Hello tweets,
My sister just called me long-distance with the same problem: HOFIs
hogging the tube feeder.
If you look carefully at HOFI and House Sparrow feeding behavior,
both seem to be gregarious group feeders who like to perch together and
feed together with their own species. My approach is to use only tube
feeders and to remove all of the trays and perches except 1-2. They are
not good at clinging; this also makes it hard for them to sit together
and socialize while they feed. The nuthatches, chickadees, etc are very
competent at perching in the perchless holes to feed, so they are not
squeezed out.
I DO NOT use platform feeders; I believe this really encourages the
socializing & feeding mode of HOFIs and House Sparrows.
I also stick to Black Oil Sunflower seeeds since chickadees etc
really like this, it's worth their effort to keep coming and to try to
defend the feeder.
Finally, if things get real bad, I take the tube feeder away for 1-2
weeks and make sure there is suet nearby. The HOFIs will leave, but the
chickadees and nuthatches will continue coming. Sometimes this breaks
the addiction.
Janet Partlow
partlowj at elwha.evergreen.edu

On Fri, 27 Sep 1996, Raymond Korpi wrote:

> > On Fri, 27 Sep 1996, Josh Hayes wrote:
> >
> > > I'm seeking advice. We have a couple of feeders in our backyard; one
> > > is a platform-type feeder and the other is one of those little round
> > > ball feeders which are supposed to be squirrel-resistant.
> > >
> > > The problem is, although we have lots of chickadees in the yard, the
> > > feeders are monopolized by house finches (and a few - ugh - house
> > > sparrows, too). Even the round one, from which they are unable to feed
> > > effectively - a finch will simply stand on top of it and chase away
> > > any other bird that CAN feed from it.
> > >
> > > Anyone have any ideas of how to discourage the finches without
> > > discouraging the chickadees and nuthatches?
> >
> Pat Scott added:>
> > We have a lot of sparrows and finches at our feeder, too, but in our
> > locale the House finches are actually the desired result. :)
>
> I prefer the House Finches over the House Sparrows as well. Lately, a
> few more House Sparrows had been coming into the yard, and generally the
> finches will run them out over the course of a week to 10 days. The
> finches are aggressive, but they also attratc other birds like Purple
> Finches and True Sparrows into the yard via their activity.
> My father has had the same sort of disappearing House Sparrow
> phenomenon back in Omaha since HOsue FInches colonized the area some five
> years ago. House Sparrows have gotten nearly scarce, especially during
> the winter, due to the presence of the finches.
> On diet, I avoid millet until I start seeing juncos and true
> sparrows (first definite golden-crownedtoday!! a gorgeous adult) ; this
> tends to keep the house sparrows at bay. Just sunflowers and niger
> during the summer. Or not feeding durign teh summer, as many do, also
> keeps house sparrows away. Ray K
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Ray Korpi "English sparrows and starlings eat the farmer's
> Hm: Portland, OR grain and soil his corpse."
> Wk: Clark College --An actual quote from an actual student
> Vancouver, WA science exam, from a list passed along
> rkorpi at clark.edu to me by a colleague.
>
>