What won't sparrows eat?

[cFletch]

I've been trying to attract a variety of birds to my yard, but the sparrows are so aggressive (and greedy) that it seems whatever I put out, they eat, and jealously protect.

The Chickadees will visit the window feeder, but only when the sparrows haven't been around in a while (at least an hour or so) and the Cardinals (I believe there are three) seem to follow the sparrows and will share the platform feeder. There have been a few other visitors - a Flicker, a Downy Woodpecker, and the Goldfinches, I haven't seen any Robins or RW Blackbirds in a long time.

I tried a suet feeder - vertical to discourage the sparrows - but they still got it all. I put out a finch feeder with Nyjer seed, the sparrows ate it all. I'm trying peanuts in the window feeder, but the sparrows were already at it, trying to figure out how to eat the nuts.

So.... I'm looking for recommendations on some type of food that the sparrows will have no interest in - so that some other birds might get a chance. I'd love to see those woodpeckers and goldfinches again!

[Reuven_M]

There isn't really anything they won't eat, the best solution is probably more feeders - I've found that this allows less agressive birds to feed more easily.

[Sahria]

I've had this problem as well. They eat everything or toss it all over the place, emptying my feeders every other day. I've put up a few different feeders with different foods in each. Also try spacing them out. This has helped me. When the sparrows are going nuts (har har har) in the front a lot of the other birds will be in my backyard.

[cFletch]

so far they are showing less interest in the peanuts - preferring the sunflower seeds.

That is certainly a good idea to put another feeder in the front yard - right now they're all in the back, within viewing distance of my kitchen window. I could move one of the larger ones to the front yard and that would give them some more space. The only reason I haven't yet is the squirrels - they live in a silver maple on my neighbor's property and I want to make doubly sure that the bird feeder is squirrel proof before I put it out front.

It's funny you say emptying your feeders every other day - these sparrows are emptying the feeders within hours of filling it. Greedy little things. They're getting quite plump on my sunflower seeds. [/quote]

[Leslie]

RW blackbirds may have flown south already.
I had woodpeckers (flickers, downies, hairies) in my yard all last week but they're scarce this week so they may have flown too.

[Kin Lau]

I currently have 2 feeders, one with Niger and another with Safflower, and that seems to keep the house sparrows at bay. I still occasionally put sunflower seeds in the safflower feeder, and that usually goes _really_ quick with lots of house sparrows. Safflower is quite a bit more expensive than sunflower seeds, but it last so much longer that I think it's worth it.

With niger and safflower, I'm still getting the Goldfinches, Chickadees and Cardinals. I have a separate peanut feeder for my Blue Jays, but they tear thru that extremely quickly.

[Axeman]

Don't the downies and hairy woodpeckers...(god...I can't say "woodpecker" and keep a straight face...it's like the umm...Tits...) anyway, don't they overwinter here? I get them at my feeders all winter long...you GTA'ers are a lucky bunch...we're not allowed to put feeders out in the spring, summer and fall....

[Leslie]

Thanks, I knew somebody was going to ask.
Woodpeckers are partial migrants.  Some but not all leave the breeding range (Paul Kerlinger, How Birds Migrate, paraphrased).  That's why there are so many at some times of the year (here it was last week) & then most of them are gone.

[bluejay55]

Hi am new to this board so hope I am  posting correctly.  With regards to what don't sparrows eat.  I have found my upside down goldfinch feeder works very well.  The goldfinch come and even the chickadees have figured out how to eat the Niger seed I put in there.  I am going to try the safflower because I live in the city with a small back yard and am inundated with sparrows.  My back yard is full of them.  I only have my Niger seed feeder and one medium sized regular feeder in which I put top quality premium food from the bird store.  I do get nut hatches, cardinals, bluejays.  My problem is actually my neighbour who does not like my bird feeder.  Complaining she is being bombarded with pigeon droppings.  What irks me is I do not get many pigeons at all but my neighbour down the street does and the neighbour who is complaining is in their flight path, sees my bird feeders and blames me.  Why do I not get pigeons?  I think it is because we are in the midst of renovating and my back yard is quite messy on the ground at he moment with all my garden statues etc and chairs and picnic table all around the bird feeder hense no place for the pigeons to feed off the ground safely.

[JimmyM]

What do sparrows - eat ? In my backyard they first quickly clean out the large feeder of mixed seed ( mostly black sunflower ) - then clean out a smaller feeder of safflower seeds - then do a number on the nyger seed in a tube feeder . When the feeders are empty the sparrows hang around in shrubbery waiting for refills .  Chicadees, nuthatches, goldfinches, cardinals and bluejays find it difficult to shoulder their way in through the hordes.
I will, however, continue to feed all visiting birds including sparrows which make my backyard a happy place .
Jim