Identifying black birds

16 years ago

During the winter season, I had a large population of brown birds. It took me months to tell them apart. It turned out to be different species of sparrows.

Now winter is nearly over and I notice that the birds coming to the feeder are all black. The red wing blackbirds are distinctive enough. The bigger birds with a shiny greenish tint is probably grackles. The stubby looking birds are probably starlings. Can anyone name additional black birds that may be around Chicago area?

Thanks.

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Comments (5)

rachel_frome_ky
16 years ago
Yikes! Sounds like you're feeding flocks of invasive European Starlings and greedy Common Grackles, probably parasitizing Brown-headed Cowbirds..all of which compete with and/or kill songbirds and their nestlings. But perhaps where you live there aren't any other kinds of birds.

You could switch to Nyger and thistle tube feeders or take down your feeders until they move on. Feeding cracked corn, human food scraps, cheap "wildbird seed," on the ground or in tray feeders can quickly attract vermin of all kinds-bird or rodent-which could flood the neighborhood, preventing your neighbors from attracting native song birds to their feeders.

Some bird books categorize by color to make it easy for beginners to find the right bird. Here's one on Amazon, but there are many others. You can click on the "used" link to get the book for almost nothing

http://www.amazon.com/Stokes-Beginners-Guide-Birds-Eastern/dp/0316818119
paulsiu
Original Author
16 years ago
Hi,

Most of the black birds are the red wing variety. There's usually only 1-2 Grackles, and the starlings are for some reason fairly spooky. Last year, they rarely came to the feeder and mostly consume berry from the trees in the backyard. I have yet to see a brown headed cowbirds which I assume has a brown head :-).

I used ot get a lot of house sparrows, but they have thankfully left me for unknown reasons.

I only use black oil sunflower seeds and nyjer seeds. I do need to clean up the area underneath the feeder. The shell tend to make a huge mess. I am thinking about installing a seed tray.

Paul
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paulsiu
Original Author
16 years ago
It appears that I only have 3 species of black bird. The majority are red wing blackbirds. The second set are the common grackles. The third sets are starlings.

The starlings have mysterious disappeared. I am not complaining. In the past, I notice they are very easily spooked and do not come to the feeder.

The red wing comes to visit the feeder a quite deal. The number of grackles are on the rise, but I notice they have trouble with the feeder's roof. Even if I have 10 grackles, only a maximum of 3 can feed at one time if they can get on the feeder.
rachel_frome_ky
16 years ago
Wow..hard to see how Grackles are getting the Nyger and BOSS if you are feeding in tray-less tube feeders. They quickly gobble anything people put out, then are well known to follow songbirds nesting in the yard, gobbling down the nestlings as well.
I never encourage them in any way, bringing in feeders even if flocks of House Finches show up, until they move on.
paulsiu
Original Author
16 years ago
Actually, they don't seem too interested in the nyjer seeds at all even though it's sitting out in the open. A few sample it and then move on. It was put out as seeds for the american tree sparrows and junco's, but junco's have left so the recent visitors have been mourning doves. Even though I only put a little out, there's usually some left at the end of the day.

The current BOSS feeder isn't really a tube but is a platform with a roof. Most of gracle can't get in because of the roof. I think it's because it's low and they barely fit. The platform is also small enough that at most 3 grackle will fit. If I had a tube feeder, I am sure they'll gobble everything up as a flock. The red wings are smaller and can get into it except for the really big red wings. Cardinals have no problems at all.

There are fewer of them this week, I wonder if they are just migrating through.

Paul