Common Grackles Attacking Feeders (4 Viewers)

[tigerlillie]

Good morning all......I'm from southern New Jersey (USA) and in the last week or so have had hundreds upon hundreds of migrating Common Grackles shaking me down for food. They are destroying my feeders, making "dirty" in the birdbaths and scaring away all of my other species. I've been outside with a spoon and a pot banging away like some nutbucket trying to keep them out of here. My neighbors will likely have me committed soon 8-P . Even after going to such extreme, minutes later there they are, sitting atop my oak trees.....HUNDREDS of them, just waiting for a shot at the feeders. Does anyone know if they stick around in one area for very long during migration? I truly hope not.....I don't want to lose all my other babies on account of these nasty buggers. Love some feedback.
Tracy

 

[KC Foggin]

Unfortunately, once you decide to feed the birds, you can't really discriminate as to what bird you are going to feed. They are normally only a pest for a short period of time. I've had hundreds of these guys along with as many Red-winged Blackbirds mixed in with the wintering flocks. Normally, I only have to walk outside on the deck and all of them disburse after a few minutes. In the alternative, you might want to try using safflower seed for a while as they do not seem very fond of that seed but the rest of the songbirds eat it.

 

[Lou G]

Unfortunately, once you decide to feed the birds, you can't really discriminate as to what bird you are going to feed. They are normally only a pest for a short period of time. I've had hundreds of these guys along with as many Red-winged Blackbirds mixed in with the wintering flocks. Normally, I only have to walk outside on the deck and all of them disburse after a few minutes. In the alternative, you might want to try using safflower seed for a while as they do not seem very fond of that seed but the rest of the songbirds eat it.

I agree KC. I also live in South Jersey and the grackels, blackbirds and starlings are hitting me at once mainly in the early morning and some late in the day. I have this problem every year since they are very fond of my 100' white pine trees to build their nests in. I have to scare them off every chance I get to discourage the nesting and roosting here and make them uncomfortable. :C

Lou G

 

[aubrey]

I'm from eastern Arkansas and I've beening getting a lot of them too. I've really been going through the bird seed. It's getting kind of expensive. I hope they don't run off my American Goldfinches that I'm just now getting at my feeders.

Aubrey

 

[tigerlillie]

I'm from eastern Arkansas and I've beening getting a lot of them too. I've really been going through the bird seed. It's getting kind of expensive. I hope they don't run off my American Goldfinches that I'm just now getting at my feeders.

Aubrey

Wow.....getting them all the way out in Arkansas too huh? I suppose I'll just have to suck it up with these intruders. I should start thinking more like a naturalist, but it's hard to do when my main interest lies in attracting pretty little songbirds and interesting NON-INVASIVE larger species. And, like Lou G said, you really can't discriminate once you start feeding birds. Does that mean I have to like them :-C ? Anyway, thanks for the feedback everyone. Glad to know these birds are just passing through. Oh and I forgot to mention that amongst them are a good bunch of red-winged black birds. I don't mind them much....they aren't as agressive and they pretty much stick to eating seed that has fallen under the feeder. Happy birding ! :t:

 

[Lou G]

Wow.....getting them all the way out in Arkansas too huh? I suppose I'll just have to suck it up with these intruders. I should start thinking more like a naturalist, but it's hard to do when my main interest lies in attracting pretty little songbirds and interesting NON-INVASIVE larger species. And, like Lou G said, you really can't discriminate once you start feeding birds. Does that mean I have to like them :-C ? Anyway, thanks for the feedback everyone. Glad to know these birds are just passing through. Oh and I forgot to mention that amongst them are a good bunch of red-winged black birds. I don't mind them much....they aren't as agressive and they pretty much stick to eating seed that has fallen under the feeder. Happy birding ! :t:

Tigerlillie, are you still having trouble with those grackels and blackbirds? They are the worst I've ever experienced this year. they come in by the herd along with starlings and just clean me out. The suet feeders are getting killed and the mixed seed tubes are emptied in short order. I am totally frustrated and actually took down my tube feeder with the large holes and put up my finch feeder with the little holes to deter them. I sure hope the barrage lasts only a short time cause the small little songbirds don't stand a chance. The only option left is one of those feeders with the cage to let the little guys in but keep the pests out. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Lou G

 

[tigerlillie]

Tigerlillie, are you still having trouble with those grackels and blackbirds? They are the worst I've ever experienced this year. they come in by the herd along with starlings and just clean me out. The suet feeders are getting killed and the mixed seed tubes are emptied in short order. I am totally frustrated and actually took down my tube feeder with the large holes and put up my finch feeder with the little holes to deter them. I sure hope the barrage lasts only a short time cause the small little songbirds don't stand a chance. The only option left is one of those feeders with the cage to let the little guys in but keep the pests out. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Lou G

