If you are being plagued with small flocks of brown-headed cowbirds visiting your feeders lately, you are probably wondering if there is any way to discourage these voracious birds from eating the lion’s share of the food you have been putting out for cardinals, chickadees, purple finches, dark-eyed juncos and the like.
Georgians do not usually have a problem with feeding brown-headed cowbirds. Throughout the winter, if they show up at all, only one or two birds will make an occasional appearance. However, all of this changes from late winter into spring. At that time of year, it is not unusual to look out into your yard and see flocks ranging from five or six upwards of 20 or more. When they arrive, they can gobble of the majority of the seeds available in your feeding area in no time at all. When you consider the average a seed eating bird often consumes ¼-½ of its weight in food each day, a flock of hungry cowbirds can consume at lot of food at your feeders.
Although there is no foolproof way to solve this problem, here are some suggestions that might help.
Sometimes, if you simply cease offering seeds for a week or so, cowbird flocks will move on. Oftentimes folks don’t want to take such drastic action because they want to continue feeding their backyard favorites.
If such is the case with you, eliminate providing the seeds that cowbirds like. This means stop offering foods such as millet, mixed seed, sunflower seeds, and cracked corn for a week or so.
It also helps if the cease spreading seeds on the ground, and using platform feeders, and feeding tables. You might also try switching to tube feeders. Cowbirds are not particularly fond of dining at tube feeders, especially those equipped with short perches. Another alternative is to use feeders protected by a wire cage that allow only small birds to feed.
Another approach is to put out foods that cowbirds tend to avoid. For example, if you have never fed safflower seeds, this might be a good time to do so. Although cowbirds shy away from them Carolina chickadees, tufted titmice, cardinals, and finches eat them. In addition, they are not a gray squirrel favorite either.
Let me know if any of these remedies work. In addition, if you have discovered another solution to the cowbird dilemma, let me know.
8 thoughts on “DISCOURAGING COWBIRDS FROM VISITING FEEDERS”
I switched to all safflower seeds in my feeders. The brown headed cowbirds do come to investigate, spread a few seeds on the ground, then give up and leave.
If you are still able to attract your regular feeder visitors, the safflower seeds seem to be a great solution to the cowbird problem. Thanks for sharing it.
Thank you for the info. I am going to try this. The cowbirds were all over my feeder and backyard. It was a little creepy at how many there were. LOL I brought the feeder in but then all my little birds kept coming back looking for it. I felt so bad……
I am sorry that safflower only kept cowbirds from you feeder for two weeks. This appears to be another example of birds eating foods that they are not particularly fond of when foods that prefer. Based on my experience, milo is not a preferred food at my house, however, friends in Texas report the birds love it in their backyard. Obviously, there is a lot we do not know about birds. If you find something that is a far better deterrent to cowbirds, please let me know.
Thanks for reporting your experience.
I switched to all safflower seeds in my feeders. The brown headed cowbirds do come to investigate, spread a few seeds on the ground, then give up and leave.
If you are still able to attract your regular feeder visitors, the safflower seeds seem to be a great solution to the cowbird problem. Thanks for sharing it.
Terry
Thank you for the info. I am going to try this. The cowbirds were all over my feeder and backyard. It was a little creepy at how many there were. LOL I brought the feeder in but then all my little birds kept coming back looking for it. I felt so bad……
Cowbird use of feeders is a major grievance among those of us that feed birds. As you know there is no easy answer to the problem.
Switched to the safflower. Worked for about 2 weeks, cowbirds have come back on full force 😔
Steffi,
I am sorry that safflower only kept cowbirds from you feeder for two weeks. This appears to be another example of birds eating foods that they are not particularly fond of when foods that prefer. Based on my experience, milo is not a preferred food at my house, however, friends in Texas report the birds love it in their backyard. Obviously, there is a lot we do not know about birds. If you find something that is a far better deterrent to cowbirds, please let me know.
Thanks for reporting your experience.
Thanks for your reply. Haven’t seen a cowbird for about 5 days now so hopefully they have moved on!
Great. They have moved on from our home too.