How to Keep Blackbirds Away From Food

Blackbirds are often a menace at bird feeding stations and will chase other birds that you are trying to attract from the food. The bird species you want to attract are typically smaller than the blackbirds and are normally intimidated by these large and aggressive pests. There are several ways to discourage blackbirds from visiting your yard, such as changing the design of the feeder, the feeding times or the type of food you offer.

Things You'll Need

  • Bird feeder, raised off the ground
  • Lightweight cage (to fit over the feeding station)
  • Collapsing perches (optional)
  • Safflower seed
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place a cage over the bird feeder. Spacing between the wire strands needs to be large enough for small, desirable garden birds, such as chickadees, finches and nuthatches, to easily slip through, but not wide enough to allow blackbirds entry. The blackbirds will eventually become frustrated and will leave your garden in search of better feeding opportunities.

    • 2

      Place the bird food in the feeder and do not sprinkle food on the ground below the feeder. Remove food that the small garden birds have spilled on the ground on a regular basis, as this food will attract blackbirds your garden and to the feeder.

    • 3

      Stop placing food in your feeder for a period of time, if you choose not to use a cage. As soon as the blackbirds realize there is no food, they will leave your feeder in search of a new place where they will tend to remain as long as food continues to be available in that area.

    • 4

      Move your feeder to a completely new place in your yard. For instance, place it in the front yard if it was originally in the back yard. Blackbirds accustomed to eating from the feeder will believe it has been permanently removed and will typically leave the area.

    • 5

      Change the type and variety of food that you place in the feeder to suit the diet of whatever small garden bird species frequent your part of the country. Safflower seed, for instance, attracts blue jays, chickadees, cardinals, finches and nuthatches but is not appealing to the blackbirds.

    • 6

      Chase the blackbirds when they arrive at the feeder. After being chased several times, the blackbirds will source an alternative feeding site.

    • 7

      Secure collapsing perches to the bird feeder. These perches are able to hold the weight of the small desirable garden birds, but will bend under the weight of blackbirds, causing them to fly off.