One of the first questions of any avid bird watcher is, “How do I attract and feed the “good” birds (Cardinals, Finches, and Clingers) while keeping away the “bad” (Grackles, Blackbirds) and especially the “ugly” (Starlings, Sparrows)?” While it’s almost impossible to totally eliminate a sighting of the “bad” or “ugly” in your back yard, there are a few good defense tactics out there to keep the unwanted visitors away. The tactics involve choosing the right type of seed to feed, using the right type of feeders, as well as other preventative methods.

Choose the right bird food

The first, simple way to attract good birds and discourage the bad and the ugly is by choosing the right type

Upside down suet feeder

of seed to feed. The two best types of seed known to discourage the bad and ugly birds are black oil sunflower and, my personal favorite, safflower. While neither is a 100 percent solution, both are loved by most songbirds and are at the bottom of the dining list for the bad and ugly. Another feeding solution is to stop feeding seeds that contain miller, milo, or cracked corn. The bad and the ugly birds love to pick through and eat it from the seed mixes and most songbirds won’t even eat it at all. If you already are a mixed seed feeder, no problem, the simple solution is to use bird feeders designed for songbirds and to fight the bad and the ugly. Also, try eliminating all ground feeding as it is a favorite hangout spot for the bad and ugly to eat.

Choose the right bird feeder

Clingers Only Feeder

Another effective way to attract good birds while discouraging the bad and the ugly is by using the right type of bird feeder. There are many feeders out there designed specifically for songbirds, but these are a few of my favorites. I, myself, am a big Chickadee and Titmouse fan. One of my favorite feeders, which they seem to love, is the Clinger Only Feeder. I like it because it is small, easy to fill, and has a small clinging area which not only make it Blackbird proof, but is also rarely can be used by Sparrows. If you are a Woodpecker or Nuthatch lover, try using an upside-down suet feeder. Suet is one of the main foods that attract your larger bad and ugly birds, but neither like to hand upside down, so they simply won’t eat from it. A good one to use is the Songbird Essentials upside-down suet feeder. It is made from recycled plastic so it is good for the environment. It also is very durable and come with a lifetime warranty. If your backyard is already set with feeders, try shortening the perches on your tube feeders. Smaller birds will still be able to cling, but larger birds will not.

When all else fails

The last effective way to get rid of the ugly birds is to use prevention methods involving the elimination of all together. Some might consider this inhumane,

Sparrow Trapthem

but it is necessary to help secure the safety of our native birds’ futures. For example, the growth of the non-native English Starling has had a huge negative impact on birds like the migratory Purple Martin. When Purple Martins are away from their nests, Starling will go in and invade the nest and destroy any eggs or young they find inside. Starlings have also been known to trap and kill an adult Martin if it is in its cavity. Another example of the destruction non-native bird species have caused is the Bluebird decline caused by House Sparrows. House Sparrows not only destroy the Bluebird’s eggs, they also kill the adult and young birds by attacking them inside their next boxes with their hooked beaks. One way to eliminate them is what I like to call “the old-fashioned way”, and that is just using a pellet gun. Before going with this approach, make sure you are very careful of your back stop, as well as having the gun set to the appropriate power. You also should have a pair of binoculars on hand, to make sure you properly ID the bird before you shoot. The “ugly” birds are considered pests and are legal to kill, the “bad” birds I mentioned before are still native so they are illegal to kill. If the old-fashion way isn’t for you, try using a sparrow trap around one of your bird houses, or in close proximity to some of your feeders. Inside of the trap you will need to place bread or scrap to attract Starling and Sparrows. You will need to check the trap regularly, as songbirds occasionally get attracted and trapped inside too. A good, effective trap to have is the Sparrow trap from Songbird Essentials. I would consider this a must have for anyone who has a Purple Martin house and wants to effectively proven the Purple Martin colony from being negatively affected by non-native birds. Although nothing is a total fix for preventing the bad and ugly birds from hanging around your backyard, the tips above have seen and used effectively as tools for keeping the bad and ugly away from backyards.

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Male & Female Bushtits - Derric Batchburn Photo

They are easy to identify so I learned about them early on.  When Bob and I are out walking, I can hear the bushtits chirping merrily in their soft, high pitched continuous calls.  In the bushes of native settings, they are feeding on soft-bodied insets and small spiders.

Feeding on insets and spiders make them welcome guests to my yard!  They will love your suet, too.

