter and fall they are speckled with white. They are far smaller than grackles, and their tail is short. During spring and summer they will display their “nuptial” plumage, with a glossy iridescent head and brown tipped feathers.

From early spring till mid-June, starling’s long, sharp bill is yellow, darkening later in summer. No other black bird has this yellow bill at any season.

Brown headed cowbirds are robin-sized , with the males having an iridescent black body and brown head. Females are grayish brown above, shade lighter below, streaked with lighter brown.

Finally, actual blackbirds differ in aspect, as there are so many types. But the red-winged blackbird male with the conspicuous red shoulders is a lot bigger than the female redwing, who actually looks rather like a starling.

The male with his handsome red epaulets

The dainty female redwing resembles a starling with winter plumage.

So how do you get the birds you like, and discourage the ones you don’t?

Use the right feeder and the right food

Put a variety of feeders in your yard, but do not feed birds on the ground, or use “platform” style feeders. You may lose some birds that like to feed this way, but starlings and blackbirds will also be discouraged. You can also try not filling the platform feeder for awhile to see if that gets them to move on to easier pastures.

Not the type of feeder or seeds to use when discouraging blackbirds.

Use seed feeders that have a cage design around it and short perches so only smaller birds can land and access the food. Hanging cage feeders that swing and sway discourage larger, heavier birds from landing on them. Some hopper feeders are designed to close off food access when a heavier (bird or squirrel) lands on them.

a cage feeder like this will deter larger birds and squirrels, but is pricey.

Use an upside-down suet feeder. Only clinging birds are able to use this type of feeder, such as Chickadees, Nuthatches and Woodpeckers. Starlings can’t hang upside down to eat it.

Use safflower seed in your feeders. Do not mix this with anything else. Cardinals, chickadees, titmice, bluejays, and finches will eat it, but blackbirds don’t like it.

Cracked corn, baked goods (bread pieces, donuts, etc), milo, sunflower seeds in the shell, and millet are all favored by blackbirds and pigeons. Don’t feed mixes containing these seeds.

Blackbirds do not like thistle seed either.

Treat your lawn for grubs. Starlings love these- japanese beetle and cutworm larvae being favorites.

Give them their own separate but equal feeding area

If you are softhearted and do not wish to completely deny the blackbirds food, and space permits, you can set up an area with foods they like far away from the other feeders. Perhaps locate one in the front, one in the back yard, or around the side of a barn. Put baked goods in an onion bag hung from a tree, and fill a platform feeder with cracked corn and milo.Feeding fruit will encourage jays, cardinals, and robins, but blackbirds will also eat it.

Crows and ravens like meat scraps, as do jays-  feeding these leftovers will draw them away from the songbird feeder area.

During the summer months your garden will benefit from having these “unwelcome” visitors around. Nearly seven-eighths of the redwing blackbird’s food is made up of weed-seeds or of insects injurious to agriculture.

Starlings feed primarily on noxious insects and useless wild fruits. Small gardens and individual cherry trees may be occasionally raided by large flocks with disastrous results, but on the whole starlings are a useful guest in our yards, eating an enormous amount of grubs and cutworms.

Finally, ask yourself if you would put up a fuss if you saw this creature at your birdfeeder. Are you sure?

rare albino blackbird

Happy

2 50 %

Sad

0 0 %

Excited

2 50 %

Sleepy

0 0 %

Angry

0 0 %

Surprise

0 0 %