Starlings

Eglinton

I have masses of starlings invading my bird feeders to the detriment of other birds. They have no problem circumventing all the bamboo and plastic I've put up to block them.

Is there any easy way of discouraging them, that you've discovered?

DBB

Moving to Nature and Birdwatching forum, please note a different charter applies

With mod hat off, I bear no grudges against starlings, I think they're great characters! So I let them eat away. But I have other feeders in more vegetated areas so my smaller birdy visitors get their fair share too

OpenYourEyes

I quite like starlings too I must say!

In terms of discouraging them - I'd say look at a) what food you're putting out, and b) where or how you're putting it out.
If you're just putting out fatballs, maybe put out more seed than fatballs, and experiment with hanging feeders in more sheltered areas etc.

Birdnuts

Theres a type of bird table that only lets finch sized birds through using a certain type of mesh. BWI used to sell them so might be worth checking out their online shop

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Birdnuts wrote: »

Theres a type of bird table that only lets finch sized birds through using a certain type of mesh. BWI used to sell them so might be worth checking out their online shop

Then you rule out blackbirds and thrushes. Are we biased in favour not only the smaller garden birds?
OP look at what food the starlings are being attracted to and stop putting it out for a while.

Bsal

I love Starlings, have to be my favourite bird!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLDpHmwRGHU

Woodville56

Bsal wrote: »

I love Starlings, have to be my favourite bird!

Agree ! They would be near the top of my favourite bird list too - then again I don't get them too often at the bird feeders ! Beautiful evocative video clip of murmuration there !

Hondo75

try leaving feeder out for early morning (take in about lunchtime) and maybe just have one, seems to work for us

Bonedigger

How can you dislike these characters?!!

DBB

Bonedigger wrote: »

How can you dislike these characters?!!

Wow Bonedigger, they are wonderful photos!
I appreciate the little fellas even more now

swifts need our help!

Bonedigger wrote: »

How can you dislike these characters?!!

Great photo showing a winter plumage male and female

swifts need our help!

I like starlings also but around me there is a flock of maybe 200 to 300 birds. Throw out stale bread and whatever and they are down first only to get pushed aside by black-headed gulls who are pushed aside by rooks

I'm feeding only peanuts just now to a small flock of 20ish house sparrows. The starlings arrive en masse and push them out. I started throwing oats and peanuts on the ground for the sparrows but this happens