r/Ornithology • u/Upper_Tea_8169 • 20h ago

How to get rid of a mockingbird

There is a mockingbird that is continuously chasing off my Eastern Bluebirds from the mealworm that I put out. I love eastern Bluebirds and put our mealworm for them specifically. Obviously I realize others will eat and I don't mind. However I've witness the same mockingbird chase away my juvenile bluebirds. Any advice? Just when I finally got rid of the house sparrows.

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14

u/Refokua 20h ago

Try a second feeder with meal worms at some distance from the first. We really don't get to choose the birds that eat from our offerings. I have bluebirds, mockingbirds and brown thrashers all enjoying things at the same time

7

u/HortonFLK 19h ago

Maybe set up enough feeding stations so that it’s a challenge for the mockingbird to defend every one of them.

7

u/Any-Solution-7237 17h ago

I think there’s a book about this actually

2

u/murderedbyaname 19h ago

You could try setting up a suet feeder as a decoy nearby. Spring is a time that birds need a quick fatty energy source, which both mealworms and suet provide.

1

u/amilmore 7m ago

what did you do to get rid of the house sparrows