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Loud, aggressive, and with a seemingly endless appetite—there's no question blackbirds can be a nuisance. But how can you get rid of them without scaring off all the other birds too? You certainly don't want the tranquility of tiny songbirds fluttering around your bird feeder to be disrupted by a flock of grackles, starlings, cowbirds, or other common blackbirds. Read on to learn the best ways to make your home, yard, and feeders less attractive to these feathered menaces so they fly right past you.
Things You Should Know
- Make your feeders less attractive to blackbirds by including only food that they don't like, such as safflower .
- Play recordings of blackbird alarm calls to disturb flocks roosting in your trees.
- Use bird spikes or netting to keep blackbirds from roosting on your home.
- Prune wild fruits and berries to remove natural food sources attractive to blackbirds.
Steps
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Tips
- Rest assured that blackbirds tend to be more of a temporary problem. They usually only hang out for a short time, then move on somewhere else. [16] X Trustworthy Source The Cornell Lab of Ornithology Research lab of Cornell University dedicated to interpreting and conserving the Earth's biological diversity through research and education about birds Go to sourceThanks
- For additional assistance and government advice on controlling nuisance birds in the US, contact USDA APHIS—Wildlife Services.Thanks
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References
- ↑ https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/my-feeders-are-being-overrun-with-starlings-and-blackbirds-that-eat-all-the-food-and-keep-smaller-birds-away-what-can-i-do/
- ↑ https://wildlife-damage-management.extension.org/blackbirds/
- ↑ https://blog.cwf-fcf.org/index.php/en/bully-birds-how-can-you-keep-bully-birds-at-bay/
- ↑ https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/my-feeders-are-being-overrun-with-starlings-and-blackbirds-that-eat-all-the-food-and-keep-smaller-birds-away-what-can-i-do/
- ↑ https://blog.cwf-fcf.org/index.php/en/bully-birds-how-can-you-keep-bully-birds-at-bay/
- ↑ https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/my-feeders-are-being-overrun-with-starlings-and-blackbirds-that-eat-all-the-food-and-keep-smaller-birds-away-what-can-i-do/
- ↑ https://blog.cwf-fcf.org/index.php/en/bully-birds-how-can-you-keep-bully-birds-at-bay/
- ↑ https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g9447
- ↑ https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g9447
- ↑ https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g9447
- ↑ https://wildlife-damage-management.extension.org/blackbirds/
- ↑ https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/my-feeders-are-being-overrun-with-starlings-and-blackbirds-that-eat-all-the-food-and-keep-smaller-birds-away-what-can-i-do/
- ↑ https://wildlife-damage-management.extension.org/blackbirds/
- ↑ https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g9447
- ↑ https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g9447
- ↑ https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/my-feeders-are-being-overrun-with-starlings-and-blackbirds-that-eat-all-the-food-and-keep-smaller-birds-away-what-can-i-do/
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