house finches perch to eat. so if you stop them with hanging cages or upside down feeders you also stop the other birds that perch to eat. What i would suggest is to put up a suet cage or a molded seed bell or a woodpecker block hanging free and the chickadees and nuthatches and woodpeckers will hang on to eat and can climb around on the block or cage ect. and have a seperate feeder for the perching birds with either perches on it or a platform around it so they can land and perch to eat Up side down feeders are with a wooden frame on top and the sides with a screen or cage bottom that the nut hatches and chidkadees and woodpeckers can hang on the bottom side to feed.

It's hard to pick and choose the birds you want to feed because they adapt if they want the food.

You don't like the House Finches Jay? I think that they are real sweet. Now, House Sparrows are another matter entirely. Don't see how you can discourage them other than perhaps putting out only suet. My Chickadees love suet, but the House Finches don't touch it.

House finches are native to the US southwest. They were caught and shipped to New York in 1940. It was illegal, and when an investigation began, pet stores panicked and released the birds, which led to the finches over breeding and spreading all over the US. They are pushing other birds out of native migratory feeding and breeding areas, along with all year bird residents, and can quickly become a messy nuisance for backyard birding enthusiasts. There is not much they can't and won't eat, from seeds and nuts to bugs and dried fruit, so changing the food won't work. Upside down perch feeders are suggested. I haven't tried that yet. For now, I have removed my feeders for a few days (I also have starlings and grackles and that has worked before), and am hoping they might move on to "greener pastures".