Is there a way to deter chickadees from coming to the feeder? (1 Viewer)

I don't like to discriminate against any particular species of bird, but I'm having simply too many chickadees at my feeder. They never cease to visit my feeder throughout the day, usually in groups of five or more, and quickly deplete the sunflower hearts in my feeder at an unsustainable rate. Obviously they were named the state bird of Massachusetts for a reason. I'm also suspecting the reason I'm not seeing more of the other songbirds that occasionally visited - such as finches, sparrows, and woodpeckers - is the overpowering presence (if not in size, in number) of the chickadees.

Is there any way to make my feeder less attrative to the chickadees? BTW, I use a Brome 1024 squirrel-proof tube feeder as my main feeder.
(http://www.amazon.com/Brome-1024-Sq...sr_1_1?s=garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1286901379&sr=1-1) Yes, the perches on this feeder make it somewhat difficult for bigger birds to sit on them and feed, but even after taking that into account, I'm not seeing smaller birds that are perfectly able to feed from this feeder as often as I used to.

New Daddy said:

Is there any way to make my feeder less attrative to the chickadees? ....

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Yes.

Stop feeding.

I would be surprised if the presence of the chickadees is the main reason for the decline in visits by other bird species- chickadees are generally subordinate to many other species in foraging flocks, including titmice, nuthatches, and woodpeckers. Spreading seed on the ground or establishing a platform feeder may be more attractive for sparrows. You could try putting out a suet feeder, which woodpeckers seem to favor greatly over seed. Which finches are you hoping to attract? Most species are at least somewhat nomadic, and numbers in one area tend to vary from season to season or year to year.

Sit and watch on and off for a day or more & you'll find it's It's the greedy English sparrow that depletes your feeder I doubt it it's the Chickadees, as they don't gobble seeds they take one and fly. Send them to me I'd be happy to feed them.

B

I'm with MermaidFairies (hello by the way and welcome)

Chickadees are not the source of your seed depletion.