Yup, you’re correct, that’s a female Red-Bellied Woodpecker. And how wonderful you got both the Downy and Hairy in the same shot! That’ll definitely help people tell them apart. And great tips for the suet feeder! 😊
I probably should mention that I shooting trap starlings year round. There's two types of Starlings there's residential and there's migratory a lot of people don't know that
To be honest, I did this to keep the red-winged blackbirds and the grackles from getting the food. I typically remove it in winter. I don't have any starlings around because I kill them year-round, along with the house sparrows
Seems like the best solution I've seen. Starlings can hang upside down to eat suet, this has the advantage of really giving them nothing to hang from. Maybe they can climb up the pole or inside of the cage if they really wanted to? If anyone has an update on how it holds up to pest birds that would be great!
To be honest I put this on there to keep the red-winged blackbirds and the grackles from eating it. I really don't have many starlings because I kill so many of them for the past 20 years
@@crzrck most likely if it works for grackles, it probably works for starlings. At worst it would be a significant deterrent and that's good enough. I think I'll give it a try. I hate seeing the woodpeckers have to fight off starlings at the feeder.
A very good idea, and I may steal your idea to make one. But seeing the sharp edges worries me. I would add car door edge guards to protect their eyes or legs from the bottom edges. Thanks for the idea. This could also be done with plastic film (how I might make it) and I will add car door edge guards or equivalent. Easier to add that that than to fix the injured birds. Thanks!
Good video. I'm thinking about doing this. How easy is it to put a new cake inside the feeder. Does the screen come off easily or does the suet bloom container come out at the top?
the suet cage rotates..I pull out the welding rod stick my hand in and twist the suet cage down and open it and replace it. I dont have to take anything apart....
I really don't know I threw this thing together without measuring anyting. It's big enough for them to go right up at a 90 degree angle. And it's also big enough for me to open up the cage and putting a new cake in there without having to take the cage out
@crzrck I have one of them wildbirdsunlimited cylinder suet logs and can't keep starlings off of it and trying to figure out to do same thing but with the log. I changed my profile picture to show what I mean. Miss my red bellied. I never ever had starlings in 21 years living in central Florida until last week. Ordered the repeat trap should arrive in few days. I loath starlings. I also just bought the 12 room trendsetter purple martin house 2 months ago no martins yet and have crescent openings closed with pool noodles for now. I have that compartment sparrow trap but starlings don't even go near purple martin house nor the bluebird houses. I think they're nesting somewhere else nearby. About 4 of them. I can't stand them.
@@dianeleblanc2970 if you live in Florida the Martins are about laying eggs this moment you're going to have to open that Martin house. Because the Martin season is well underway there. Starling should be nesting as well. Making a cages to go around that log shouldn't be an issue but you're going to have to be creative about it
@crzrck I'm afraid bluebirds, titmouse or wrens will take it over why I was doing what I read that to establish a new colony to keep them closed. It's confusing sometimes lol.
@@dianeleblanc2970 PS you have to keep the other birds out but you got to let the purple martins in sometime.. are you familiar with something called The Dawn song because that's what usually attracts purple martins to a modern house
They were using it within a minute or two. I have to say this I already had the the suet cage in the spot that it always was. It was always in the middle of the T section of the T post. I just got sick and tired of feeding the grackles and the Red Wings. What I did was just improvise. I really do not have a problem with starlings because I kill so many of them there's not many of them around. I actually take that cage off in the winter. I actively shoot starlings that land on that post during the winter
Hello, great idea. Have you ever had a starling go up in it? I tried an open bottom caged peanut feeder and it didn’t take long for some of the starlings around here to figure it out as well as an upside down feeder.😢 dang it!
I don't think that'll work for me. I have all of my suet feeders nearly horizontal, and have to remove the suet cage because the starlings will hang from it. Not for long, but, they can still get it. This wouldn't solve my problem. Love the concept, but, here, the starlings would go right up under there and get the suet too. Sorry to say...
What a great idea! I'm often opening my door and yelling at the starlings to go away. What's funny is the little downy woodpecker that comes here seems to know what I'm doing because as soon as they fly off it hops up the little tree the feeder is on onto the suet feeder. It's never scared off when I flap my arms and yell at it lol I can almost hear it going "Thanks!"
@@deborahgray2255 how did it work out for starlings? They are driving me crazy which caused me to find this video. Woodpeckers deserve to eat their suet it peace. Thanks.
Yup, you’re correct, that’s a female Red-Bellied Woodpecker. And how wonderful you got both the Downy and Hairy in the same shot! That’ll definitely help people tell them apart. And great tips for the suet feeder! 😊
I probably should mention that I shooting trap starlings year round. There's two types of Starlings there's residential and there's migratory a lot of people don't know that
I found out fast how ravens demolish exposed suet. I now have a cage over the suet baskets.
This is a terrific idea! Thanks so much for sharing it! :)
cool video, thx for sharing
This also makes it easier for the birds to feed because they have a tail prop from that post.
To be honest, I did this to keep the red-winged blackbirds and the grackles from getting the food. I typically remove it in winter. I don't have any starlings around because I kill them year-round, along with the house sparrows
Well done. And home-made too.
