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Respected Contributor
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Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: Bird feeder mobbed with house finches, help

We have what we believe to be House Finches coming to our two feeders lately. Up to 4 at a time in the past couple  of days. Southwest Florida is not their normal habitat. It is mid-August, so they are not likely migrating birds. Perhaps their range is expanding south.

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Registered: ‎03-13-2010

Re: Bird feeder mobbed with house finches, help

[ Edited ]

I've heard of Magic Halo baffles with the fishing line/hanging wire working to keep the house sparrows out of a hanging feeder, but don't think it would work for these house finches.

 

Come to think of it, the finches exploded when we started seeing all these mourning doves. They seem to congegate together it seems.

Originally joined board 12-14-2004
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Re: Bird feeder mobbed with house finches, help

The conjunctivitis among finches is because canaries are similar to finches and could eat the same foods. Problems occur because the seed is not cleaned up on the ground. One bird infected can infect other birds. Keep your ground clean of fallen seed. 

 

For the OP, try a tube feeder instead of a platform feeder. Platform feeders favor cardinals & mourning doves.

☼The best place to seek God is in a garden. You can dig for him there. GBShaw☼
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Re: Bird feeder mobbed with house finches, help

[ Edited ]

@JustJazzmom, I had a tube feeder out also. I think that's what lured them into our yard in the first place. It was more out in the open. Never had any problems for the couple of years I've been feeding my birds. These brown finches mobbed the tube feeder also. Would not let any other birds feed from it. Just sit there all day hogging the whole thing. Would empty it in a matter of hours. There would be 20-30 of them on it. I took that down a few days ago. Not putting it back up.

 

They are very aggressive and will push themselves into other birds who try to feed and drive them away. I've watched them bully the other and bigger birds continually.

 

Those brown house finches are also eating my flowering bush buds. I've heard they're very destructive and some people resort to trapping them. I still have my tray that I will put out in the evening to feed my cardinals. Those rat birds seem to mostly be gone by that time. I take it back up first thing in the a.m. I hate to do that because I've always enjoyed feeding all the birds, but these gangs of finches are ruining it for all of them.

Originally joined board 12-14-2004
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Registered: ‎06-29-2015

Re: Bird feeder mobbed with house finches, help

Hi!

I've recently had the same problem, but w/ sparrows. 

I've got 2 feeders; one for the larger birds & feed them a no mess blend. I also have a finch feeder for the goldfinches.

Sparrows have descended on both and driven all the other birds away.

The humble sparrow is a bully bird!

 

The ONLY remedy that I know of is to take down your feeders,...and wait for at least a few weeks or even more, and then try putting them back up.

I know you'll miss your cardinals.

Muddling through...
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Re: Bird feeder mobbed with house finches, help

[ Edited ]

@sabatiniI just talked to someone from Cornell and they think it's juvenile House Sparrows.  Do you think that by taking the tray down during the day will persude them to leave? Do you know anyone which that's worked for? They kill native birds and I've heard of people trapping or shooting them. Neither of which I would be opposed to after hearing what they do to native baby (and adult) birds. Here is what the juveniles look like (from google):idchspjuvu18635bodymagchpp30aug10.jpg

Originally joined board 12-14-2004
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Registered: ‎06-29-2015

Re: Bird feeder mobbed with house finches, help

Hi again! Hey, what area of the country are you in? Those are the exact sparrows that I'm dealing with too. I'm in the SW.

 

I belong to a birding group on FB, & some of the people there have a lot of info. It was a few people on there who told me to take down my feeders, in order to (hopefully) get the unwanted visitors to disperse & move on.

 

That's also recommended if you see a dead bird, or a few of them. They may've died from a disease, so if you suspect that, take down the feeders, sanitize them, and wait for at least 2 weeks, preferably more.

 

Muddling through...
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Re: Bird feeder mobbed with house finches, help

[ Edited ]

@sabatiniI'm in central U.S. They are a problem nation wide now. They kill off the native bird population (especially blue birds and purple finches). I'm assuming the disease strikes finches because I haven't heard of any disease striking these pest birds.

 

I put out the feeder for a few minutes last evening. My cardinals see me and flew right over. I let them feed and then took it in.

Originally joined board 12-14-2004