Seed behind a cage
Duncraft Squirrel Proof Selective Bird Feeder
Six ports inside a wire mesh cage that small birds slip through and big birds cannot; holds 1½ lb.
Grackles and starlings at the feeder
Grackles, starlings and blackbirds arrive in flocks and empty open trays and big hoppers fast. Switch to feeders they find hard to use, such as a tube with short perches, a cage with 1½ in openings like the Duncraft Squirrel Proof Selective, or a suet feeder open only from below, and leave cracked corn and mixes off the trays while the flock is around.
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Suet starlings struggle with
Birds Choice Upside-Down Suet Feeder for Two Cakes
The cakes face down, so woodpeckers and nuthatches cling underneath and starlings have a hard time.
A hopper too small for grackles
Birds Choice Small Hopper Bird Feeder
About 1.5 lb of seed behind a narrow ledge; FeederWatch notes small hoppers keep grackles from perching comfortably.
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Aspects · Seed feeder
Quick-Clean Seed Tube, Medium #424
- Holds 1.25 qt
- Comes apart to clean
A metal-capped sunflower tube whose base comes off to wash it.
Keep in mind: It has no squirrel guard; hang it on a baffled pole or away from jump-off points.
Brome · Seed feeder
Squirrel Buster Standard
- Holds 1.3 lb
- Squirrel-resistant
- Comes apart to clean
A compact squirrel-resistant tube, 1.3 lb and 13 in tall, with a spring you can set for heavier birds.
Keep in mind: It needs 18 inches of clear space all round so a squirrel has to climb on to reach it.
Birds Choice · Mealworm feeder
Bluebird Feeder
- Holds 3 oz
Mealworms for bluebirds behind 1.5 in side holes that bigger birds cannot use.
Keep in mind: Holds one 3 oz cup: put out a small daily amount rather than a store.
Kingsyard · Platform feeder
Squirrel-Proof Caged Platform Feeder
- Holds 2.5 lb
- Squirrel-resistant
Small birds reach the seed through 1.5 in cage openings; squirrels and big birds stay outside.
Keep in mind: The cage keeps out cardinals and jays too; give them a separate tray.
Kingsyard · Seed feeder
Squirrel-Proof Large Capacity Feeder House
- Holds 5 lb
- Squirrel-resistant
Holds 5 lb of mixed seed and closes its ports under a squirrel’s weight.
Keep in mind: The spring also closes under large birds, so jays and grackles may be shut out.
Duncraft · Suet feeder
Eco-Strong Double Upside Down Suet Feeder
- Two suet cakes
Suet only clinging birds reach from below, which starlings dislike.
Keep in mind: Suet softens in summer heat; use no-melt cakes or stop in hot weather.
Birds Choice · Suet feeder
Squirrel Proof Double Suet Feeder with 13 in Wire Cage
- Two suet cakes
- Squirrel-resistant
Suet that squirrels, grackles and starlings cannot reach, inside a wire cage.
Keep in mind: Larger suet eaters, such as Pileated Woodpeckers, cannot get through 1⅜ in openings either.
Duncraft · Feeder cage
Create a Haven Cage
Turning a tube feeder you already own into a caged one.
Keep in mind: It fits flat-top tube feeders up to 18 in tall, and the feeder is not included.
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Nature's Way · Seed feeder
Squirrel Shield Advantage Cage Feeder
- Holds 3.2 qt
- Squirrel-resistant
- Comes apart to clean
Two defenses in one feeder where squirrels raid: a cage, and a shield that drops over the ports under a squirrel’s weight.
Keep in mind: Nature’s Way does not give the size of the cage openings, so check that the birds you want can get in.
Why they take over
Common grackles, European starlings and red-winged blackbirds feed in flocks, and a flock can clear an open tray or a large hopper in minutes and push smaller birds aside. Grackles eat almost everything offered, from sunflower and cracked corn to millet, peanuts and suet, according to Project FeederWatch, and they feed most comfortably on the ground, on platforms and at large hoppers. Grackles and blackbirds are native birds: the aim is to make the feeder harder for them, not to harm them.
Feeders that favor small birds
Project FeederWatch notes that tube feeders with short perches suit finches and small birds but exclude larger birds such as grackles and jays, and that a small hopper keeps grackles from perching comfortably. A cage does the same with a barrier: Birds Choice’s 1⅜ in openings keep grackles and starlings out. Some weight-sensitive feeders close under a heavy bird: Kingsyard’s squirrel-proof house shuts when a squirrel or a large bird lands, and Brome says that adjusting the spring on its adjustable Squirrel Busters can help, though it promises nothing against nuisance birds.
Suet without starlings
Starlings love suet. A holder that is open only underneath, such as the Birds Choice or Duncraft upside-down suet feeders, lets woodpeckers, nuthatches and chickadees cling and feed while starlings struggle; FeederWatch notes that such cages tend to be starling-resistant. A suet feeder inside a wire cage, like the Birds Choice WC13, keeps grackles out too.
References
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| Feeder Types ↗ |
| Common Feeder Birds ↗ |
| Squirrel Buster Plus product support ↗ |