Hi Lou....sorry I haven't been to this board this week and it's now Sunday March 12th. Just read your post. I am still getting the grackles and red-winged black birds, but not as abundantly as last week. I spoke with a gentleman in a store while shopping for new feeders and he told me to just keep going outside as they begin their roosting, and bang on a pot with a long metal spoon until they disperse. They DO COME BACK!!! but if you are as persistant as they are; they stay away for longer periods and eventually won't return. This has been a success so far. Also, I normally throw mixed seed in a small area of my back yard because I have a pair of ground feeding song sparrows (they don't go to the feeders), but I had to clean that up for a few days to discourage the grackles too. I also had to take my feeders down for a few days. I was so afraid I'd lose my "natives", but they came back fairly quickly. It's discouraging to have to put up with these invasions, but I suppose we just have to make adjustments until they move on. The best advice I've gotten above and beyond all is don't give them any reason to stay because if you do, they'll never leave. So, if taking our feeders down and providing no ground food for a few days, along with some obnoxious noise gets rid of them, well we've no other choice I suppose. Oh, about your suet cakes......I read that you should buy the suet holders that are open only at the bottom.....seems your usual feeders of suet don't mind eating upside down; but the grackles and other invaders aren't capable of doing so. Hope I've helped a bit. Have a great week. Keep me up-to-date on your birding. I love reading others' experiences. Didn't you say you were also from S.Jersey?

 

[Home Bird]

Hi: South Jersey here too. I have gone to a cage-type starling & squirrel proof suet feeder, and squirrel resistant (gravity type) tube feeders, and while my yard is not completely free of starlings and blackbirds, they don't bother the songbirds nearly as much or hog all the feed. I do think those feeders are worth the investment. I also avoid mixed seed and use only black oil sunflower, sometimes mixed with a bit of safflower, and a separate feeder for nyjer. Yesterday I had a bunch of grackles, but they were all on the ground pulling out grubs--which is okay with me: that's their purpose as far as I'm concerned.

 

[tigerlillie]

Hi: South Jersey here too. I have gone to a cage-type starling & squirrel proof suet feeder, and squirrel resistant (gravity type) tube feeders, and while my yard is not completely free of starlings and blackbirds, they don't bother the songbirds nearly as much or hog all the feed. I do think those feeders are worth the investment. I also avoid mixed seed and use only black oil sunflower, sometimes mixed with a bit of safflower, and a separate feeder for nyjer. Yesterday I had a bunch of grackles, but they were all on the ground pulling out grubs--which is okay with me: that's their purpose as far as I'm concerned.

My goodness, another S. Jersey birder. This is great! I'm in Absecon. Where are you from?
Your set-up is much like mine. I have thistle feeders for my Goldies and I bought 2 new feeders a few days ago to replace 2 that were very worn out. The new ones are "hopper" platform feeders. I fill one with just black sunflower seed; which is just about every birds' favorite, and the other with a mixture of cracked corn with white proso millet. I never used just straight- up sunflower seed before I bought the new feeders, and I'm amazed at what I'm attracting to it. HUGE difference!! It took a few days for the birds to realize that some "gourmet" grub was available, but they eventually found it. The reason I changed feeders and food is because I've noticed a pair of Northern Cardinals flickering around and I was dead set on getting them to visit often (they're my favorite). Well they're here and they started out just ground feeding on whatever would fall, but have finally taken to the feeder. I'm laughing to myself as I type this because I was at the window when they were feeding on the ground, and I was saying out loud "C'mon goofball.....look up....look up.....there's tons of it right over your head. GET ON THAT FEEDER". When he finally did, I felt he needed applause. LOL. Talk about goofie, huh? Anyway, my new visitors are the Cardinals, male/female house finches(LOVE the red male), male/female house sparrows, nuthatches, tufted titmouse, Carolina chickadees, pine grossbeaks and to my surprise.....a couple of my American Goldfinches left the thistle feeder today and were grubbing on the sunflower seed. Now THAT really surprised me. There's also a red-headed woodpecker who does the hit-and-run thing. So, now I'm a happy birder. After much trial and error, I finally have a great set-up and of course a good birder always has fresh water available too. Well, I could write a book tonight, but have to go. Glad to have found someone else from this area on here. I check-in every couple of days or so. Maybe we'll cross paths again. Take Care
Tracy (tigerlillie)

 

[samuel walker]

