Is there a way to keep the "bully birds" from hogging all the bird seeds?

[Parnassia]

Originally Posted by Jill_Schramm

I don’t have a feeder, but I remember visiting someone who had “solved” this problem by putting out so much seed in such a wide area that the bullies were simply incapable of eating/defending all of it. Though I don’t think this would work though if you live in an HOA. LOL

I also do this in a way. Provide multiple bird feeding sites, some that tend to favor smaller birds and a couple of "decoy" sites the bossy birds prefer.

[Size18]

I second taking down the feeder for a few days/week.


Each fall we get White-crowned Sparrows for a few weeks, and they put the run on the Dark-eyed Juncos, but the Juncos simply turn to strategy when visiting the feeder and carry-on as usual.


Birds are great at adapting, so I wouldn't worry over competition among them.

[YorktownGal]

Originally Posted by GearHeadDave

June is prime time for feeding birds, it's actually far more important than feeding in winter. Nesting is in full swing and they need all the energy they can get. I'd say in June we go through 80 lbs of black oil sunflower and ~30 suet cakes. Worth it we have greatly increased the bird population in the immediate area over the last few years,

"Blackbirds" (grackles, red-winged, cowbirds) are infrequent visitors to our feeding station because it is in a mostly wooded area. If you are near fields or in a more open area you might have to resort to the weight-sensitive feeders that others have mentioned.

There is a good reason why you might be seeing these bully birds more. Their natural habitat is decreasing so is their population.

Grackles though populations declined by almost 2% per year between 1966 and 2014, resulting in a cumulative decline of 58%, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey.

Red-winged blackbirds with population control, habitat loss, and changes in land-use and climate have resulted in a substantial decline in the continental population since 1970.

Brown-headed Cowbird are common across most of North America, although populations declined by about 31% between 1966 and 2014, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey.

While it may seem like these bully birds are eating all the seeds, smaller birds share in the seeds.

[Taffee72]

Originally Posted by Jill_Schramm

I don’t have a feeder, but I remember visiting someone who had “solved” this problem by putting out so much seed in such a wide area that the bullies were simply incapable of eating/defending all of it. Though I don’t think this would work though if you live in an HOA. LOL

This is exactly what I do. I use the old picnic table in my backyard as a bird feeder and put many piles of birdseed on it, however only enough for the day, so it's all gone by evening time. But there's room enough for everyone.

I get the grackles, blue jays and mourning doves as well as a variety of smaller birds, chipmunks and squirrels.

[Normashirley]

Originally Posted by LIcenter

Take down the feeders for a week or two. The blackbirds will eventually move on.

That might work with Blackbirds but it does not work with the Grackles. --- we tried it

Those miserable Grackles lord it over all the song birds. The only birds that will knock the Grackles off the feeder are the Woodpeckers. The Woodpeckers get along great with all the songbirds but they seem to understand the Grackles eat way more than their share.