Sparrow trap

[WVBill]

<font color=blue>"occasionally starlings and grackles"</font color=blue>

I WISH we had starlings and grackles only occasionally. We get gangs of them and they hang around the feeders all day so that none of the other birds can get in. We tried to use the feeders that have the 2" cage openings around them to try to keep these hogs out but then most of the cardinals, woodpeckers and bluejays couldn't feed so we put a couple of the old feeders back out.
We feed black oil sunflower seed and niger/thistle seed exclusively except for the two woodpecker feeders where we use sunflower chips.

 

[RFischer]

Marty - try this site. They have some real good value traps. http://www.purplemartin.org/

 

[beenthere]

Try the safflower instead of the sunflower, and you will not have the grackels and starlings (they leave the area) nor the blue jays (they stay around but don't eat safflower seed). When switching from the sunflower to the safflower, there is a period of time for the birds to get used to the switch. At first it seems like they just won't eat it, but soon they will be chowing it down like there is no tomorrow.

 

[gmason]

Better yet attack the source, their breading/nesting areas. I used to get them in my Bluebird boxes. I built a fake Bluebird box with a trap door, so that when I found a sparrow nest I would switch the boxes and in a few hours go back and have me a sparrow. Then, so long sparrow. I would catch the mate usually also the second time. Gone.

Flying squirrels and chickadees got to stay, just no toleration for the sparrows.
gary