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Bully house sparrows are chasing away my hummers!
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Posted by shpongle z8 LA (My Page) on Fri, Jul 22, 05 at 20:01
| These forums have popped up when googling with gardening questions (many of which have been answered here) so often that I figured I ought to go ahead and join, especially since I don't see an answer this time.
I've got the beginnings of a hummingbird/butterfly garden going, and I've had some success. I recently hung a hummingbird feeder in the front, near some hummingbird flowers, and I was thrilled to see a customer the very first morning! The next day I saw another, at my petunias.
Unfortunately, I have a seed feeder in the backyard, and apparently some house sparrows have decided that this is THEIR yard. They chase away the hummingbirds. I haven't seen any hummers for about a week now, and I'm afraid they've given up.
I'm getting rid of the seed feeder (the birds have also been dropping poison ivy seeds while sitting on my fence, waiting their turns), but I'm not sure that'll get rid of the sparrows. They find plenty to eat in the front, too.
Has anyone else had a problem like this? Does anyone know of something I could hang out there that would scare away the sparrows but not the hummers? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Bully house sparrows are chasing away my hummers!
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| I had house wrens chasing away everything in my yard. The Hummers are pretty fearless though, they came back again and again regardless of them. Fortunately the house wrens has their young ones and moved on 2 days ago......wooooohoooo |
RE: Bully house sparrows are chasing away my hummers!
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| House sparrows are aggressive birds that will chase away lots of other birds as well. They like the millet that comes in the bags of mixed birdseed. They were imported from Europe and are not protected by the laws that protect native birds. They are often trapped and diposed of because they destroy crops and kill native birds. Given the opportunity, house sparrows use their strong beaks to peck holes in the skulls of baby birds in the nest (and the mother if they catch her on the nest) and will build a new nest over the carcasses of the dead birds. |
RE: Bully house sparrows are chasing away my hummers!
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| Ahhh, got lots of pesky sparrows here but the even peskier grackles keep them in check. The mockingbirds and great kiskadees then in turn keep the grackles in check. While the big birds are fighting amongst themselves the little hummies zip, zing and zoom around without any fear. The hummies are pretty territorial and they have staked out the eastside yard and backyard. I've seen them chase off mockingbirds from the fruit trees back there! I don't have it in me to kill off a bird - even a pesky sparrow...but I have resorted to removing sparrow nests from my birdhouses - everytime I see them starting to build - I grab the ladder and chase them away. They built nests in the neighbor's birdhouses :o) ~ Cat |
RE: Bully house sparrows are chasing away my hummers!
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| Thanks for the responses. Sorry I haven't been back here sooner. Oubliette, that's horrible. Nasty behavior, indeed. Well, I'll let my boy know he's free to toss pebbles at the pests, then (with appropriate caution, of course!). He'll probably appreciate the opportunity. I don't think I could kill one either, Cat, but I don't think he'll be that good a shot (I'll make sure he aims FAR clear of folks, cars & windows), and if he's lucky, I don't think he'll feel much compunction. He's got a real "if it's a pest, it's got no right to live here" mentality. |
RE: Bully house sparrows are chasing away my hummers!
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| One of my hummers keeps going over to the seed and suet feeders, checking out the commotion cause by the sparrows and starlings. It's quite funny to see her calmly sipping nectar, then hearing a battle at the feeders, and her taking off to check it out ;) |
RE: Bully house sparrows are chasing away my hummers!
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| I had to laugh when I read this because my hummingbirds chase after all of the other birds in my yard - sparrows, cardinals, chickadees, etc. They are so brave and such bullies! |
RE: Bully house sparrows are chasing away my hummers!
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| I've never had any of mine chase another bird (other than another hummer), but one of the juvie males spent several minutes one day trying to rid the butterfly bush of all the butterflies. Eventually one of the butterflies took offense and chased back. One of the funniest things I ever saw was a day that one of the hummers sat on the feeder, evidently a busy body, and instead of feeding she watched other birds flying by. It was so cute to see her little head turning, following the flight of other birds going across the yard. She watched several birds, then took a quick drink and left. Deb in PA |
RE: Bully house sparrows are chasing away my hummers!
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| My neighbors feed the birds. But sadly for me, English sparrows have chased away the jenny wrens. No more sweet melodies anywhere in the neighborhood. Used to be plentiful. I have a plastic owl we set out and move around. But that does little. Aside from no wrens left! they want to invade areas of our house! Picking away under the eaves etc. Grrr. |
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