8/18/2023 0 Comments Suet feeder starling proofConsequently, we offer a range of starling-proof bird feeders, so that you can provide a safe bird feeding haven for the smaller birds, while the starlings can squabble over food elsewhere in the garden. We acknowledge that on a local level they can become overwhelmingly dominant, excluding all other birds from the feeding stations. For this reason, we should all support and help this beautiful species of bird, especially when they appear in our gardens, typically during the breeding season. The national starling population has fallen dramatically over recent decades declining by over 50% since the 1970s. If you find that starlings are eating all the bird food that you put out on your bird table, make sure that you feed your garden birds early in the morning, because starlings tend to eat later in the day. White-striped sunflower seeds (due to the hard shell).Starlings won’t eat small seeds or seeds with a hard shell. Putting out food that starlings do not like will give other birds a chance to feed in your garden. Discourage starlings from nesting in your garden by choosing nest boxes that have holes less than 1.5 inches (38mm) wide - too small for starlings to fit through.Avoid mealworms, peanut kernels and human food such as bread and leftovers. Put out food that starlings won’t be interested in such as niger seeds (which can be placed in niger seed feeders) and avoid food which they love. ![]() These are not always particularly attractive but can be used during late spring to give your smaller and more timid birds a safe feeding area away from the noise and chaos of the delightful, plundering, belligerent starling hordes! How to stop starlings eating all the bird foodĪs well as starling-proof bird feeders, there are other things you can consider to deter them. If you have problems with starlings during the breeding season, we have an excellent range of starling proof bird feeders, specially designed to stop the long necks and beaks of starlings from reaching the food. ![]() However by the end of July and into early August, most will have moved on back into the countryside doing a great job of devouring millions of grubs and bugs, returning our gardens to the familiar faces of tits, finches and robins. They also synchronise egg laying to ensure the whole colony fledge almost simultaneously creating sudden dense flocks of very hungry juveniles and agitated parents. Starlings are extremely gregarious birds, preferring to nest in colonies in house eaves, bringing large numbers of them into our gardens. The trouble that some bird feeders have with marauding starlings is also, usually only transient. They feed on fruits and berries, carrying the seeds to different areas to continue the spread. Like other birds, they also play a part in the reproduction of various plant types. Starlings also eat flies and fly larvae, which can become an irritation if they have multiplied in a pile of grass cuttings left near to the house for too long. Many people try to deter starlings, but they can actually be good for the garden! They eat gypsy moths and caterpillars, which are an invasive pest. In truth, starlings should always be welcome in our gardens for their stunningly beautiful iridescent coats and their amazing ability to mimic sounds, just like parrots, often copying the loudest sounds around such as drills, mowers and phones. ![]() ![]() At certain times of the year, starlings seem to arrive in vast numbers with an insatiable appetite eating everything in sight to the exclusion of all other birds.ĭespite the apparent health of local populations, on a national level starling numbers have been in steep decline and for this reason alone we should try to accommodate their somewhat excessive behaviour.
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