It can be frustrating when grackles and other blackbirds wreak havoc on feeders, gobbling up enormous amounts of food and chasing away songbirds. Learn what to do.
How to Get Rid of Blackbirds and Grackles at Feeders
Updated on Oct. 16, 2024
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Solutions for Aggressive Birds
For those of us who feed birds, there’s nothing more frustrating than a flock of so-called bully birds descending on our backyard feeders. Not only do they eat the feeders clean in minutes, but their aggressive behavior also can discourage some of our favorite songbirds. That’s why how to get rid of grackles, blackbirds and starlings is one of the most common concerns among many Birds & Blooms readers.
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Bully birds include blackbirds, grackles, pigeons, European starlings and house sparrows. The last three are non-native species and are not protected by law. These hungry avian invaders are often attracted to a yard by the cheap wild birdseed mix or suet that’s made available on the ground or in easy-access feeders.
If you’re one of the people frustrated by the behavior of bully birds in your backyard, don’t give up the fight. Here’s what the experts had to say about the problem — and some solutions that will help you get rid of grackles, blackbirds and starlings, so you can continue feeding the birds you love.
Squirrels eating all your seed? Check out our picks for the best squirrel-proof bird feeders.
How to Get Rid of Grackles
Grackles are not just less picky eaters, they’re also some of the messiest.
Use Cage-Style Bird Feeders
Because virtually all bully birds are larger than more desirable birds, you can adapt your feeders to accommodate only smaller species. Place a wire cage around a feeder—use wire with openings too small for grackles to squeeze through but big enough to let in finches, chickadees, juncos and other small birds.
“Grackles come to my backyard feeders in large numbers. These intruders discourage my regular birds and eat all the sunflower seeds. Do you have any suggestions?” asks Lois Vander Waerdt of St. Louis, Missouri.
Birding experts Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman say, “It can be frustrating when large flocks of grackles and other blackbirds wreak havoc on feeders, gobbling up enormous amounts of food and chasing away other birds. Fortunately, in most areas, big flocks of blackbirds are likely to visit only a few times per year.
When the blackbird flocks show up, try using tube-style feeders that hang in the middle of a wire cage. Smaller birds can access the feeder, but larger ones, like grackles and starlings, can’t get through. This type of feeder will keep out blue jays, too, but you can entice them back when the blackbird flocks have moved on.”
Get one with the feeder portion located several inches inside the cage, so bullies can’t reach the seed with their long bills.
You can also try enclosing your feeders with large-mesh hardware cloth or chicken wire with openings big enough to allow smaller birds to pass through (a 2-inch opening should do). This will exclude the large birds and help you get rid of the grackles and blackbirds.
Choose Feeders Without Perches
Removing feeder perches (or shortening them) should discourage grackles; like many large birds, grackles can’t cling to feeders to eat.
“Common grackles consistently throw birdseed and empty my feeders. How can I deter them?” asks Stefanie Vanderbush of Waupun, Wisconsin.
Birding experts Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman write, “To deal with the big appetites and messy habits of grackles, the best approach is to switch to different styles of feeders. Hanging tube-style feeders with short perches will attract finches and other small birds, but grackles find them hard to use.”
Switch to a Different Type of Birdseed
Generally undesirable, non-native birds prefer cracked corn, millet, wheat and sunflower seeds. To get rid of grackles and blackbirds, supply food they won’t eat. If you do this, grackles, crows and blackbirds generally will look elsewhere for the foods they like.
Some backyard birders say grackles don’t like safflower seeds. A lot of nuisance birds tend to leave nyjer (thistle) alone, too.
Fill hanging tube feeders with only nyjer seed (thistle) to attract finches. For cardinals, chickadees and nuthatches, provide safflower seed in hopper or tray feeders.
Keep Grackles Away From Mealworms
“What can I do to make grackles share the mealworms with other birds?” asks Nancy Deal of Dover, Pennsylvania.
Kenn and Kimberly say, “Offering mealworms is a great way to entice bluebirds and other insect-eaters that don’t typically visit seed feeders. But mealworms aren’t without challenges—including the fact that many birds consider them a treat. Cage-style feeders are the best way to address this problem. The specific size of the openings in the cage allows smaller birds, such as bluebirds, to get through to the mealworms or other types of food, while preventing access for grackles and larger birds.”
Check out the best cardinal bird feeders and birdseed.
Take Feeders Down Temporarily
“What can I do to keep grackles from emptying my bird feeders in two days? I’d like other birds to feed from them as well,” asks Paul Marsteller of Alexandria, Pennsylvania.
Kenn and Kimberly say, “If you’re dealing with a large group of grackles, the good news is it’s probably a migratory flock that will stay only a few days before moving on. If they linger too long, you might simply stop filling the feeders for a few days until they go.”
How to Get Rid of Starlings
Extremely aggressive when it comes to feeders and nesting sites, starlings have a bad reputation.
Add a Baffle
These boisterous birds love suet and it’s not uncommon for them to gobble up an entire suet cake in a single day.
Get rid of starlings by hanging the suet up and under a domed squirrel baffle. Starlings are reluctant to go underneath any kind of cover and usually will avoid the hard-to-reach meal.
Try an Upside-Down Feeder
An upside-down suet feeder, in which the suet can be eaten only from underneath, is also a good choice to deter starlings and grackles. It keeps starlings off while giving nuthatches and other clinging birds access from below.
“A flock of grackles were devouring my suet, so I switched to an upside-down feeder. But now it seems like no birds will eat from it. Woodpeckers have ignored it completely. What can I do to attract birds, especially woodpeckers, to the new feeder?” asks reader Erroll Jackson of Marietta, Georgia.
Kenn and Kimberly say, “Woodpeckers and other acrobatic species can easily access these upside-down feeders, but it can take a while for the birds to notice them and realize that the food is on the underside. One way to help them is to keep the feeder located where you want it, but rig it up with wires so that it’s sideways, with the suet on the side instead of underneath.
After birds find it, you can gradually shift its position until the food is on the underside again. Grackles may mob the feeder at first, but they should visit less often after it’s returned to its upside-down position.”
Check out natural ways to keep bees and wasps away from hummingbird feeders.
Keep the Feeding Area Clean to Deter Pigeons and Crows
Some backyard birders have the greatest problems with bully birds that eat the cast-off seeds below hanging and post feeders. Pigeons are notorious for gathering in flocks underneath feeders for their meals.
Try a Tray or Seed Hoop
One solution for keeping them out is to install a tray underneath feeders. It will catch any seed cast aside by songbirds and keep it off the ground. The solution for this problem is to collect the fallen seeds in a deep container, such as a plastic garbage can or pail, that the pest birds cannot or will not get into. You can make a hole in the center of the container and place it right on your feeder pole. You can also try using a seed hoop or seed catcher tray to contain the mess.
Keep Crows Away From Suet
“Crows eat a block of suet in minutes. Could you suggest ways to make the suet last longer?” asks reader Jack Melton of Sulphur, Oklahoma.
Kenn and Kimberly say, “Crows, with their voracious appetites, could eat you out of house and feeder. Many bird-feeding stores sell feeders designed to keep larger birds away from suet. These types of feeders are surrounded by a plastic-coated wire screen with openings that allow the smaller birds through, while blocking larger birds such as starlings, grackles and crows.”
Use a Feeder With Weighted Perches
If you have trouble with these birds, try feeders with weighted perches. When a large bird or squirrel lands on the perch, a cover drops over the food.
Psst—learn how to clean your bird feeders.
About the Experts
Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman are the official bird experts for Birds & Blooms. They are the creators of the Kaufman Field Guide series and they lead birding trips all over the world.