My computer studio looks out on the feeders. I have a CD rom of Peterson's N Am Birds with all the calls. Last year when the grackle gang arrived I opened the window and moved the speakers to the edge and cranked the volume. I experimented with different raptors including redtailed hawk and owl. It was the coopers hawk that would get them to rise and flee. It's only good for about 5-10 minutes and the black cloud returns. After about three sessions they get numb to it. At least during the intervals they are gone the little fellas can snatch a seed or two.
Sam

 

[tigerlillie]

"The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists and other subversives.We intend to clean them out.Even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country."
John Mitchell
Attorney General
1969-1972

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WOW.....I just about fell off my chair when I read that quote. Arrogant *&^%$#$@#$% !!!!!!! How dare he? Well, we've proven him wrong, thank goodness. I was angry at first when I read that :storm: and then I realized that it is shear ignorance and likely some sort of greed mixed in there somewhere that encourages people like him to think on those terms. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised......after all....it was the Nixon administration. ANYWAY, guess I better get off the politics and back to why we're really here; to be part of a wonderful hobbie and conservation movement that makes all of us birders and lovers of nature special folks :t: That Mitchell fella was clueless. Good thing there are hundreds of thousands of us who aren't. I don't think my birds would take kindly to concrete landscaping.....LOL.

 

[Lou G]

Hi Lou....sorry I haven't been to this board this week and it's now Sunday March 12th. Just read your post. I am still getting the grackles and red-winged black birds, but not as abundantly as last week. I spoke with a gentleman in a store while shopping for new feeders and he told me to just keep going outside as they begin their roosting, and bang on a pot with a long metal spoon until they disperse. They DO COME BACK!!! but if you are as persistant as they are; they stay away for longer periods and eventually won't return. This has been a success so far. Also, I normally throw mixed seed in a small area of my back yard because I have a pair of ground feeding song sparrows (they don't go to the feeders), but I had to clean that up for a few days to discourage the grackles too. I also had to take my feeders down for a few days. I was so afraid I'd lose my "natives", but they came back fairly quickly. It's discouraging to have to put up with these invasions, but I suppose we just have to make adjustments until they move on. The best advice I've gotten above and beyond all is don't give them any reason to stay because if you do, they'll never leave. So, if taking our feeders down and providing no ground food for a few days, along with some obnoxious noise gets rid of them, well we've no other choice I suppose. Oh, about your suet cakes......I read that you should buy the suet holders that are open only at the bottom.....seems your usual feeders of suet don't mind eating upside down; but the grackles and other invaders aren't capable of doing so. Hope I've helped a bit. Have a great week. Keep me up-to-date on your birding. I love reading others' experiences. Didn't you say you were also from S.Jersey?

Tigerlillie, Great advice! I have been doing just what you say about making all sorts of noise, since grackels are very easily intimidated but extremely persistant buggers. I have noticed that the more I continue to chase them the longer they do stay away. There are good days and bad days. There are flocks continually flying around, some zoom in others just pass by. I do see them going in my pine trees roosting and making all sorts of commotion. I've spotted some with nesting materials in their beaks going into a very large 20' shrub in the yard behind me. :C
I just bought one of those upside down suet feeders and no takers as of yet. The downies, nut hatches and chickadees all go to my normal cage style suet feeder. Maybe I should take the cage down for a little bit. The starlings and grackels just kill the suet cakes in no time flat.
Yes I'm from the Medford, NJ.area
Keep me up to date if you come up with any other good tips. :t:

thanks
Lou G

 

[BirdGal]

Down here in KS we've had the same thing going on, only with a few more blackbirds than grackles. Last week, they moved out of the area, thank goodness. We slam the door when we see them take over, but when I'm at work there's nothing to be done.

I found a dead banded grackle last weekend that was banded up in Ontario in 2001. . they evidently live a while.

 

[GDC]

The grackles have started showing up here and they do the same thing. Chase everything away and clean out all the feeders. I do put out a lot more safflower and they don't like that.

 

[PTPIER]

The grackles have started showing up here and they do the same thing. Chase everything away and clean out all the feeders. I do put out a lot more safflower and they don't like that.

