eBirdseed.com Wild Bird Feeding Blog

Hey, Alan.
I just discovered your site. My boyfriend and I just moved to Vashon Island, WA, and we're new to bird feeding. We have no squirrels, but we have crows as well as sparrows, robins, finches and other wild birds.
We have a four-perch tube feeder designed for small birds, which we have filled with nyjer and thistle. The finches just love it.
We'd like to get another feeder, because there are far more hungry birds than available perches, and we'd also like to attract more of a variety of birds. However, we are afraid that a suet feeder or a feeder with bigger seeds like sunflower will attract the crows.
Can you give me your thoughts on a feeder that will attract a wide variety of wild birds but will not be crow-friendly?
Thanks!

Hi Amy,

Congrats on your new residence! We looked up Vashon Island on Google Earth... It must be beautiful...

About increasing the variety of wild birds without being crow friendly... Thoughts...

* First, nothing succeeds like success. Sounds like you've made a good start already! (Six-station feeders are available as are other large-bird resistant feeders. See: http://www.ebirdseed.com/page/EB/CTGY/feeder)
* In general, small feeders (especially the new plastic wood feeders) give crows fits. (Crows can't sink their claws into the new polywood, and hence can't maraud a feeder as easily.)
* Be careful not to buy seed that birds scatter willy nilly out of the feeder trying to find the tasty stuff... Seed on the ground is an invitation to birds like crows. (Jays can get pretty picky and messy.) Feeds like the sunflower hearts and chips or mixes heavy in hearts and chips reduce the amount of food that ends up on the ground, and hence reduces crow traffic.
* In general, keeping feeders clean will go a long way toward higher bird visitation. (See: http://www.ebirdseed.com/blog/2007/05/clean_feeders.html)
* And birds need water... Birdbaths are perfect.
* I'd be sure to set up a couple of hummingbird feeders. (Anna, Black-chinned, Calliope, Ruby-throat, Rufous). Hummers are an absolute blast...

In general, you might even want to re-think the exclusion of crows... We keep four types of feeders:

- Three for the typical birds... One standard, one tube for the finches, and one for the orioles and catbirds. (At last count we're over 30 species)
- Two for the hummingbirds
- A crow platform (We put scraps of bread and what-not in that one. By far and away, our crow feeder is the most entertaining.)
- A standard feeder with no squirrel protection. (Again, highly entertaining!)

The interesting thing is that the animals have adapted to the system very well. The crows pretty much leave everyone alone. (Though they have managed to steal 3 of our suet feeders. Interesting side note about corvids... It seems that they might be the second-most intelligent creatures on earth after humans. They are the only known animals that can make tools outside their native environment: http://www.ebirdseed.com/blog/2007/10/crow_brains.html).

One final thought concerning crows and squirrels... They also act as a warning system for our song birds. And if a predator does invade our back yard, it's often the squirrel that gets gobbled.

Anyway, hope this helps, and here are some Web sites specific to your area that might offer further insight:

http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/stewardship/nw-yard-and-garden/yard-talk/episodes/09-backyard-wildlife.aspx

http://www.theseattletraveler.com/backyard-sanctuary-program-helps-keep-washington-one-of-the-best-places-to-live/

http://www.birdweb.org/birdweb/index.aspx

Thanks for your comment and keep us posted...

CapeCodAlan