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I love feeding the birds. However, I now have twice as many Sparrows as before. I don't dislike them as much as some people do (I think they're kinda cute), but I have not seen a CARDINAL at my platform birdfeeder since my tree went down and I moved it back in November. I ONLY see SPARROWS eating at the Platform feeder, and occasionally Finches. There are so many Sparrows, that I think the Cardinals just don't want to deal with them. NEED REAL ADVICE, PLEASE: How can I reduce or get the Sparrows to eat elsewhere, to attract other birds to feeders? Yesterday, I threw a peanutbutter & Jelly sandwich out to the birds, along with sunflower seeds in Platform feeder. The Sparrows were the only visitors to gobble it all up....:-( AND.....
Are Sparrows good for anything, such as reducing insects in spring/summertime?
Any advice would be appreciated!! THANKS!! xoxoxox!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Wavy,

I think it depends on what kind of seed you get. Ya know, thistle for finches, sunflower seeds seem to attract the bigger birds like cardinals and blue jays, etc.

I also believe that it depends on the time of year. This past fall, all I saw were black birds for like two weeks, then they were gone, and no cardinals, and now they're back. The finches won't be back until late spring.

I have sparrows, the plain old kind, a couple with the striped heads, juncos, the red house finches and on the thistle sock a bunch of goldfinches who are starting to change colors. I see the cardinal more in the spring. They are very timid and usually only show up at dusk. And of course, the ever present city pigeons. The sparrows do pick insects off plants too. I have seen them on my tomatoes and sunflowers.

I've noticed cardinals like cover and are skittish when out in the open. Perhaps your tree provided that cover.

My neighbor's fenceline was a thicket of amur honeysuckle and other undesirable vegetation. When he hired people to cut it all down, the cardinal population became much less visible. They apparently were the only ones who liked all that junk overgrowth.

I think we all have to deal with sparrows. I don't really mind them so long as they don't dominate the feeders. My problem is blackbirds...esp. at this time of the year when they have gleaned the fields and are looking for food. They swoop in flocks, cover the feeders and clean them out in a very short time, then they all swoop out again. I think they simply wait until I fill up the feeders again...they must have a scout who signals them.

But back to your question. I think Nettie Jay hit it on the head regarding the cover. Most of your songbirds prefer some sort of cover to escape predators. They prefer some sort of shrubbery or tree to dart into if something startles them.

One seed to avoid is anything with cracked corn. Yes, they love it, but so do the grackles, blackbirds & sparrows. Some articles I've read suggest using only safflower seeds to avoid pesky birds. I used to buy a mix with those along with sunflower seeds and find that most of my birds spit them right out. However, you might try it to see what works for you.

We are lucky with the cardinals. They are year round residents. Love 'em.

ve

The sparrows are probably just winter visitors. At least that's what they are here. Some days my feeders and yard are covered with chipping sparrows, mostly. I'll have house finches, goldfinches and various other sparrows at times. I have cardinals year round. All birds like ready access to cover near the feeder, so if its sitting way out in the open, that may explain their absence.

My parents were farmers and they disliked sparrows and starlings. I like all birds, even hawks. And even after I saw a hawk kill ing some birds in my backyard. They all are here for a purpose. Just as some cats k i l l birds. It is all part of natures plan.

Along with all my other feeders, I have 2 of the cheap, long hanging ones...one hanging on the lowest branch of a young oak tree and another on a sheperd's hook near another oak tree. I only fill them with cracked corn. The sparrows throw all the bigger pieces on the ground and the cardinals come clean up those bigger pieces.
I seldom get sparrows except the same chipping sparrows in the winter. When they leave, I know spring is here for sure. Last summer I had one lonely house sparrow that hung around most of the time. But I've got house finches galore!!!
There were 10 cardinals in the yard night before last. They like to be the first ones down in the early morning light just before the sun comes up and late in the evening right after the sun has gone down....check at those times to see if you have any then.
I don't get gackles & black birds...once in a great while I'll get a red-winged black bird, but usually only during migration times.

GaKaren - you don't get blackbirds? **THUD**. Want some?

I took a picture of a redwing on the feeder the other day......took it from inside so it's not a real clear picture. It must have been hanging with the flock that descended in the yarden and on the feeders. I actually don't mind them because they don't travel (usually) in those large sky darkening flocks.

ve

VE, no, I get those nasty brown headed cow birds in flocks like you get blackbirds up there! I've had them literally cover the front yard at another house. Fire crackers work wonders getting them to leave! ((big grin))

Sparrows are here year round, spring, summer, winter.... I have a whole row of shrubs in backyard. The birds hang out in my shrubs now, instead of neighbor's trees to be closer to my birdfeeder. Dislike Starlings and pidgeons but don't have them in my backyard. I love feeding the birds and read that they eat insects in your backyard so it's good to attract them to your area. I think it's probably wrong to discriminate anyhow right, and only favor some types of birds and not all birds!!!

well.... there's a song that mentions sparrows that always made me sure I would never gripe about them.... the lyrics go ...

"His eye is on the sparrow
so I know He watches me..."

long time ago my momma told me there was only two things in the world that had wings with feathers.... birds and angels.... and we had no way of knowing which was really which, especially when they started singing in the morning....so I could never hurt a bird, just in case.... and the feeders at my house are always full for the same reason!!!.....you know any other reason a durned old fool woman would go out in the snow in the freezin' cold with a hammer and a boiling teakettle to make sure the birds had water in the birdbath?......LOL!!...

blackbirds, crows, raptors and all... I love my birds.... well, I could do without them turkey buzzards.....but they do clean up the road kills I guess..... sigh....