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To kill a mockingbird? Advice needed (1 Viewer)

S

steelhead52

Member
After successfully squirrel-proofing the bird feeder outside my window in New Jersey, for a few days I was enjoying watching the various birds happily feeding, while I am also hoping to attract some downy woodpeckers to the nearby suet feeder. However, in the last few days, one or two mockingbirds have claimed both feeders as their private property and will aggressively drive away any other bird (except perhaps an occasional larger bluejay) that attempts to feed there. What I see instead of happy munching and inter-specific cooperation is an ongoing display of selfishness and brutality. Any suggestions?
 
Although Harper Lee writes

"Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird",

I would suggest you get a 3rd feeder
 
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You're a bit particular about what you're prepared to enjoy watching. I think you need to chill a bit. You provide the food. Its natural for there to be a pecking order. Its not brutal. Its nature. Your mores are inappropriate to the situation. Stop judging.

John
 
Fortunately they all seem to enjoy the bird-bath without much conflict, sometimes 2-3 species splashing around together.

I have had feeders up before but have never seen this mockingbird despotism. For that matter, I don't recall seeing such a predominance of mockingbirds until this season.
 
i solved similar by hanging roofed bird table on a branch at 8 foot up a tree, thus small birds such as tits, blackcap could feed if robin let them or they went behind his back

the larger 'bullies' such as pigeons, jackdaws, magpie dont like the unstable easily swinging table or getting in under the roof and avoid it enough the smaller birds get a fair go
 
Believing your strap line to be a throwaway expression of your frustration rather than a serious intent I think the criticism of your question is unfair. Yes you should be trying to encourage diversity and we should be more supportive of that aim. Beyond that (knowing nothing about US bird behaviour) I can only echo the advice that has been given : provide more feeders and vary the types in the hopes that some other birds will get a chance. Here it is woodpigeons and I have cages to protect some of the feed for the other birds .... but I also have squirrels and deer which present rather different challenges so I end up using (literally) tons of feed when my target species consume a fraction of it.

Mike.
 
Are you sure they are not nesting nearby? My mockingbirds always give a warning to the smaller birds when they come to the suet feeder, never directly knocking them off (the scrub-jays and squirrels are a different story). To my knowledge, I have not heard of mockingbirds being overly aggressive at feeders; instead, they aggressively defend their territory, especially during breeding season, which is now. You can try putting something in the feeder the mockingbirds don't like, like safflower seeds or nyjer; if they still defend it, then you know it's a location problem, not a feeder problem, which means setting up more feeders. Good luck. :t:

I end up using (literally) tons of feed when my target species consume a fraction of it.
Click to expand...

Ditto. For me, I'd say 80% to squirrels and 20% to birds now. That'll change in the summer when the squirrels run rampant/amok—95% squirrels, 5% birds (no exaggeration). There's weird comfort in knowing the U.S. doesn't solely suffer this plight.
 
We had an issue here in Russia with one viciously, psychopathic , Great-spotted Woodpecker. It actually killed a couple of Greenfinches so we rigged a trap, caught it and relocated it some 30km away.

Gs Woodpeckers of a normal disposition come and go but that one bird was a loony and we haven't had a problem since.


A
 
andyadcock said:
We had an issue here in Russia with one viciously, psychopathic , Great-spotted Woodpecker. It actually killed a couple of Greenfinches so we rigged a trap, caught it and relocated it some 30km away.

Gs Woodpeckers of a normal disposition come and go but that one bird was a loony and we haven't had a problem since.


A
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Good story! And been a while since I heard the word 'loony' so an extra point for that, too, in my book. Did you drive it by car or send it in the post!!!

I sometimes tried relocating Song Thrushes and Blackbirds half a mile away from where they were getting caught up in our strawberry nets but some of them were back there before I was!
 
andyadcock said:
We had an issue here in Russia with one viciously, psychopathic , Great-spotted Woodpecker. It actually killed a couple of Greenfinches so we rigged a trap, caught it and relocated it some 30km away.

Gs Woodpeckers of a normal disposition come and go but that one bird was a loony and we haven't had a problem since.


A
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Usually get up to a dozen Great Spotted Woodpeckers without issue, but I had a Great Spotted Woodpecker of similar nature a few years back, it would drive every other bird away, even larger White-backed Woodpeckers, and would hang out by the feeders even when not feeding.

Eventually decided to relocate the bird and released it in excellent habitat about 10-15 km away ...less than one week later it was back!!!
 
Jos Stratford said:
Usually get up to a dozen Great Spotted Woodpeckers without issue, but I had a Great Spotted Woodpecker of similar nature a few years back, it would drive every other bird away, even larger White-backed Woodpeckers, and would hang out by the feeders even when not feeding.

Eventually decided to relocate the bird and released it in excellent habitat about 10-15 km away ...less than one week later it was back!!!
Click to expand...

Our problem bird would sit close to the feeders and just fly back and forth in absolute fury at any other bird that tried to come near.

We took it by car some 20km away, the next day we thought it had found it's way back but it was another bird. All been harmonious ever since apart from losing a Great Tit brood from a nest box last summer to a Great Spot.


A
 
The first vid shows my weather beaten wife, proudly explaining her activities in catching the psycho woodpecker, don't ask me what the 'look' is for at the end, must be a Russian thing!!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAr0me7KMWo&list=PLJQimV2945yyAusdwmcTK6NDPtxNbS0Z9&index=2&t=0s

Vid two, is her in planning mode, watching the crazy bird through the window

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BFT1uWdfH0&list=PLJQimV2945yyAusdwmcTK6NDPtxNbS0Z9&index=1

The third vid is her releasing the bird elsewhere

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuuSBzBvNic&index=3&list=PLJQimV2945yyAusdwmcTK6NDPtxNbS0Z9


A
 
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