Starlings

[paddywak]

I doubt that there is away, but is it possible to discourage starlings from scaring all the other birds away from our, buts bird table? We had just got a nice selection of birds using the table when these starlings arrived and took over. You never see one untill another bird arrives then they come, clear the bird off then they too disappear as if they dont want the food but dont want any other bird to have it

[redman41]

The best way of addressing the issue of Starlings, Pigeons etc visiting your Bird Table is to not put loose Food on the table itself. Hang suitable wiremesh Bird Food containers filled with Nuts and Fat Balls which the smaller Birds can access and therefore make it more difficult for the Scavengers to gain access to the food.
Put a Bowl of water on the Table itself but leave it free of food.

[paddywak]

I think thats what I'll have to start doing redman, and just put some loose feed down at the other end of the garden to attract the thugs. thanks for replying

[Robinia]

oh the starlings here have worked that one out redman...one of them drills the fatball with what seems to be a pneumatic beak, it breaks up & falls to the ground & they all devour it in seconds! :o)

[paddywak]

this lot also seems to work together, you might only see one in the distance but as soon as you put something out the whole mob, about 10-15, appear and chase off any smaller birds then scoff the lot

[fredpuli47]

You can reduce the problem, by the means suggested above, but you may not solve it altogether. We don't get starlings. No, we get rooks ! You'd never think that a rook would bother with a wire mesh feeder but ours do.It's pure mischief, because there's usually food thrown out,on the ground, for them.One gets on the feeder and attacks it, thereby shaking and swinging it enough that part of the contents falls out. Its pal, standing underneath, then eats the fallen supply! LOL Our jackdaws make a similar effort. I've not worked out whether the pairs take turns or whether the shaker gets anything directly, but, given recent research on rook intelligence, it wouldn't be surprising if they do work as a team.