The Red-bellied Woodpecker and the European Starling

Just in case you don't know, the European Starling is an invasive species in the United States. They were brought and released in New York City's Central Park in 1890. They adapt easily and soon spread across the United States. The Starlings are also very aggressive as you will see from the tale I am about to tell you.

Leftovers tonight! I was standing at the kitchen window, washing out a bowl that was emptied, when lot's of motion caught my eye. Standing on tiptoe, I looked down to the back yard and saw numerous starlings and one lone male Red-bellied Woodpecker.  The woodpecker was on the small suet cage, attempting to eat some. The starlings, being the greedy birds that they are, were attempting to get the woodpecker off of the suet. I know some of you will say, "they have to eat too!" The problem is they ate all day long and finished off three of the small squares of suet I stuffed into one of the large block suet cages.  When I looked around noon, there was still suet left. Pieces of all 3 suet blocks. By 3:30 p.m., all of that suet had been eaten and they moved down to the other small suet cage. 

I have two blocks of suet that has a cage around the feeder. The sparrows can get in but not the starlings. The Downy Woodpecker can get in but not the Red-bellied.  I always put a block of suet in the small hanging cage so the larger woodpeckers can have suet too. However, with all the European Starlings around, the woodpeckers haven't been around so much!  

I got my camera and took a picture with the Red-bellied Woodpecker and then, not one minute later, he gave up fighting and left. 

I may have to get yet another birdfeeder. One I saw at the bird store I go to. It is a log type, that suet goes in and you keep the suet back far enough so the woodpecker with longer beaks and tongues can reach the suet but the sparrows and starlings can't. 




Since this was published at 4:43 p.m. Central Daylight Savings Time, every bit of suet in that small cage has been eaten. It is now 5:33 p.m. Central Daylight Savings Time!  Told you they were greedy and aggressive! 



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