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Starling resistant suet feeders

17 years ago

Has anyone with a Starling problem tried one of those suet feeders with the cage around it that allows only the smaller birds in? There's no way I can put suet out anymore without it being devoured in a day or two by Starlings who scare all the other firds away. The ads say these and the upside down suet feeders work, but I am skeptical. I am very interested in what your experiences have been. Darn pesky varmits!

Featured Answer

Pat Z5or6 SEMich

10 years ago

last modified: 10 years ago

Who am I trying to decide which birds to feed? I gave up. I want to feed them all. They all eat bugs. A bird is a bird. I love them.

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Comments (12)

renee_2006
17 years ago
I had an upside down suet feeder and several Starlings learned to hang from it for several seconds at a time. I gave up on that. If there is a far enough distance between the suet and the cage so that the Starlings can't stretch to reach the suet then it will work.

I had my dh build me a very large hanging feeder with with 1 1/2" wire sides openings to keep out larger birds so I could put out several different food items for "good" birds. This will be the third year it has been in use and so far the Grackels and Starlings have been defeated.
cindyinatl
Original Author
17 years ago
Renee, you're lucky your hubby is handy. That sounds like a great solution! How far from the food source is the outer wire? I'm not sure how to determine how far the startlings could reach.
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I hung a bird suet inside a metal cage that fits perfectly around with the suet itself from a garden hook pole. It was only approx 4 ft off the ground and I suspect a damn raccoon just yanked it down and broke the cage attached thin metal wire with a hook. I dont think he will get that cage open whereever he disapperared with it. That cage door is a tight fit door on it. It has pissed me off, the cage and suet not expensive- its just that he got away with it all. I have thought about doing same again only lacing the suet and especially the cage with rat poisoning, I prob wont because I dont want other animals to come along perhaps after he drops it again somewhere and they try it and it hurts or kills them too. My squirrels in tree right next to this suet pole and I put sunflower seed for them at base of tree...raccoon does not seem to bother that. May try to rub some red pepper seasoning into suet and somehow make a sauce with it and line outside of cage....that or sit up late night and try to shoot the sob. Wonder where I can buy that in above post Habenero spray at ??....any ideas?
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Common Grackles and other grackles are natives and they have their fans. I happen to like them myself - they eat caterpillars that defoliate trees. I'm happy to give them suet if they'll stay around long enough to slurp up the winter moth and other caterpillars that are a curse in my region. Claire
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We switched to feeding safflower, thistle and upside down suet feeders along with fruit, jelly and nectar, after our first year living in the country. We moved from the city to a rural area in Wisconsin and decided to put nest boxes out for bluebirds and wrens, our first year we had mostly HS but we also had one set of bluebirds and one set of tree swallows. Before the little ones had a chance to fledge the HS killed them and nested on top of them, we were sick over this. I removed all the nest boxes and started researching on how to keep the non-native and rough birds away. The switch to the foods we place out on our property was the biggest part of not attracting the non-natives and rougher birds. When the HS try to take over the nest boxes in the spring I shoot them, it is the best way to keep them out of the box, plus it gets rid of another non-native invasive bird. I tried removing their nests at first but they are persistent and do not give up until you get rid of them. We now get one or two nesting pair of bluebirds and usually four to five nesting pair of tree swallows and a pair of nesting wrens(all have fledged within the last week and a half) the few starlings that come in the yard to feed on bugs in the grass do not stick around long ( they get shot as well). This is not intended to offend any bird lovers ( we are bird lovers at our house ) it is only to tell how we deal with the invasive non-native birds that are taking over the territory of our native song birds.
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bbcathy
17 years ago
I have the upside down kind because I have Hairy and Red Bellied Woodpeckers who can't fit through the 1 1/2" holes. Every once in a while a starling will fly up and maybe steal a piece of suet that is hanging in the late winter when there is no food but around that is all. Once food is plentiful again they don't even look at it.
Cathy
ron45715
17 years ago
I've used such a feeder for the last two years. It does keep the Starlings out,...and the downies,chickadees,titmouse, etc...just love it. I do miss my redbellies however.
builder24car
17 years ago
Is there any way you can post a pic or give details on that feeder that your hubby built Renee? That sounds interesting? :)
laylaa
17 years ago
Lucky for me starlings are only an occasional problem in my yard. Hordes fly in, stay a week or so and vanish. When they come I use a recycled recycled plastic upside-down feeder like this:

{{!gwi}}

(from Suet Bird Feeders) I am loving the recycled plastic over wood, it's so easy to clean and you can even use bleach against mold. Don't think I haven't done a load of bird feeders in my dishwasher. BUT it's not perfectly starling proof - one starling will always figure it out. As an alternative I have a ground table feeder for starlings like this one:

{{!gwi}}

from Ground Table Bird Feeders. I use super cheap chicken feed cracked corn (was about $6 for a 50lb bag) and a super cheap millet/milo seed blend ($6 a 25lb bah) that I buy at a local feed store. The ground feeder is a lot easier for the starlings to use, plus they seem to prefer the corn food, so it at least keeps them busy and out of my other bird feeders to a great extent. They don't go through my pricey seed as fast. I've found offering starlings and grackle sort of birds alternative food works pretty well since they are going to be there no matter what I do. Jays also like the ground table.
lydia1959
17 years ago
I have the exact feeder that Laylaa has. The starlings have learned to hang from it. The squirrels love it too (which is why I am here at this forum... searching for a solution. :-) I don't want to do anything that prevents larger birds from eating.. since I have Pileateds that visit frequently.
charrison2015
10 years ago
I put a regular small suet cage with suet in it INSIDE THIS $9.00 SUET SAVER feeder, so double cage to keep starlings from so easily taking chunks...Minutes after install a beautiful Red Belly was enjoying the feeder and then I watched 2 starlings try unsuccessfully to take big bites. Hopeful....
Pat Z5or6 SEMich
10 years ago
I'm not understanding this concept, char. Does this only leave the bottom portion of the suet exposed? And if so, why wouldn't the starlings be able to get to it?
charrison2015
10 years ago
when this regular small suet holder

was placed inside the larger upside down feeder pictured earlier,

starlings couldn't grab BIG chunks and knock other BIG chunks to the ground, so the suet has lasted much longer, and the Red Belly can still participate. YAY
wcjo
10 years ago
We had huge flocks of starlings who would clean out suet within minutes. Home Depot or Lowes sells wire mesh (about 1/4 inch holes) that I cut in one piece the width & length of my suet feeders (which are the wood style). I slipped the mesh inside the feeder and then just drop the suet cake(s) in. We have families of Pileated along with other small to large woodpeckers who are fine with the setup but the starlings get tired of trying to get the suet out and it didn't take long for them to leave. It's the only thing that worked for me. Caution, be careful cutting the wire mesh, the edges are sharp.

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