Great idea. I may try this in the back yard
Great idea 👍
The Red-bellied wasn't haven't it 😂
Seems like the best solution I've seen. Starlings can hang upside down to eat suet, this has the advantage of really giving them nothing to hang from. Maybe they can climb up the pole or inside of the cage if they really wanted to? If anyone has an update on how it holds up to pest birds that would be great!
To be honest I put this on there to keep the red-winged blackbirds and the grackles from eating it. I really don't have many starlings because I kill so many of them for the past 20 years
@@crzrck most likely if it works for grackles, it probably works for starlings. At worst it would be a significant deterrent and that's good enough. I think I'll give it a try. I hate seeing the woodpeckers have to fight off starlings at the feeder.
A very good idea, and I may steal your idea to make one. But seeing the sharp edges worries me. I would add car door edge guards to protect their eyes or legs from the bottom edges. Thanks for the idea. This could also be done with plastic film (how I might make it) and I will add car door edge guards or equivalent. Easier to add that that than to fix the injured birds. Thanks!
They dont touch the wire at all
Good video. I'm thinking about doing this. How easy is it to put a new cake inside the feeder. Does the screen come off easily or does the suet bloom container come out at the top?
the suet cage rotates..I pull out the welding rod stick my hand in and twist the suet cage down and open it and replace it. I dont have to take anything apart....
@@crzrck Thank you!
What the diameter measurement of opening? I have a few red bellied woodpeckers and want them to be able to use the suet too.
I really don't know I threw this thing together without measuring anyting. It's big enough for them to go right up at a 90 degree angle. And it's also big enough for me to open up the cage and putting a new cake in there without having to take the cage out
@crzrck I have one of them wildbirdsunlimited cylinder suet logs and can't keep starlings off of it and trying to figure out to do same thing but with the log. I changed my profile picture to show what I mean. Miss my red bellied. I never ever had starlings in 21 years living in central Florida until last week. Ordered the repeat trap should arrive in few days. I loath starlings. I also just bought the 12 room trendsetter purple martin house 2 months ago no martins yet and have crescent openings closed with pool noodles for now. I have that compartment sparrow trap but starlings don't even go near purple martin house nor the bluebird houses. I think they're nesting somewhere else nearby. About 4 of them. I can't stand them.
@@dianeleblanc2970 if you live in Florida the Martins are about laying eggs this moment you're going to have to open that Martin house. Because the Martin season is well underway there. Starling should be nesting as well. Making a cages to go around that log shouldn't be an issue but you're going to have to be creative about it
@crzrck I'm afraid bluebirds, titmouse or wrens will take it over why I was doing what I read that to establish a new colony to keep them closed. It's confusing sometimes lol.
@@dianeleblanc2970 PS you have to keep the other birds out but you got to let the purple martins in sometime.. are you familiar with something called The Dawn song because that's what usually attracts purple martins to a modern house
How long did it take them to figure it out. I just built one.
They were using it within a minute or two. I have to say this I already had the the suet cage in the spot that it always was. It was always in the middle of the T section of the T post. I just got sick and tired of feeding the grackles and the Red Wings. What I did was just improvise. I really do not have a problem with starlings because I kill so many of them there's not many of them around. I actually take that cage off in the winter. I actively shoot starlings that land on that post during the winter
Hello, great idea. Have you ever had a starling go up in it? I tried an open bottom caged peanut feeder and it didn’t take long for some of the starlings around here to figure it out as well as an upside down feeder.😢 dang it!
Nope
@@crzrck humm I might have to try it this summer. If I do I will let you know if it worked for me. Thanks so much for sharing your great idea.
Would you please show a closeup? I can’t see your deterrent method with the wire.
The wire is all around it it's like a round cage made out of quarter 1/8 inch mesh
I don't think that'll work for me. I have all of my suet feeders nearly horizontal, and have to remove the suet cage because the starlings will hang from it. Not for long, but, they can still get it. This wouldn't solve my problem. Love the concept, but, here, the starlings would go right up under there and get the suet too. Sorry to say...
A BB can fix that
Will it keep out the house sparrows?
It should. No I don't really have a problem with them doing that sort of thing they go right into the traps
And one more please. If a woodpecker can reach through, why can’t a starling?
It's not that they reach through the wire they climb up 2 by 4 vertically and go underneath the wire.
What a great idea! I'm often opening my door and yelling at the starlings to go away.
What's funny is the little downy woodpecker that comes here seems to know what I'm doing because as soon as they fly off it hops up the little tree the feeder is on onto the suet feeder. It's never scared off when I flap my arms and yell at it lol I can almost hear it going "Thanks!"
Do you think this would stop the starlings
It should. I kill them all year long but during the winter some show up and cant access the suet
It's the grackles and redwings I wanted to stop and it does
crzrck going to do this at the weekend thanks
@@deborahgray2255 how did it work out for starlings? They are driving me crazy which caused me to find this video. Woodpeckers deserve to eat their suet it peace. Thanks.
crzrck So you feed some birds but kill others? A bird is a bird, feed them all or don’t put out food
Suet, not soot 😂
thank you Grammar Nazi
That's a red-headed woodpecker.
No it is not it's a red-bellied woodpecker. You have to drive about 15 Mi to myself to get to red-headed woodpeckers they need mature oak trees