Bird feeding: how do you stop starlings from eating everything

[polly]

Humanely*

They have found my feeders and are like a plague from the sky. So now I don't get any of the smaller birds except for blue tits. I hate them I know they're endangered but they fly in, bully all the other birds who happen to be around, eat all the fucking food and then go and sit on the roof opposite until I've refilled the feeders, and do it all over again.

So I'm asking for tried and tested anti starling feeders please. Not the ones being sold as anti starling feeders that you haven't tried, because I have already wasted money on one of those. Does such a thing exist?

I will still feed the starlings, but in moderation.

*for now

 

[polly]

This might be too specific a request for a thread but all the generic bird feeding threads are really old.

 

[sojourner]

I only get big gangs of them when they've had babies. Don't see them the rest of the time. Is this a new thing?

 

[bcuster]

I don't mind the starlings, personally; but I've found that the closer I put the feeder to thick bushes or shrubbery, the smaller the birds that will come to it.

 

[bluescreen]

Starlings? You're lucky you have starlings. We haven't seen any for ages round here.

We have a domed grid on the bird feeder so only smaller birds can get in. Our main interlopers were pigeons (and squirrels, but we use a baffler against those).

 

[JimW]

Should calm down once Tory conference is over.

 

[platinumsage]

Put less food out, so there isn't enough for a flock of them to bother stopping by.

 

[Sasaferrato]

It is magpies that do the damage for us. They knock the feeders onto the ground and scoff the contents.

Mrs Sas refuses to contemplate the high velocity lead solution.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

*for now

(((hungry starlings)))

 

[girasol]

At least it's not pigeons. They devour all the bird food. I guess they're birds, but still. And the squirrels, they try their best to get at it too.

 

[polly]

I don't mind the starlings, personally; but I've found that the closer I put the feeder to thick bushes or shrubbery, the smaller the birds that will come to it.

Mine are right in the hedge. But ta!

Put less food out, so there isn't enough for a flock of them to bother stopping by.

This is a good idea! Thank you

 

[Epona]

Although we still get big migrations arriving here for the winter (which is why you might be seeing more refueling after a long flight from Eastern Europe at this time of year), our resident population is in decline.
Their UK conservation status is red.

Be glad to provide them food and enjoy them, they are beautiful birds.

 

[platinumsage]

Leftfield opinion - stop putting any food out. Plenty of birds in my garden, I enjoy watching the robins who sit on the fence and dive onto the lawn for insects they've spotted, and blue tits who inspect the fence and apple tree for spiders etc. The magpies dig the lawn for larvae and the blackbirds poke around in the leaf litter and also listen for earthworms. Everyone is happy and healthy and no one worries about there being too much or too little food.

 

[polly]

I know they're endangered but we have tons round here. They'd beautiful and I do love them really but I've got really pissed off with their thuggish and greedy behaviour recently

 

[polly]

Leftfield opinion - stop putting any food out. Plenty of birds in my garden, I enjoy watching the robins who sit on the fence and dive onto the lawn for insects they've spotted, and blue tits who inspect the fence and apple tree for spiders etc. The magpies dig the lawn for larvae and the blackbirds poke around in the leaf litter and also listen for earthworms. Everyone is happy and healthy and no one worries about there being too much or too little food.

My garden is a wildlife haven, honestly. Full of bugs and all sorts. The birds need help. I just want to spread it across all the varieties.

 

[polly]

Although we still get big migrations arriving here for the winter (which is why you might be seeing more refueling after a long flight from Eastern Europe at this time of year), our resident population is in decline.
Their UK conservation status is red.

Be glad to provide them food and enjoy them, they are beautiful birds.

I know the first bit and I have already said that I want to continue to feed them, but I want to feed other birds too.

 

[Epona]

Have 1 bird feeder set up with a mesh cage around it so that only smaller birds can get to it. Then 1 with free access for all size birds. My parents (I don't have a garden but they have a lot of feeders and baths for wildlife) also provide a mesh cage on the ground under the feeder, so that small ground-feeders can access that without the pheasants gobbling it all up. There are other areas where bigger ground-feeders can access seed on the ground.

 

[polly]

Have 1 bird feeder set up with a mesh cage around it so that only smaller birds can get to it. Then 1 with free access for all size birds. My parents (I don't have a garden but they have a lot of feeders and baths for wildlife) also provide a mesh cage on the ground under the feeder, so that small ground-feeders can access that without the pheasants gobbling it all up. There are other areas where bigger ground-feeders can access seed on the ground.

Thank you for trying but this is what I have already, so I was asking for specific recommendations for feeders that people have seen work!

 

[farmerbarleymow]

I know the first bit and I have already said that I want to continue to feed them, but I want to feed other birds too.

Can't you let the starlings eat what they want, and while they're at it walk around with some bird feeders attached to you (maybe wear a big hat and hang them from the brim) so the other birds can have some food?

When I've had bird feeders out I don't think I ever saw starlings - loads of tits, blackbirds and the like, but not much of anything else.

 

[bluescreen]

Leftfield opinion - stop putting any food out. Plenty of birds in my garden, I enjoy watching the robins who sit on the fence and dive onto the lawn for insects they've spotted, and blue tits who inspect the fence and apple tree for spiders etc. The magpies dig the lawn for larvae and the blackbirds poke around in the leaf litter and also listen for earthworms. Everyone is happy and healthy and no one worries about there being too much or too little food.

Ah, you're of the Simon Barnes persuasion, and don't want to create welfare dependency.

 

[Epona]

Thank you for trying but this is what I have already, so I was asking for specific recommendations for feeders that people have seen work!

Sorry, the ones I was referring to are DIY modified feeders rather than purchased!

 

[polly]

Can't you let the starlings eat what they want, and while they're at it walk around with some bird feeders attached to you (maybe wear a big hat and hang them from the brim) so the other birds can have some food?

FINALLY a common sense suggestion

 

[polly]

Sorry, the ones I was referring to are DIY modified feeders rather than purchased!

Ah yes. Mine is also modified from the stupid original which didn't work It looks a bit like a torture device now which is probably also putting off the small birds. But the starlings still emptied it in about an hour.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Here you go polly - something like this would do the trick. Looks like you can DIY it with a cycle helmet.

 

[polly]

Should calm down once Tory conference is over.

I don't get it Jim They're greedy thugs, is that it??

 

[JimW]

I don't get it Jim They're greedy thugs, is that it??

That was the general thrust, yes. Won't use it on tour then

 

[bcuster]

Mine are right in the hedge. But ta!

Maybe American starlings are different...

 

[two sheds]

Starlings? You're lucky you have starlings. We haven't seen any for ages round here.

We have a domed grid on the bird feeder so only smaller birds can get in. Our main interlopers were pigeons (and squirrels, but we use a baffler against those).

How do you baffle a squirrel?

 

[polly]

bcuster They are exactly the same birds! They were introduced to the States by Europeans (I think English people) and are now a total menace there, destroying crops and harassing the native wildlife. I'm not making any parallels with settlers but yknow.

 

[bluescreen]

How do you baffle a squirrel?

With difficulty!

Or with something from here