Starling-proof Suet Feeder?

Hi Emily

These Guardian feeders will keep out the Starlings whilst letting small birds like tits in. I've got the mealworm one but I'm sure the one for suet will work just as well.

I agree with TeeJay re guardians - I have a seed one and it is great - mine is an RSPB one.

I did read about ones with guardians but some people had issues with the gaps in the guard being too big so that the Starlings could squeeze through or that the guard wasn't far enough away from the feeder so that they could still poke their beaks through and reach the food that way.

Have you both had success with these guardian feeders?

There are different sorts of Guardian feeders according to what you want to keep out. I've never seen a Starling manage to get into the ones that I gave in the link above. They try but they are frustrated. Here's photo of one trying but failing to get in.

The tits have no problem though

That looks perfect. Thanks TeeJay.

I have the RSPB feeders with guardians and the starlings can reach the food easily - they will empty two feeders in a day :(

I like the look of the ones in the link - are they made with the tube seed feeders inside as well?

I just answered my own question - they come in different food types including tube seed feeders :)

I second that - I acquired a couple of these and they really work

Thanks for the link and the comments

David

Hi Emily (and anyone else who finds that starlings gobble up all the food).  I have finally found a way to keep out starlings from my seed feeder and, with a bit of DIY, you should be able to protect other feeders too.  The answer is plastic mesh (probably intended to protect plants from rabbits) bought from my local garden centre for about £2.50 per metre.  I have circled this around the feeder and attached it to the feeder rings.  The mesh is 4cm wide so Robins and Tits and Finches are having no problem getting through.  It took the Starlings a couple of weeks to discover they could drop in from the top so I have now covered that with chicken wire.  Squirrels will chew through the plastic but I have a dome above my feeder so it's win/win (so far).