Comments on: Power Struggles Are Playing Out at Your Feeder—Here’s What to Look For https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/power-struggles-are-playing-out-at-your-feeder-heres-what-to-look-for/ Your online guide to birds and birdwatching Wed, 24 May 2023 21:10:27 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.1 By: Janet https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/power-struggles-are-playing-out-at-your-feeder-heres-what-to-look-for/#comment-5355 Mon, 11 Apr 2016 18:41:00 +0000 https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/?p=8254#comment-5355 This is a description of two surprising displacements that
occurred in our yard in the Winter of 2015, an unusually cold winter with an
abundance of snow and ice. One occurred
between a song sparrow and a mourning dove.
The other occurred between a mourning dove and a squirrel. Both happened on the same feeder, which is round,
wrought iron, hanging planter with a coconut liner that I converted to a feeder
one winter after the plants died. Many
birds, especially the song sparrows and mourning doves love to eat seeds in the
planter possibly because it is round and nest-like.

One
afternoon a mourning dove was in the feeder eating when a song sparrow hopped
onto its back and started plucking out feathers near the dove’s neck for short
time and then hopped into a nearby bush.
The dove was startled at first but
did not move from the feeder. So the song sparrow repeated the displacement
attack. Then shaken dove decided it was
time to leave and the song sparrow took over the feeder. We were surprised at
the outcome.

The second incident also started
with a mourning dove eating in the same feeder.
When a squirrel approached to get some seeds, the mourning dove faced
the squirrel and then puffed itself up and spread its wings out. The squirrel was frightened and ran
away. The mourning dove continued to eat
seed. Again we were surprised by the
outcome.

]]> By: Sonia Alvarez https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/power-struggles-are-playing-out-at-your-feeder-heres-what-to-look-for/#comment-5247 Sun, 14 Feb 2016 22:24:00 +0000 https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/?p=8254#comment-5247 I don’t use a feeder. I just throw some granola, bread, cake, crushed corn chips/nuts, left over cereal etc on the ground. The food is dispersed and it’s harder for the bullies to dominate. I have a very nasty female cardinal where I live, she prevents another female cardinal from eating at all. She chases her relentlessly. We might not be the worst species after all.

]]> By: Dan Matei https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/power-struggles-are-playing-out-at-your-feeder-heres-what-to-look-for/#comment-5183 Fri, 05 Feb 2016 18:06:00 +0000 https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/?p=8254#comment-5183 Let’s help the wild birds get with ease over winter..

]]> By: catdance https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/power-struggles-are-playing-out-at-your-feeder-heres-what-to-look-for/#comment-4988 Sun, 29 Nov 2015 00:36:00 +0000 https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/?p=8254#comment-4988 There’s a large family of house finches that bully the goldfinches and juncos at my sunflower seed feeder. It goes on all the time. I also have a goldfinch feeder with nyger and a suet cake out. They get picked on some but they all prefer the one feeder. I don’t know what else to do.

]]> By: pris ridgell https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/power-struggles-are-playing-out-at-your-feeder-heres-what-to-look-for/#comment-4653 Tue, 11 Aug 2015 14:32:15 +0000 https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/?p=8254#comment-4653 I,too,have noticed fewer chickadees…first this spring…and noticed a reduction in babies this year. there is contention over a birdbox by the chickadees and bluebirds,and the chickadees always lose. am placing more boxes around the property in hopes for a better outcome next year

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]]> By: nancy https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/power-struggles-are-playing-out-at-your-feeder-heres-what-to-look-for/#comment-4611 Mon, 10 Aug 2015 22:46:37 +0000 https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/?p=8254#comment-4611 Thank you for your suggestions. I bought a new feeder for chickadees and 2 new birdhouses and planted a new tree. I saw a chickadee at the new feeder already!

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]]> By: pris ridgell https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/power-struggles-are-playing-out-at-your-feeder-heres-what-to-look-for/#comment-4610 Mon, 10 Aug 2015 22:46:22 +0000 https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/?p=8254#comment-4610 Abbie, I think your cardinals have all congregated at my feeders here in NC. they won’t let the others feed, and I literally have to bang on the window several times a day to get rid of them. there must be 12 of them. I am going to have to trap some and relocate them….have never had such a problem before

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]]> By: pris ridgell https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/power-struggles-are-playing-out-at-your-feeder-heres-what-to-look-for/#comment-4609 Mon, 10 Aug 2015 22:45:59 +0000 https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/?p=8254#comment-4609 i’m so sorry about your chickadees. I, too, dote on them. the tree removal may have disturbed them. I had an adjustment time whe I also lost 2 trees, but all the birds eventually returned. I noticed fewer chickadees this spring and wondered if the brutal winter here killed some. I am putting up several more birdhouses (they have used them) and am hanging more cage type feeders so my small birds can feed in peace…..I have very grabby cardinals. I hope you will see a return soon.

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]]> By: nancy seelig https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/power-struggles-are-playing-out-at-your-feeder-heres-what-to-look-for/#comment-4608 Mon, 10 Aug 2015 22:45:32 +0000 https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/?p=8254#comment-4608 I live in Northern New Jersey and have enjoyed the black-capped chickadees for many years at my feeders. I became so fond of them and looked forward each morning to see them waiting in the back yard near my feeder as soon as I came near to fill it. They would call out and others would arrive. They were so tame sometimes landing on my hand quickly. But now, this spring no chickadees!!! I am very upset and wonder if it has anything to do with the two large hemlocks I sadly had to cut down in front of my house, last fall. Perhaps they used them for cover and fed on the aphids,which were on the old and dying trees. I can’t figure out any other reasons for their disappearance???

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]]> By: pris ridgell https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/power-struggles-are-playing-out-at-your-feeder-heres-what-to-look-for/#comment-4528 Mon, 10 Aug 2015 21:28:55 +0000 https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/?p=8254#comment-4528 i have been inundated with about 25 pine siskins, an irruption from the north. i was told to let them feed as they were starving and would leave to return to breeding grounds up north. it’s april 30, and they are still here driving my usual birds nuts. i was told they might stay and breed here. has anyone else had any irruptions of any kind?

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