Starlings are a common pest bird that can overwhelm backyard bird feeders, leaving little food for other more desirable birds. While it may be impossible to completely deter starlings, there are some effective methods to reduce their presence at feeders.
Why Do Starlings Flock To Bird Feeders?
Starlings are an invasive species in North America, introduced in the late 1800s. They are very adaptable birds that thrive in urban and suburban areas. Starlings form large flocks and can quickly descend on sources of food. They are aggressive birds that will chase off other species to monopolize feeders.
Bird feeders provide a concentrated, reliable food source that starlings opportunistically take advantage of. The protein-rich foods offered at many bird feeders, such as mealworms, peanuts, and suet, are attractive to starlings. Backyard feeders may also be located in areas with limited natural food options in winter when starlings congregate in large flocks.
Deterring Starlings From Bird Feeders
While starlings are difficult to fully eliminate from bird feeders, the following tactics can help deter them and limit their numbers:
Use Feeders With Weight Mechanisms
Platform feeders designed to close when a heavy bird like a starling lands on a perch are very effective. The feeder perch will tilt under the starling’s weight, closing access to the seed. Meanwhile, lighter birds like chickadees and finches can still easily feed.
Employ Feeders With Smaller Perches
similarly, tube feeders with perches sized for smaller birds will exclude starlings, only allowing small birds like sparrows, finches, or wrens to grip the perch and reach the seed or nectar.
Use Caged Feeders
Caged feeders have an outer wire mesh that allows small birds to reach the seed ports while keeping out starlings. The openings in the mesh have to be small enough that bulky starlings cannot pass through or perch on the feeder’s exterior.
Add A Dome Or Baffle Above Feeders
A dome-shaped baffle or wire covering above a platform feeder limits birds’ ability to perch above and access the seed. Starlings like to perch on top and reach down into feeders. Deterring perching makes it harder for them to feed.
Offer Less Preferred Foods
Skip the peanuts, mealworms, and suet that starlings relish. Offer more desirable choices for small birds like nyjer seed, safflower seeds, and spun sugar nectar. Avoid mixed seed blends as starlings will pick out the sunflower seeds.
Use Multiple Small Tube Feeders
Rather than filling one large tube feeder, spread birdseed across several smaller tube feeders spaced apart. This forces starlings to move between feeders, reducing monopolization.
Use Squirrel Baffles
Squirrel baffles that prevent squirrels from climbing poles to platform feeders will also make it harder for starlings to access hanging feeders.
Employ Motion-Activated Sprinklers
Motion-activated sprinkler deterrents near feeders will startle and scare off flocks of starlings. Other birds quickly learn to avoid triggering them.
Feed Birds In Multiple Locations
Rather than concentrating food in one place, put up multiple small feeders around your yard. This prevents large congregations of starlings.
When To Stop Feeding Birds
If starlings become completely overwhelming at your feeders despite deterrents, temporarily stopping feeding for two to three weeks may disperse them. Interrupt their pattern and force them to find alternative food sources.
Excluding Specific Bird Species From Feeders
While selectively limiting starlings is possible, keep in mind that completely excluding any native bird species from backyard feeders is not recommended. Starlings are an exception since they are an invasive pest.
Native birds like grackles, cowbirds, pigeons, and house sparrows should still have equal access to supplemental feeders in natural areas where they live.
Avoid Starling Nests In Man-Made Structures
While it’s impossible to control starling presence outdoors, you can deter them from nesting and roosting in undesirable areas around your home. Block access holes and prevent them from using roof vents, attics, and other openings to create messy, parasite-filled nests.
Installing bird netting, hardware cloth, or wire mesh over openings are some of the exclusion methods recommended by wildlife experts to prevent starling roosts on a home property.
Using Traps To Remove Starlings
In rare cases where starling infestations are completely out of control, trapping and humanely euthanizing excess birds may be warranted. However, widespread culling is not considered an effective long-term solution in most cases.
Removing a few nuisance starlings from a troublesome roost or nest site via trapping can provide immediate relief. But as long as ample food and nesting habitat remains, other starlings will eventually replace those removed.
Only pursue humane trapping and euthanasia after consulting with a professional pest control service or wildlife officials to ensure permits, laws, and regulations are followed.
Native Plants To Attract Birds Besides Starlings
Landscaping your yard with more plants that provide seeds, berries, nectar, cover, and nesting sites will support a wider diversity of desirable birds. This expands food options beyond feeders. Some native plants to attract beautiful songbirds besides starlings include:
Plant | Birds Attracted |
---|---|
Coneflowers | Finches, Sparrows, Warblers |
Sunflowers | Finches, Cardinals, Jays, Woodpeckers |
Trumpet Honeysuckle Vine | Hummingbirds, Oriole, Tanagers |
Serviceberry | Robins, Waxwings, Thrashers |
Dogwoods | Jays, Wrens, Warblers |
Consult an Audubon Society guide or native plant nursery for the best local plant selections to naturally attract diverse bird species to your yard.
Dealing With Nuisance Birds Versus Endangered Species
When implementing any measures to discourage nuisance bird species, be careful not to inadvertently impact threatened, endangered, or protected species. For example:
- Do not remove active nests or eggs of any native bird, even nuisance starlings, without permits.
- Avoid deterrents like sticky repellents that could trap protected birds.
- Make sure pesticide applications are done carefully and legally.
Check federal and local regulations before taking any major actions. Most nuisance bird issues can be resolved through gentle exclusion without harming birds.
Conserving All Bird Species
While starlings are invasive pests, they still play an important role in the ecosystem. They consume significant agricultural pests like insects and rodents. Their cavities provide nesting sites for other native cavity nesters like bluebirds after starlings fledge. And they are still subject to population declines like any species, even as overabundant pests in some areas.
So conservation efforts strive to balance starling control with maintaining sustainable populations and protecting all birds. Completely eliminating starlings is not the goal. A healthy ecosystem includes managing all species responsibly even abundant ones like starlings. With some deterrents and habitat modifications, we can achieve an ecological balance that sustains diverse bird communities.
Conclusion
Starlings are clever, challenging birds to dissuade from feeders and nesting areas. But various deterrent techniques can significantly reduce their presence. Creating a landscape that offers alternative food sources is also key. With an integrated pest management approach, starling impacts can be minimized while still preserving their role in the environment and observing humane practices.