Bushtits are easy to see as they flock to the bushes and around the neighborhood.   Just

Bushtits on Suet Feeder - Scott Catron Photo

4 ½ inches long with a third of that  tail, medium  gray above and light gray below.  Because of their communal behavior, they get my attention quickly as they come to my suet feeders in large quantities, 10, 20 or more at a time.  Their quick movements are charming as well.

Further study has revealed that bushtits are one of the most communal of all North American birds.  Even the unmated males and females contribute to the success of other nesting pairs.

When one bushtit spots a food source, like a suet feeder, it will immediately begin calling to others and shortly, the feeder can have many chirping bushtits.  It only takes an alarm call from one bird, given at the first sign of danger, to send them all fluttering off in various directions until the coast is clear.

Male Bushtit - Photo by Derrick Dutchburn

Staying in flocks is helping each other find food and keeps them safer from predators.   Even the act of scattering in many directions when one sounds an alarm is a technique of safety:  the predator can be momentarily confused about which one to follow and that moment can save a bushtits life.

Get acquainted with these charming birds!  They are common in many woodlands.

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Robin

Until recently I would have said no – except for perhaps mentioning that Robins will occasionally come to a fruit feeder with an apple or grapes on it. But, several Robins in our yard are “really” taking a liking to the Hiatt Stake Feeders I fill with live mealworms for the Bluebirds. Note with the nesting season now in full bloom, now is a great time to offer mealworms to Bluebirds. I like the stake feeders as I can place them where I can best view the birds feeding from them.

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American Goldfinch

You can enjoy bright yellow goldfinches’ by putting out fresh nyjer thistle.  Finches like to feed in flocks, so have plenty of feeder space available for them. I have a friend who tells me that almost every time he looks out, nearly all 24 feeding slots on his Finches Favorite 3 Tube Copper Bird Feeder are full of Goldfinches.  The same is true for my 36” Yellow Spiral Finch Tube Feeder. Another less expensive way to feed more Finches while they’re brightly colored is to put out several of our inexpensive Songbird Essentials thistle socks. Go for the Gold “Finches” and enjoy the show.

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Photo by Uttar Pradesh

the Caribbean and Central and South America. IMBD celebrates and brings attention to one of the most important events in North and South America – bird migration.

IMBD was begun by the staff of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. The first event was held at the National Zoo in Washington, DC in 1993. The aviary experts at the Smithsonian figured they would bring attention to the plight of migratory birds and give the public the opportunity to learn about migratory species, the threats facing them and ways to help in their conservation.

Events to celebrate migratory birds are held thought out the United States and Canada during the month of May. To find an event near you, check out the interactive map at BirdDay.org. According to the BirdLifeInternational, nearly 200 species of birds are currently considered critically endangered. Nearly 80% of migratory birds species are affected by by two key pressures: Agriculture, which can result in habitat destruction, and biological resource use, the umbrella under which falls threats like deforestation and environmentally unsustainable hunting practices.  You can learn more at Birdday.org.

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By Bernice Maddux

Spring arrives on hummingbird wings;

Of this I have no doubt,

When they arrive, I know it’s time

To put sweet nectar out.

I realize they’ve traveled far

To spend six months with me.

So I will do my very best

To make their visit worry-free.

I’ll cultivate sweet blossoms,

Filling beds and pots with red.

They will supervise the job

As they buzz high above my head.

They ask so little, give so much,

Adding sweetness to my days.

Half a year is not enough

To behold all their winning ways.

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I have hung bird houses made of straw, grass, recycled material,

Flower Top Bird House

functional wood designs, and even ornamental.

Starlings chose to raise a family in the eave which was protected by a fairly large evergreen.  They never returned.

A sparrow had a nest in the laurel hedge which I discovered when I trimmed the hedge, exposing the nest with two babies, which the Ferrell cat found soon after.  I felt so bad!

A pair of house finches started a nest in ornamental bird house by my back door, laid two eggs, and then abandoned the nest.

Mini Wren Bird House

A second pair of house finches started to build a nest in a house I had hung from a tree branch but again they abandoned the process.

I am learning the reasons for my failures and would welcome any ones input!