Hello,
Another South Jerseyite here - sorry for chiming in so late but I'm having the same problems with grackles emptying my feeder and leaving none for the songbirds.
My question is does mixing the safflower in with my mixed premium seed deter them from coming back or are we talking changing the feeder entirely to safflower? If so, what other species would I lose if I do this?
Thanks,
Paul

 

[danehower]

I don't know if you folks have seen one , but there is a feeder (not sure of the name) that is made of a clear plastic ball . On the southern hemisphere of the ball are 3 mabey 4 round feeding ports . Only the most nimble of birds such as paridae, nuthatches, perhaps a downey wp and the like are able to access these ports. They are entertaining as well because these little birds get to display there ability to dangle for food. This might be a way to get your little buddys some food amongst the black sworm of grackles,Red-wing BB, Starlings, ect.
Hope this helps
Dave

 

[Evanji Axu]

From SE Virginia. The grackles don't attack my feeders per se, but they eat all the seed and are warming up to suet. Fortunately, they usually go away if I wave my hands at them through the window (which doesn't seem to scare the smaller birds). Such cowards D:

 

[Transformer]

Since I moved the feeding station to the one outisde the kitchen window (a huge triple tube feeder) and eliminated the backyard feeding station (except for a lone suet basket which I need to move), the grackles don't come around. They're bullies with other birds, but they are too scared to come so close to human contact. If you can find a place like this, you won't have an issue with bully birds.

The jays, which can be bullies, come around for very brief seconds of time and then fly away to "implant" their take in a nearby tree. They too, seem afraid of being too close to the human aspect.

 

[dbull]

Since I moved the feeding station to the one outisde the kitchen window (a huge triple tube feeder) and eliminated the backyard feeding station (except for a lone suet basket which I need to move), the grackles don't come around. They're bullies with other birds, but they are too scared to come so close to human contact. If you can find a place like this, you won't have an issue with bully birds.

The jays, which can be bullies, come around for very brief seconds of time and then fly away to "implant" their take in a nearby tree. They too, seem afraid of being too close to the human aspect.

I joined this forum about half an hour ago specifically to try to solve my grackle problem. I moved to the South Shore from NJ less than two years ago. Last winter I was given a gift of a tube feeder, supposedly squirrel-proof. The squirrels annhilated the feeder in a couple of days. I bought a different style feeder, also allegedly squirrel-proof. Well, they couldn't get inside this one, but they could get to the seed, and they did, voraciously. I finally got a plastic inverted dish to fit over the feeder. After cutting away some branches of the tree the feeder hangs from, the squirrel problem seems solved. This Spring I added a suet box and a thistle bag.

The jays do come to my feeder, but at least in my case they seem to coexist nicely with the songbirds. I don't consider them a problem.

A pair of Carolina wrens moved into my garage and set up house. Every morning, early, the male sings loudly until I come and open the garage door. They are now so tame they will come to my bedroom window and serenade me. Sometimes when I walk the dog in the early morning, they will follow me, flitting from branch to branch, and bush to bush for maybe fifty or sixty yards. Nowadays, only the little ones stay in the garage at night. So the male now comes to my window and demands that I open the garage door. Aside from the droppings that I have to clean periodically, what fun.

I can see under my screened-in porch from my semi-basement home office. Robins have nested on one of the beams, and I can watch them from my office window. I watched the little ones from the day they hatched until they fledged. Each evening, if I happen to be sitting on the porch, the male will come to a spot close by, presumably at the edge of his territory, and scold me relentlessly.

I have so far counted more than fifteen species at my feeder. If I sit on the deck steps close to the feeder, several species will come to within two feet of me. I'm fairly sure they will eat from my hand before long. I can hold the feeder at arm's length, and the chickadees and titmice (mouses?) will take seed from the feeder. Through the summer I have watched as many different species brought their fledglings to the feeder. The young ones sit on a nearby branch, and the parents bring them seed. I couldn't be happier. Last week I put up a hummingbird feeder. The package insert said I might have to wait weeks for hummingbirds to show up. The first one came the next day.

Then came the grackles, and there went my birdie paradise. I know they are God's creatures too, but they are ugly, nasty, agressive, and noisy examples of the deity's work. But they truly are cautious of humans. I can simply clap my hands loudly at an open window and off they go. Trouble is, they're back in a minute or less. If I step outside and stamp loudly on the deck, they are deterred for a little longer. But nothing keeps them away short of removing the feeder, and even then they stick around for hours.

As I see it from reading this forum, the following are ways to possibly keep grackles away:

1. Remove the feeder for several days and hope they'll go away.
2. Switch to all black sunflower seed, or safflower seed.
3. Get a special kind of feeder that grackles cannot steal from.
4. Move the feeder to a spot very close to a house window.
5. Take up stargazing instead of birdwatching.

Have I listed all the candidates, or have I missed something important?

Until last winter, the only birds I could reliably identify were robins and Central Park pigeons. I'm having the time of my life, if only I could discourage the (expletive deleted) grackles

Thanks,
Dan

 

[Evanji Axu]

The problem with safflower is that a lot of nice birds don't like it and the grackles will eat it anyway if there's nothing else. Don't scatter seed on the ground because that attracts them and for the love of God DO NOT PUT BREAD OUT. I did that and the grackles got even worse!