3 Methods To Preserve GRACKLES Away From Feeders! (2022)
Are you searching for methods to stop grackles at your hen feeders?
In that case, you aren’t alone! Many individuals wrestle with these blackbirds and attempt to discover methods to restrict the quantity of them at their feeding stations.
Personally, I don’t assume grackles are so dangerous after they present up individually. They’re fascinating to look at and likewise very lovely with their iridescent plumage.
My largest criticism with grackles is how they’ll present up in giant flocks and overrun feeding stations. (Press PLAY beneath to see my feeders below assault!)
However don’t fear, immediately’s article goes that can assist you.
Under are 3 confirmed methods to assist hold grackles away out of your feeders!
I’ve personally used all the methods to assist management these blackbirds in my yard. 🙂
#1. Use these 3 meals (which grackles DON’T eat)
A good way to maintain grackles away out of your hen feeders is to make use of meals they don’t take pleasure in consuming.
However sadly, that’s simpler mentioned than carried out! These generalists eat all kinds of frequent hen seeds. Severely, in case you supply sunflower seeds, peanuts, or corn, you’re asking for a whole flock of grackles to go to. 🙂
Listed below are 3 meals that grackles don’t eat (or don’t love consuming)!
A. Safflower seeds
Some individuals name safflower the miracle seed! Grackles, together with starlings, squirrels, and different blackbird species, don’t notably look after safflower seeds. They might pattern it, however they aren’t going to gorge themselves at your feeders.
However one of the best half is that almost all different feeder birds, corresponding to cardinals, jays, and chickadees, eat it willingly. At any time when I’ve a significant invasion of grackles, instantly my feeders are full of safflower seed!
B. Nyjer seeds
Nyjer seed may be very tiny and used primarily to draw finches. This seed is just too small for grackles to hassle with. As well as, the feeders used to distribute Nyjer seeds sometimes have tiny openings, that are too small for a grackle to suit their beak inside!
C. Nectar in my hummingbird feeder
Grackles shouldn’t hassle or attempt to eat out of your nectar feeders. For these of us who stay in colder areas, this tip solely applies in summer time when the hummingbirds are again.
Sadly, as you’ll be able to see, the listing of meals that grackles gained’t eat is minimal. So watch out along with your meals choice as a result of they may go loopy in case you supply sunflower seeds, peanuts, corn, millet, or suet. As well as, grackles love grains, that are frequent in “low cost” birdseed mixes.
#2. Attempt these feeders (which grackles CAN’T use)
Certainly one of my favourite methods to maintain grackles away from my feeders is to make use of feeders which can be laborious or not possible for them to make use of!
Sadly, the unfavourable to a lot of these feeders is that different birds which can be roughly the identical dimension may even have difficulties. For instance, if a grackle can’t use a feeder, then yard favorites like Northern Cardinals and Blue Jays may even have issues.
Listed below are 4 kinds of feeders that stop grackles:
A. Caged hen feeders
With this fashion, a steel cage encloses the feeder. The sq. openings are sufficiently small to maintain grackles (and squirrels) away however sufficiently big to let most smaller songbirds by to feed. I LOVE watching grackles grasp onto the skin of the cage and solely be capable to have a look at the scrumptious meals inside. 🙂
The caged tube feeder beneath is the one I exploit. My chickadees and goldfinches use it every day. And since solely small birds have entry to the seed, I don’t should refill it typically, often solely twice per week! Nevertheless, similar-sized tube feeders that aren’t surrounded by a cage in my yard should be refilled every day.
Audubon caged tube feeder Test Worth – Amazon
I additionally use a caged hen feeder to guard my suet! This caged feeder is a superb resolution if grackles gained’t depart your suet feeders alone.
Grackles are unable to suit their our bodies by the outer cage to get to the suet. Smaller woodpeckers, like Downy Woodpeckers, don’t have any issues becoming inside. However, sadly, bigger woodpeckers gained’t be capable to get to the suet.
B. Weight delicate feeders
Some of these feeders can sometimes be adjusted to shut when a certain quantity of weight is utilized. Grackles are comparatively heavy when in comparison with different yard feeder birds, so the idea is that after they land on the feeder, entry to the meals will shut. However smaller birds ought to nonetheless be capable to sit and feed.
For instance, I personal the Absolute II hopper hen feeder beneath, and it’s one among my favourite general feeders. And it’s additionally nice at stopping squirrels. 🙂
Absolute II hopper feeder View As we speak’s Worth
Let me be clear; a weight-sensitive feeder WON’T cease grackles like a caged feeder. However the hope is that you’ll decelerate a whole flock of grackles.
For instance, on the Absolute II feeder above, I could make the perches extremely delicate to weight, the place just one medium-sized hen (like a grackle) can feed at a time. As quickly as a second grackle tries to hop on the perch, the feeder closes.
I like this feeder as a result of solely ONE (or possibly two) grackles can eat at a time. It’s nice as a result of a complete flock of grackles can’t sit there and wipe out your entire meals in a sitting.
C. Upside-down suet feeders
I totally take pleasure in feeding suet to woodpeckers in my yard. The issue is that grackles additionally LOVE consuming suet.
A method round that is to buy a suet feeder that forces birds to cling and feed the wrong way up. Woodpeckers don’t have any downside with this methodology, however grackles CAN’T eat like this.
Birds Selection Upside-Down Suet Feeder View $ on Amazon
My upside-down suet feeder has carried out an amazing job stopping grackles from devouring all my suet. Lastly, I need to warn you that it could take a while for woodpeckers to find your upside-down suet feeder. And general, they don’t prefer it as a lot as my different suet feeders, the place they don’t have to hold the wrong way up.
D. Feeders with SMALL meals ports
Okay, let’s shortly check out a grackles beak. As you’ll be able to see, it’s fairly giant!
So, to assist stop them at our feeders, we are going to reap the benefits of this reality. To maintain grackles away, attempt utilizing hen feeders with very small feeding ports. A feeding port is the place the meals comes out of a feeder. If it’s very small, a grackle can’t match its beak inside to get the meals!
Under are two nice examples that I personal.
A. Perky-Pet Yellow Finch Feeder
B. Points Fast-Clear Nyjer Feeder
Usually, feeders with small meals ports are marketed as “Nyjer seed feeders” since that is likely one of the solely meals that may match by the small opening. Along with Nyjer seed, you too can attempt utilizing finely chopped sunflower kernels. Many instances these small items will match by the openings.
E. Hummingbird feeders
Hummingbird feeders are grackle-proof as a result of these birds don’t drink nectar!
Belief me; grackles will ignore your hummingbird feeders.
#3. Distract grackles by feeding them individually!
This technique runs counter-intuitive to what you may assume.
As a substitute of attempting to stop grackles, we’re going to feed them as a lot meals as potential. However WE get to resolve the place the feedings occur.
Right here’s what you’re going to do:
Provide MASSIVE quantities of CHEAP meals that grackles can’t resist, corresponding to corn, positioned at the least 15 ft away (4.5m) out of your different hen feeders. Utilizing complete kernel corn or cracked corn is an efficient meals choice because it’s cheap, AND grackles actually like consuming it.
The hope is that the grackles will bombard your “additional” feeding station, leaving your foremost space clear for the songbirds you really need to see and entice.
This technique can assist unfold birds round your yard. I exploit it each winter to assist management the grackles, together with the European Starlings and Home Sparrows that present up! The image beneath, taken from my yard, helps exhibit this technique!
As you’ll be able to see, my tube feeder full of cracked corn is positioned behind and away from my different feeders.
How do you retain grackles away out of your hen feeders?
Tell us which methods work greatest for you beneath!