1. My yard is small and I am outside a lot on my days off.  They start a nest while I am at work, stay with the process a couple of weeks, and then determine my presence is too disruptive.
2. There are natural settings of trees and shrubs in the deep gully and swamp in my back yard, so there are safer more distant settings available.  Now I have moved my bird houses into those tees and let’s see what happens this year and next spring!
3. Because I have such a wide variety of birds coming to my feeders, my small yard is far too busy for birds to attempt to raise a family.  Nesting birds need space!  They do not want to fight off other birds from their nest.
4. If I have a nesting family in my yard, I have to stop feeding the other birds until the fledglings are on their own.  Since only 80% of baby birds survive, it is well worth supporting the nesters!
5. I keep my two cats indoors, but my neighbor allows his cat out and is happy when it has killed a bird!  My pleadings have not changed his attitude or actions.  There are some other Ferrell cats in my neighborhood, which seem to be diminishing in number.

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Western Columbine

Columbines (Aguilegia spp) are a great plant to grow for their intricately shaped flowers, good color ranges, frilly fern like leaves, and some have a long bloom period.  They are perennial and will reseed easily.  Columbines rely on hummingbirds to pollinate them so there is a good symbiotic relationship.

The nectar is secreted in the long tube of the flower and collects in a bulge at the base, making it the ideal source for humming birds.  Plant them en masse for extra effect along walk ways and patios.

You can find them in seed catalogs and as plants at high quality nurseries in the early spring.  I like to get starts and seeds from friends.

There are seed catalogs that focus on native plants which contribute to their hardiness and accessibility by hummers.   Four to experiment with are:

1. Aquilegia Canadensis, Canada or wild red columbine.  Native from Manitoba and Saskatchewan to Ontario and
   

   Canada Columbine

   Quebec south through much of the eastern United States.  The flowers are red and lemon yellow in midspring to midsummer.  Plants grow two feet tall and one foot wide.  Wild red columbine is also a larval food plant for the columbine dusky wing butterfly.

2. 

   Rocky Mtn Cloumbine

   Aquilegia carulea, Rocky Mountain columbine. Erect blooms are bicolor in lovely shades of blue and white.  Plants grow 1 to 2 feet tall and bloom from June to August.  This is the state flower for Colorado and includes the mountains of southwestern Montana and central Idaho to northern New Mexico and Arizona.

3. Aguilegia chrysantha or golden or yellow columbine. The horizontal-facing canary
   

   Yellow Columbine

   yellow flowers look like little rockets.   They have a long bloom from April to September making them especially appealing.  Plants grow 2 to 3 feet tall with a nearly equal spread.  They grow in mountain canyon seeps in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan desert regions, and are found from west Texas, southern New Mexico, southern Utah, and Arizona and Mexico.

4. 

   Western Columbine

   4. Aquilegia Formosa, western columbine.  Formosa means beautiful.  It reaches 1 ½ feet tall and bears dangling yellow and red blooms in late spring through early summer.  The spurs are only about ½ to ¾ inch long and point upright, making them ideal for hungry hummers.  They are found in meadows and damp areas of western mountains, the Pacific Northwest, and Alaska.

5. Aquilegia longissima, Long Spur Columbine, relies on the sphinx moths with their
   

   Long Spur Columbine

   extra long proboscises to effect pollination; hummer tongues are too short for them to successfully feed on this plant.  This species has particularly large flowers with spurs that are 4 to 6 inches long which makes them inaccessible to hummers.   They are native from west Texas to southern Arizona and northeastern Mexico.

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Bluebird with mealworms

Most years Bluebirds start to nest during late January and February in many area of the United States.  The winter weather this year in much of the country has been too cold and food sources too short to all the females Bluebirds to get into body condition to reproduce. If there has ever been a year to help the Bluebirds with supplement feeding, this is it!  One of the favorite things that Bluebirds

Mealworms Value Tub

love to eat is mealworms. Dried mealworms are a great convenient way to feed them to your feathered friends. They can be purchased in small packages or in a value tub, which is a good buy.

Hiatt Jelly & Mealworm Stake Feeders are a good way to feed Bluebirds the worms. You can move them around your lawn or garden so you can view the birds. Should you get eaten out of house and home, try the Songbird Essentials Recycled Plastic Mealworm Feeder. This feeder keeps out unwanted birds while offering a safe exit for excited Bluebirds.

Meal Worm Feeder

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The Eastern Bluebird is shaped like a robin slightly smaller and they often travel in small flocks. The male is bright blue with a reddish throat and chest and white belly. The female has similar yet muted color pattern. Juveniles are spotted with blue highlights. Listen for their gentle whistles and chatters. They primarily feed on insects and small fruits like berries, especially in winter. Look for them in farmlands, parks, open country, roadsides, urban areas, with some trees and the edges of forests and woodlands.

