Bullying Birds - What To Do About Them?

You may think that bullying is done on the school playground, but birds have their own bullies to contend with. We’ve discussed which birds can potentially become bullies and what can be done about these “Bird Bullies.”

Bird Flocks

I know “flocks” is a very broad term, and you are probably thinking “a flock of what?” Well, in our experience any group of birds that becomes too large seems to take over the bird feeders. Take for example, sparrows. A few of them are great to have, fifty of them and every morsel is eaten up, leaving nothing for the other birds. 

When we had a bit of an over-powering flock issue, we tried to feed at different times. The flock seemed to think we had forgotten about them, and found a new garden to over-run, cutting down the numbers .

Feral Pigeons

Feral pigeons can be such a nuisance; they usually swoop down in flocks and eat up all available food in minutes (birds in a flock tend to be the biggest bullies).

If you are hoping to reduce the number of pigeons don’t offer bread crumbs and low quality seed that contains fillers. The smaller birds are less attracted to these foods and you will be left with a flock of pigeons.

Try not to ground feed. Pigeons enjoy eating off the ground; if you scatter seed on the ground they will be very quick to gulp it up.

Setting up spikes where pigeons sit can also helped with the numbers.

Tray feeders are very easy for pigeons to eat from; they can stand comfortably and feed. The idea is rather to make them as uncomfortable as possible by offering feeders that make it hard to perch and balance on. We offer feeders designed to keep the pigeons uncomfortable, and we have found that the number of pigeons can be dramatically reduced with these feeders.

If you don’t want to completely ditch the pigeons, try feeding them in a different area in the garden so that they don’t bother the other birds. Our view is that the seed dropped from a suitable hanging feeder by other feeding birds is adequate to maintain a small number of pigeons (and/or doves).

Indian Mynas

Indian Mynas are notoriously hated by people. So, what do we do about them? No, shooting them is not an option; there are thousands upon thousands of them and it would be nearly impossible to eradicate them. Also, it is both cruel (as more often than not the birds are not killed when shot, they get injured and end up suffering), and also illegal to fire a firearm in an urban area.

Try to keep your garden clean as mynas enjoy discarded human food, this may help to reduce the number of them.

Some people try finding the areas where mynas are nesting and remove their nests before they lay eggs. (But this is easier said than done!)

Various forms of decaying food, such as bone marrow, will attract the mynas (and crows). Try removing these.

Competition with other starlings and thrushes definitely helps. One may encourage these where possible, and also try to encourage natural enemies (such as Burchell’s Coucal).

Red-winged starlings

Red-winged starlings, although beautiful are actually a pretty aggressive species of bird. They get very protective over their territory and their food and will happily chase the other birds away. They also enjoy dive bombing you if you wander too close to their nests. They too live in flocks and can become a nuisance if the flock becomes too large. They are very adaptable and will often nest in building structures.

Starlings are omnivores, and will gladly eat scraps, so keep the garden clean.
Encourage competition from other starlings and thrushes to ensure a natural balance.

On a positive note, they do have a hauntingly beautiful call…

Rose-Ringed Parakeets

People love the arrival of a parakeet in their garden. They are however an invasive species in South Africa, (as with the Indian Mynas and feral pigeons). Their numbers are increasing dramatically, and they are starting to take over from the native species. They are secondary cavity nesters, and have been known to physically remove the bird that is already residing in the cavity. It puts stress on the eco-system, as there are now more mouths to feed, fewer spaces to nest, and the native species ending up suffering.

As with the other invasive species, there is only so much a person can do. Try not to go out of your way to attract parakeets specifically. Try to put up a lot of nesting logs and boxes, so if a parakeet invades you will still be able to accommodate the targeted species such as barbets.

In the end…

Bullying birds will never be completely eradicated from your garden. They don’t mean to be “bullies” they are all just trying to survive and there is always going to be a “pecking order.” But, by taking some necessary steps it will be possible to discourage them from taking over, so that all your birdies can enjoy your lovely hospitality.