How to Get Rid of Grackle Birds
The common grackle is a ubiquitous North American bird that some people love to hate. Unattractive, aggressive and noisy, these birds flock to bird feeders and farm fields with abandon, driving out more desirable songbirds and consuming everything in sight. Although their population has decreased by more than 100 million since World War II, they remain a pest in most areas. Removing them is nearly impossible and usually not legal, but making a backyard undesirable is very simple.
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Instructions
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Remove any platform feeders. Grackles prefer this type of bird feeder and will preferentially choose it when looking for food. If removal is not possible, place only striped sunflower seed on the platform feeder. Striped sunflower is not a popular food choice for grackles because of the thick, hard shell, but it is enjoyed by cardinals and small songbirds.
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Install hanging tube feeders. This style of feeder is difficult for grackles to land on, especially if the perches are short. Choose a hanging tube feeder with small openings; because of the grackle's large beak, this type of feeder will further discourage them from attempting to extract seed. Striped sunflower or nyjer thistle seed are both good choices for tube feeders.
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Install hanging suet cages. Grackles will not perch upside-down to get at suet, but more desirable birds like woodpeckers and nuthatches will readily do so. If the cage sways back and forth slightly, this will further discourage any attempted landings. Choose any suet that fits the cage.
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Clean the ground surrounding the feeders. Grackles will congregate at these areas and scavenge for any discarded and opened seed. Vigilant monitoring and maintenance of the ground conditions will limit the number of grackles willing to scavenge.
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Tips & Warnings
Dogs make a great deterrent. If the only birds are grackles, let the dogs outside. They will scare the grackles.
Grackles are smart birds. Limiting their food options or scaring them will signal to them to look elsewhere for food.
Don't use corn for bird food. Grackles love it and will remember where they found it, returning next year expecting to find it again.
Do not shoot the grackles. This is probably illegal and definitely unnecessary.
Black oil sunflower is not the same as striped sunflower. The shell is thinner and grackles will eat it.
Any seed mix with golden millet or red millet is not worth purchasing. Most birds won't eat them, and as a result, these seeds become a breeding ground for bacteria and fungi. This not only contaminates the good seed, but risks infecting the songbirds as well.
Suet can go rancid over time.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Common Grackle (quiscalus quiscula) with a green background image by Steve Byland from Fotolia.com
