Every backyard bird watcher loves to look out the window to a yard full of feathered natives, busy feeders and crowded birdbaths. But even the most avid bird enthusiasts will tell you that there are "good" birds and "bad" birds. Species like starlings, pigeons, doves, grackles and crows can scare off smaller songbirds and hoard the food. It can be almost impossible to remove these undesirable species without losing the songbirds as well, but with a few techniques, you can make your yard less accessible to the pests and friendlier to the "good" birds.
Instructions
Keeping the Good Birds, Getting Rid of the Bad
1. Stop feeding for a week. Crows, grackles and starlings are opportunistic feeders and may move on if they think the larder has been emptied.
2. Change your bird feeders and seed. Get rid of platform feeders in favor of fine-meshed tube or sock feeders that require small birds to cling to the surface to eat. Hopper-style feeders with weighted perches which close when heavy birds land on them also are available. Swap sunflower seed and millet for thistle seed, which pigeons and doves do not seem fond of. Opt for raised or hanging bird baths.
3. Keep larger birds away from spilled seed. Since it can be a challenge to sweep the ground beneath your feeders without scaring away all of your birds, limit access to spilled seed by placing rocks or shrubs beneath your feeders. Smaller birds will be able to hop in and out of tiny places to pick up the mess, but larger, pest species will not.
4. Make the area more desirable for songbirds. Plenty of foliage will make them feel secure, as will the presence of a constant water source. Fruiting trees and shrubs are a terrific way to draw birds like orioles and other fruit eaters, and splashes of colorful flowers will draw out insect-eating songbirds on the hunt for the bugs these plants attract.
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