Mockingbirds are known for their boldness, beautiful songs, and adaptability. While they’re a joy to watch, they can sometimes become problematic at feeders, where they often outcompete smaller birds.
Here’s a detailed guide on how to deter mockingbirds from taking over your feeders, so you can enjoy a variety of bird visitors in your yard.
Why Mockingbirds Visit Bird Feeders
Mockingbirds are opportunistic feeders, meaning they’re not picky about where they get their food.
They enjoy a wide range of foods, including seeds, fruits, insects, and suet. Feeders are a convenient source of nourishment, especially when natural food sources are less available, such as in winter or in urban environments where they may not have as much access to fruit-bearing trees and shrubs.
What Attracts Them?
Mockingbirds are particularly attracted to feeders that offer fruits, mealworms, or suet cakes. They may also visit feeders when other food sources are scarce, such as during cold months or droughts.
Types of Feeders That Attract Mockingbirds
Understanding the types of feeders that attract mockingbirds can help you choose feeders that are less appealing to them. Mockingbirds prefer feeders that are easily accessible, such as:
- Platform Feeders: These offer a flat surface with ample space, making it easy for larger birds like mockingbirds to land and feed.
- Tray Feeders: Similar to platform feeders, tray feeders have an open design, which allows mockingbirds to perch and feed comfortably.
- Open Feeders: Feeders without barriers or restrictive openings make it easier for mockingbirds to access the food inside.
To reduce mockingbird activity, try to avoid these feeder types, especially if you’re placing food that mockingbirds find attractive.
Choosing the Right Feeder Types
Opting for feeders that are designed to deter larger birds can be highly effective. Here are some feeder types that are less likely to attract mockingbirds:
- Tube Feeders: These feeders typically have small perches and narrow openings. Smaller birds, such as finches, chickadees, and sparrows, can easily access them, while larger birds like mockingbirds struggle to balance on the perches and reach the food inside.
- Hopper Feeders: With limited access points and enclosed food storage, hopper feeders make it harder for mockingbirds to get a hold of the food. Some models even have weight-sensitive mechanisms that close off access when heavier birds attempt to feed.
Switching to these feeders is a great way to make your setup less inviting for mockingbirds while still attracting the smaller bird species you enjoy watching.
Offering Food Mockingbirds Don’t Prefer
Another effective tactic is to stock your feeders with foods that mockingbirds aren’t particularly fond of, such as:
- Safflower Seeds: These seeds have a bitter taste that mockingbirds usually avoid, but many songbirds, like cardinals and house finches, enjoy them.
- Nyjer Seeds: Smaller birds such as goldfinches and pine siskins love nyjer seeds, but larger birds like mockingbirds aren’t typically interested in them.
If you’re dedicated to feeding only small songbirds, consider using these foods exclusively. You can also experiment with other seed types that are less attractive to mockingbirds but remain appealing to other birds.
Strategic Feeder Placement
The location of your feeders can impact which birds are more likely to visit. For example:
- Near Shrubs and Bushes: Smaller birds often prefer feeders placed close to natural cover, like shrubs or bushes, which offer them protection. Mockingbirds may feel less comfortable in these areas, especially if they can’t easily see predators.
- Open Spaces: Conversely, hanging feeders in open areas can also discourage mockingbirds, as they might feel more exposed. Small birds often feel safe feeding in such locations, while mockingbirds may prefer more concealed feeding spots.
By experimenting with feeder placement, you can create a feeding environment that smaller birds will find inviting and mockingbirds may find less comfortable.
Installing Deterrents Around Feeders
Adding simple deterrents around your feeders can also help keep mockingbirds at bay. Here are a few options:
- Bird Spikes: Installing bird spikes around open feeders or on nearby perching spots can prevent mockingbirds from comfortably landing. These spikes are safe and don’t harm birds, but they make it uncomfortable for them to settle.
- Baffles: Placing baffles above or below feeders can deter larger birds. Mockingbirds might not want to navigate around these obstacles, and baffles also help keep squirrels and other critters away from feeders.
- Reflective Objects: Mockingbirds are often startled by reflective or moving objects. Try hanging items like wind chimes, reflective tape, or old CDs near feeders. The movement and reflections may deter them while not bothering smaller birds.
Using Mockingbird-Repellent Feeders
There are specialized feeders designed to keep larger birds away, and these can be particularly effective against mockingbirds. Here’s how they work:
- Caged Feeders: These feeders have wire cages around them, with openings large enough for smaller birds but too small for mockingbirds. This way, small birds can feed without competition from larger species.
- Weight-Activated Feeders: Some feeders use weight-sensitive perches that close off access to food when heavier birds land on them. This clever mechanism is ideal for deterring not only mockingbirds but also other larger birds like pigeons and crows.
Both of these feeder types are readily available and offer a simple way to keep mockingbirds away.
Setting Up a Separate Feeding Area for Mockingbirds
If you want to attract a variety of birds to your yard without having mockingbirds monopolize certain feeders, consider setting up a separate feeding area just for them. Here’s how:
- Distant Placement: Set up a platform or tray feeder at a distance from your main feeders. Stock it with foods that mockingbirds love, such as berries, fruit, and mealworms. By doing this, you give mockingbirds their own space to enjoy while keeping other feeders available for smaller birds.
- Attractive Foods: Mockingbirds are drawn to fruits and mealworms, so consider placing these foods in the separate feeder to keep them interested in that spot.
Creating this separate feeding area can help distribute the bird traffic in your yard and encourage more variety.
Alternative Techniques for Keeping Mockingbirds Away
If you’re still having trouble with mockingbirds, try these additional techniques:
- Decoys: Placing a fake owl or hawk near your feeders can discourage mockingbirds, as these birds tend to avoid areas where predators may be present.
- Move the Feeders Regularly: Mockingbirds are creatures of habit, so if you move your feeders around your yard every week or so, they may become confused or less persistent.
Experiment with these techniques to see which ones work best in your yard.
Maintaining Your Bird Feeder Area
Keeping your feeder area clean can make it less attractive to mockingbirds:
- Clean Up Spilled Seeds: By regularly sweeping up fallen seeds and hulls, you reduce the chances of attracting more birds, including mockingbirds, to the ground beneath feeders.
- Seed Catchers: Using a seed catcher can minimize spillage, which not only keeps the area cleaner but also reduces food available for larger birds like mockingbirds.
By keeping the area around your feeders tidy, you can limit the presence of mockingbirds and maintain a more inviting environment for the smaller birds you enjoy.
Mockingbirds can be charming to watch, but they can also overwhelm a feeder setup. By trying a few of these techniques, you can successfully keep mockingbirds away from your feeders, allowing smaller birds to thrive. Enjoy your birdwatching with less competition and a more diverse array of visitors!
