Dealing With Starlings

Are black speckled birds taking over your suet feeders? More than likely, they are European Starlings dominating your feeders. However, there are several solutions to keep these birds from monopolizing feeders.

• Fill suet feeders with just enough suet in the morning so maybe your "favorite" birds will eat it before the starlings find it.
• Offer your favorite WBU seed blends in tube feeder as opposed to a hopper feeder so starlings will throw less to the ground.
• Safflower...called Nutra-saff. This special seed is high in protein and fat and many favorite birds readily eat safflower; starlings typically do not.
• Offer WBU Simply Suet, which starlings don't seem to like. Don't worry, this won't prevent your woodpeckers and favorite birds from visiting.
• Try feeding Peanuts in the Shell to attract jays, titmice, chickadees, nuthatches and woodpeckers. Starlings don't seem to bother with them.
• Continue to feed Nyjer® (thistle) to your goldfinches. Starlings don't seem to care much for this seed. Also, you might be surprised to see a few other visitors to your finch feeder; such as chickadees and nuthatches.