Here come the Starlings

Well here it is early January and I have the flu, so the starlings felt this would be a great time to start invading the feeders.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I said once they started arriving I would try feeding safflower in a couple feeders and monitor the results.

So far the starlings refuse to touch it. I've had it out for a couple of weeks now and like the results. Everything avoided it for the first week then they started coming around. Now the sparrows have adjusted to it as have gold finches and house finches. Cardinals and chickadees are eating it as well but they always have. I exclusively feed them a blend of safflower, black oil sunflower and sunflower chips. I also mix in some raw peanut halves and some tree nuts.

So I'll continue to use safflower in the two feeders and monitor the results. Perhaps come summer I'll go exclusively to it. However during the winter months you need to offer foods with higher protein. Safflower is not as nutritional as some other seeds. So for winter feeding continue to offer black oil sunflower, unsalted peanut halves, suet and other seeds high in fat and protein.

If you would like a little information on our enemy the European starling here it is.

Behavior: In 1890, starlings were introduced into New York City from Europe. Since then they have spread all across North America. Starlings aggressively compete with native species of birds for nesting cavities.To reduce competition from starlings for birdhouses, make sure the entrance hole is 1 1/2 inches or less in diameter, since this is to small for starlings to enter.

Feeding: Forages on ground for insects, spiders, earthworms, garbage, salamanders, snails, weed seeds and berries. Will come to feeders for seed, suet or just about anything else you put in them.

Habitat: Urban and suburban areas.

So if you feed birds there's a good chance you'll deal with Starlings at some point in a year. Best thing to do is just stop feeding until they leave. Once the food dries up for a couple of days they usually move on. If your like me and do not want to make the other birds suffer because of them, be prepared to spend allot of money on food. Good luck and I'll update the safflower experiment from time to time.