Books have been written on this subject. Perhaps you live in an area with no natural cover, and the only birds that can live there are house sparrows. But assuming that this is not the case, and you know there are some species like titmice, chickadees, goldfinches, etc. in the neighborhood, I would stop feeding birds for a couple of weeks. Let the sparrows disperse a bit. Then start with a hanging tubular feeder full of oil sunflower. That should feed the chickadees, nuthatches, house finches. House sparrows will hang around looking for scraps, but hopefully not by fifties and hundreds. Scatter some mixed seed on the ground, very sparingly. Include some sunflower for the cardinals and blue jays, they will feed on the ground, but probably not out of the tube feeder. Use up whatever mixed seed you have, for ground feeding, but when you buy more don't go for the cheapest crap. It will be mostly milo and cracked corn, nothing eats those but mourning doves, house sparrows, grackles, and chickens. Maybe wild turkeys. You would like some millet in there for the white-throats and juncos. Sure, house sparrows will come to any seed on the ground. That's why I said scatter it sparingly. And maybe in a couple of places. If you like goldfinches, you might want to spring for some niger (Nyjer) seed and a special feeder for it. That stuff is expensive but it does not get wasted, nobody eats it but goldfinches and house finches. Keep in mind that there are only about fifteen species of birds that regularly visit bird feeders in the Northeast. Go on line to Cornell Lab of Onithology and look to see what is coming to their feeders, they have a live cam on them.

Really? I would like to know about a book on stopping sparrows. Since I posted this question I got a tubular feeder and filled it with black oil sunflower seeds and the sparrows were just as happy as with the seed mix. They cleared the feeder in less than 2 days. I did not think to stop feeding altogether but I may do that now. I also put out nyjer seed in a finch feeder and the sparrows ate that too. I brought that back inside this morning. I put out suet and the sparrows ate that, but they didn't like it as much as the seeds and part of the cake still remains. I really don't think there is anything they won't eat, which is why they are so successful as an invasive species.

I have seen mealworm feeders at the grocery store that I am wondering if I should try.

An article I came across suggested safflower, but I doubt that would make a difference. They also suggested nut and fruit feed, which I may try, but the ones I have seen have a lot of seeds mixed in, which I know the sparrows love, so I don't know if that would be any good.

Here is the article I read about controlling sparrows

http://birding.about.com/od/attractingbirds/a/discouragesparrows.htm

I Know we have many other kinds of birds in my neighborhood. I have seen them in my yard, just not as often as I would like.

I hope by now you have learned the difference between the "house sparrow" and all the many varieties of our native sparrows.

Stop feeding anything for a while and make a lot of noise to chase the flock away till they finally find another place. It may take vigilance. That works for me with large flocks. But I live in the forest which might make a difference.

I do have one pair of fox sparrows but they are pretty and get along with other birds at the feeders.

Good luck. They are a problem in large numbers.

Wow. I just posted about this issue and then I found this forum with your entry. I have the same problem and am feeling rather discouraged about feeding the birds at all. Just know I sympathize.