Once a mated pair decides on a location, the female builds the nest in four or five days with minimal help from the male. The female incubates as the male does not have a brood patch. The brood patch is a patch of featherless skin on the belly that is used to warm the eggs. The male will occasionally “sleep over” in the nest box with the females. The key to attracting bluebirds to nest is having plenty of nesting locations along with food and water. If your yard is heavily wooded you may not be able to get Bluebirds to nest because they tend to prefer open areas mixed with trees.  Since they naturally use tree cavities, a tree trunk is an ideal mounting place for a Bluebird house. We also have pole systems at www.GardenAccentHeaven.com for mounting bird houses. Place the bird house four to eight feet high near open areas and preferable with the pole facing south or east for sun exposure.  Offer perching spots near the Bluebird house where they can scan the landscape for food items.

GardenAccentHeaven has several Bluebird houses, but the Songbird Essentials Ultimate Nest Box is the “ultimate” option because of the following features:

• _· Brass hinged doors on both sides for easy cleaning. One side has plexiglas to monitor the nest without the danger of chicks falling out, great for the kids.
• _· Predator protector of solid copper to keep squirrels and woodpeckers from enlarging the hole.
• _· Elevated mesh floor to protect nestling from Blowflies.
• _· Zinc chromate plated screws provide a sturdy, longer –lasting house then on built with nails.
• _· Made of natural cedar to last for years and resist insect damage.

The ideal floor size for the box is 4” X 4” with a 1 ½” hole. If you have problems with predators or woodpeckers trying to enlarge the hole size, attach a Songbird Essentials SE617Metal Bluebird Portal Protector around the hole. Many other house options are also available.

-          Copper Roof – looks good and lasts longer

-          Recycled Composite Plastic – longest lasting option.

-          Screen Top Model – Houses Sparrows do not like it.

The female lays four to five light blue eggs that hatch in 13-15 days. The male catches insects to feed the nestlings a high protein diet for their rapidly developing bones and muscles. The young will fledge in 15-20 days, so avoid the temptation to spot on the nest two weeks after hatching so the nestling don’t panic and fledge before they are ready. For two weeks after fledging the parents continue to feed the young while they learn to fend for themselves.  Bluebirds will often re-nest and attempt to raise a second brood. These family units often stick together until the following spring.

Nest boxes are easy to maintain because they really only need to be cleaned twice a year. Clean in October after the breeding season because birds may use the box as a winter roost to get out of the wind and weather. Clean again in January to get ready for nesting.

If another species is persistent in using the nest box, like a Tree Swallow, you can put up another Bluebird house right next to it. Swallows will not tolerate another swallow nesting nearby, but they will get along with Bluebirds establishing a neighboring nest. House Sparrows also like the Bluebird boxes. With the Songbird Essentials sparrow trap you can catch and relocate those pesky Sparrows.

Food and Water

The best way to attract and keep Bluebirds in the yard area is to offer food and water. Their preferred food item is high protein mealworms, and we have juicy ones that they absolutely love. If the live worms give you the heebie-jeebies, try the freeze-dried option. Bluebird Nuggets are another good option, which are chunks of suet and berries. Try planting berry bushes like American Bittersweet this spring to provide natural food for next winter.

Simple plates and trays will do for feeding, but non target species may rob the goodies before the Bluebirds get there. A more efficient approach to doling out your mealworm supply is a Bluebird Mealworm Feeder. These feeders have an entrance hole that birds must go thought to get the mealworms. Most birds are unwilling to enter enclosed spaces, but Bluebirds don’t mind so they end up being the primary mealworm beneficiaries. These feeders can be hung or pole mounted and also come in a very sturdy model made from recycled composite plastic. The Nova Mealworm Warmer keeps mealworms alive and wiggling, it plugs in like a Mealworm crock pot!  Try presenting the Mealworms in a variety of ways and locations to see what they like and to help the birds discover them.

Bluebirds often visit bird baths for drinking and bathing , especially heated units in the wintertime. Be sure to offer a perching spot near the bath where they can preen and dry off. Add a Water Wiggler, dripper or bubbler to the water to get their attention with the sound and movement of water. Moving water also means mosquitoes cannot breed!

Want to learn more? We have the Stokes Bluebird book, with in depth tips attracting Bluebirds, and a short Bluebird Book by Birdwatchers Digest. Also check out Birdman Mel’s video below.

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