3 Ways To Keep Starlings Out Of Your Yard
Many homeowners enjoy the sweet melodies and colorful feather patterns of native birds. Inviting these birds into your yard by incorporating feeders into your landscape design can be beneficial. Unfortunately, traditional feeders can also attract birds that bully other species, like the European starling. Starlings can quickly overrun your yard and chase away smaller songbirds, leaving you without the feathered friends you enjoy.
Here are three simple ways that you can work to keep starlings out of your yard in the future.
1. Invest in a modern feeder.
One of the easiest things that you can do to prevent starlings from accessing the bird feed you put out for smaller songbirds in your yard is invest in a modern feeder. Modern feeders are designed to limit the size of the birds that can access them.
Since most "bully" bird species (including the starling) tend to be larger, these birds will not be able to feed in your yard. They will quickly move on to an area where food in more accessible, leaving your yard a peaceful and desirable place for small songbirds.
2. Be selective with your bird feed.
Altering the type of feed that you place in your bird feeders can also be a great way to eliminate starlings from your property. starlings tend to enjoy wild seed varieties, and will seek out these varieties in order to satiate their appetite.
By putting specialized mixes containing safflower and thistle seeds into your bird feeders, you ensure that only desirable species like chickadees, finches, and cardinals will enter your yard seeking an easy meal.
3. Install weighted perches.
Weighted perches can be a valuable addition to your bird feeders when you are trying to keep starlings out of your yard. These weighted perches act as a deterrent by using the bird's own weight to prevent access to the seeds inside the feeder.
When a large bird lands on a weighted perch, the perch drops down over the food and covers it. Smaller, more desirable songbirds are not heavy enough to trigger the weighted mechanism, allowing them to easily eat from your feeders.
Finding simple ways to keep starlings from taking over your yard can be a great way to encourage more bird species onto your property by visiting a place like BLUNDERBIRD BIRD DETERRENT. Preventing starlings from bullying smaller birds with the use of modern bird feeders, specialized seed mixtures, and weighted perches will allow you to enjoy a greater variety of songbirds in your yard.