Grackles are difficult birds to manage, as they are an abundant type of blackbird. Because of this, grackles often require more effort and attention to control compared to other similar bird species.
These birds live year-round in the southeastern United States, especially in Texas and Florida, but migrate to the North and Midwest during summer. Grackles like agricultural fields and are more of a threat to crops than crows. As much as they like open spaces, they also live in urban areas, making them abundant virtually everywhere.
For homeowners, crop farmers, and property managers, these birds can be extremely dominant and harmful. Some homeowners may look to simple solutions like tube feeders, but they likely arent enough. For larger flocks, poisons and other chemicals are frequently used to try to combat them. Not only are poisons inhumane, but they also dont work because grackles forage in large flocks.
First and foremost, its important to note that one of the most common causes of bird infestations is reliable access to food and water. What does this mean? It means that grackles may have chosen your property because their basic survival needs are being met. In order to discourage them from hanging around, we recommend removing all access to food and standing water such as bird feeders, bird baths and uncovered waste. If you have a garden where you grow food, use bird netting to block off grackles access to your plants.
1. Build a cage around the bird feeder
We need to deter pigeons, grackles, and other unwanted guests from visiting our backyards by making it less appealing and providing less or restricted access to food. Bullies are kept out by placing bird feeders inside cages, as seen in the video below or in any other manner. Grackles will never be able to reach the seeds inside the cage, no matter how hard they try. They will take off after realizing there is nothing to this garden and that there are no attractions here, and they won’t come back.
This makes room in the field for the smaller songbirds that we want to draw, like cardinals, finches, and chickadees, so they can feed by slinking through the cage openings. They will also feel safer knowing that larger birds will not be competing with them, especially from bullies like grackles.
5. Alter seed offerings!
Starlings and grackles have a preference for bread, sunflower seeds, corn, millet, and wheat. Provide them with food they dislike to drive them away, such as safflower seeds, which cardinals, chickadees, and nuthatches adore, or thistle and nyjer seeds, which finches adore. Blackbirds, pigeons, and grackles will then need to find alternative food sources.
A common trick used by homeowners is to place plastic eagles perched on their roofs. However, grackles can adjust to them and realize they pose no threat over time. Grackles are smart cookies!.
So a good solution is – go fly a kite!
Flying a threatening-looking kite is a good bird scarer with the added bonus of a fun experience to enjoy with the kids and grandkids! If you tie the kite to a tree or anything stable, grackles will think that a predator is nearby and will flee.
Make sure the model you select is composed of sturdy materials to prevent it from disconnecting and taking off into the wind. Certain kites are equipped with telescopic poles that can be adjusted in length, specifically to deter grackles from landing on your property.
9. The sound of repelling
Because grackles and starlings are both bullies and have a tendency to flock together, we keep pairing them. That means large flocks in our gardens. Yikes!.
Other than liquid deterrents, there are also sound repellents!
When combined with reflective eye diverters or the sounds of predators, certain sound repellents that combine the precise frequency that these “bullies” can hear should be effective.
Most repellents, though, come with just the ultrasonic facility.
Different birds have different audible frequencies. Since pigeons, blackbirds, and grackles share similar hearing frequencies, appropriately customized ultrasonic bird repellents won’t work against smaller birds.
Since most of these gadgets rely on solar panels to function, they are generally simple to use.
In search of something to do right now? Try turning up the volume of this sound in the garden:
FAQ
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