Grackles Raiding Feeder (1 Viewer)

[emc]

Is there a way I can keep grackles away from the bird feeder? It's filled with sunflower seeds. They hog everything and there's nothing left for the other birds. The other birds also don't go to the feeder when the grackles are at it.

 

[Tero]

Er no. I just feed the grackles. Multiple feeders or goldfinch sock may help.

 

[littlebigrig96]

Grackles

I'm having the same problem with Grackles. I have 6 bird feeders and I fill them in the morning and all 6 are empty by night. Grackles hog everything and not only that, they have been killing all of the fledglings that they can find. They don't eat them, they just kill them and leave their bodies all around the yard. When I actually saw this with my own eyes I got up and tried to chase this bird off of the baby and he picked the baby up and flew to the end of the yard with it and killed it and flew off. This year alone, I've already found 7 dead baby sparrows. I was disturbed at best and just had to look it up in my bird book. Sure enough the behavior that I was witnessing was right there in the book. It said that they prey on fledglings of other birds. But what goes around comes around. Yesterday I was in the back yard and all of a sudden all of the Grackles were going crazy, calling and flying up into this one tree. This went on for several minutes as I stood there wondering what they were all riled up about, then I saw this huge hawk fly out of the tree with one of them in its talons. She took off with Grackles in tow and the fight continued in my neighbors yard a few houses away. Secretly I was happy to see it. I have no idea how to keep them away from the feeders. I wish I did. Anyone out there having this problem. How do you get rid of such a nuisance bird. They're very tenacious and territorial. I feel bad for the other birds out there trying to make a living and to see all of the dead babies is terrible. Any ideas?

 

[KC Foggin]

Well, you can try the Squirrel Buster feeders. That's all I use now and the larger birds have a hard time with them so they stick to the ground food I put out.

 

[Dancat]

I have no idea why, but after a short trip (hence no food in the feeders for about 5 days) the grackles disappeared. Completely. The neighboorhood was swarming with grackles and now theyre all gone. The regulars are still here though. It cant be just me?

 

[Paul_Barrett]

Lucky you Dan. I have held off feeding to drive away the large bully breeds that were dominating my feeders and the devils are still around. Into week 3 now.

 

[littlebigrig96]

I'm not quite sure what squirrel buster feeders are. I've tried the option of not feeding for a while but as soon as I show up at the feeders with a bag of seed, and it's almost instantaneously, I can hear the other birds putting the word out and within minutes there's a flock of birds in my yard. I have a huge population of Grackles. There's the others, mostly sparrows, purple finches, which I love, brown headed cowbirds, red wing black birds and then some. I am developing a distaste for Grackles. They're pushy, and vile and just over night, there are a couple more dead fledglings. I wish that hawk would stick around, that seems to pre-occupy them. They don't like her at all. I almost wish I could make a hawk decoy, and one that flies through the back yard on some kind of cable or something. I wonder what they would do if I did.