How do I keep blackbirds away from my bird feeder?

Question

All they do is eat all the food, and don't save anything for the cool birds? Any help would be appreciated.

Answer 1

Switched my feeders from "wildbird seed" to black oil sunflower seed-- and the finches get their thistle seed from a "sock"-- it's sold that way (and by the pound)-- there also is a finch feeder but other small birds can use that-- finches cling to the bag-- and sparrows can't. Also think black oil is better than striped sunflower seed.

Basically, if you look at a bird feeding book-- you'll see most "pretty" birds eat black oil sunflower--and those we don't like eat all the other seeds in the wild bird mix--
So, I get cardinals, rosy finches, sparrows (there are I think 14 different sparrows!) doves and on the ground, pigeons-- who are the cleanup squad. I also feed Jays peanuts in the shell-cooked/raw/salted doesn't matter--- have a friend that visits-- he works to put the peanuts in strange places to see if the jays can figure out how to get them-- it is a riot! Just don't give them lots of peanuts-- they'll haul them away and "hide" them-- under a leaf-- some strange places!

So only 1 grackle (black bird) in 3 years--and no cowbirds either.
good luck

Answer 2

Keeping birds away from a bird feeder? What a strange request! The feed store where I go has a huge assortment of various types of bird feed. You can buy premixed, or buy each component you want and mix yourself. Only problem is you need to find out which birds you want to attract and what they eat. Them make a blend for them. If the "non cool" birds don't like the bill of fare they will go elsewhere.

Answer 3

Any animal that is excluded simply because of who they are will find innovative ways to accomplish their goals and provide for their needs. I had always read that blackbirds were ground feeders but I eliminated (other than spillage) my ground feeding because it was a mess I didn't want (I had sunflowers coming up everywhere). The blackbirds (who I find entertaining) started grabbing the support shaft for my elevated feeders (the blackbirds are too big to stay on the little sitting supports that the finches and sparrows use) and hanging sideways to eat out of the feeders. Fascinating..

Answer 4

It's a bird feeder. They're birds.

Perhaps a sign that says "no blackbirds allowed"; or you could have a bird bouncer to only let in the cool birds.

Answer 5

I want to know, too. I stopped putting seeds out, just because of them. I was thinking of using a b-b gun....
In blueberry patches they 'shoot' off a gun every so often randomly...that chases the birds away...but, it chases all the birds away.

Answer 6

Starlings are the hobos in the bird world, they will scrounge and once they have a food source its home to them. They are hard to get rid of.