Takeaway: Too many unwanted or aggressive birds can drain your feed stores and lower diversity at your feeder. Here’s what to do if that happens.
One of the great joys of having a smart bird feeder is the chance to see rare or diverse birds up close. But what happens when unwanted or bully birds show up at your feeder–and eat all the food and scare away the birds you really want to see?
This sort of unwanted occurrence can and does happen. What can be done? Read on for some background and tips to keep this from happening.
What Are Bully Birds?
Bully birds are birds that are aggressive or territorial, especially around feeders. Their antics can displace smaller or less assertive birds. Bully birds are:
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Aggressive and territorial, guarding food sources like feeders
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Likely to be loud and intimidating, which makes them seem even more dominant
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Likely to chase away other birds from feeders and even from nests
Examples of bully birds include:
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European starlings–often present in large, aggressive flocks
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House sparrows–Smaller but persistent
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Pigeons–Bold and dominant
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Crows–Intelligent and dominant
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Magpies–Smart and bold
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Jackdraws–Aggressive and noisy
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Eurasian Collared doves: Competitive and noisy
Why Are Some Bird Species Bullies?
While bird feeder bullies may turn your tranquil yard into a hotly contested battleground, they are often just acting on instinct. Here’s why some birds may show these aggressive or territorial behaviors (learn more about bird behavior here):
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They are in an intense competition for resources, including food, nesting sites, and mating rights
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It’s in their DNA–some birds are programmed to act aggressively as a survival strategy
How to Understand and Manage Bully Behavior
Keep in mind that, while not cool, this behavior can be natural birds–they aren’t being bullies out of pure maliciousness.
That said, there are some things you can do to manage this behavior and maintain calm at your feeder while giving the quiet birds a chance to eat:
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Provide a variety of food types: Feeders like the FeatherSnap have two food reservoirs, so you can offer two food types and naturally attract a diversity of bird life
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Adjust the perch: The FeatherSnap also has an adjustable perch–push it in to naturally dissuade birds with larger feet
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Add a platform feeder to draw bigger birds away: A platform feeder is easier for larger birds to feed from, and its presence may distract them from your FeatherSnap
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Keep your feeder clean: Regularly cleaning your feeder and the area around it will help–fallen seeds and other debris can attract larger birds as well as non-avian species like raccoons, skunks, and squirrels.
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Give it a break: If your feeder is frequented by overburdensome birds you might also just take it down for a while. They will move on and find somewhere else to feed as they need a dependable food source.
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Consider physical obstacles: As a last resort, you might consider a cage around your feeder which will let in small birds but has openings small enough to repel bigger birds. This can help, for example, with deterring doves, and can also block squirrels. Some creative options include poultry netting or even overturned dog crates.
Keep Track of the Birds at Your Feeder
FeatherSnap is a smart bird feeder with a companion app that uses AI to identify birds at your feeder. These identified birds can be put in a digital bird book so you have a long-term record of bird sightings. The app helps identify birds using factors like region, size, and color.
Premium accounts let you unlock even more:
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Bird Book: Collect and save your sightings
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The Perch: Dashboard that tracks activity
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Snap Wrap: Personalized weekly snapshot of bird visitors
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Trivia and challenges: Test your bird knowledge with daily trivia
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Daily check-ins: Visit the app daily to collect “seeds” and build streaks
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Avatars and Snaplings: Unlock unique characters using points earned in the app and use them to customize your avatar