Mockingbirds are notoriously territorial, and will take over bird feeders and chase away timid birds. When other territorial birds, or bullies, take over a feeder, you can usually deter them by changing your feed. Nightingales, you will read, prefer foods such as worms, suet, berries, and insects. But if you’re handing out free seeds, they’ll ruin your bird feeder party every time. Not only do they try to drive off other birds, but they also take on dogs, cats, and the occasional bombardment of a human to let him know who’s boss at the feeder. It can be very, very difficult to get rid of a mockingbird once he has made himself comfortable. These stalker birds can throw off your bird feeding plans.
If you can’t beat them, join them, or at least let them stay in your garden. Nightingales aren’t all bad, of course; they are following their natural tendency to assert themselves. They can help keep pests out of your garden, and learning to recognize their calls is something any bird lover will enjoy. But perhaps the most common reason people let mockingbirds stay in their yard is because they don’t have much of a choice! Mockingbirds will stay as long as they get food, even if it is food they may not prefer if given a choice.
Some people try to post plastic or wooden silhouettes of owls or hawks to deter the bird from returning, but this is unreliable and often the mockingbird will figure out that these “predators” pose no threat. Another rather slow, if not absurd, idea is to fill a Super Soaker with soapy water and shoot the nightingale every time it enters your garden or approaches the feeder.
You don’t want to stop feeding or seeding because you want to encourage other birds to visit your garden. How do you overcome the important obstacle presented by the nightingale? Try making another set of bird feeder plans and build your bird feeder somewhere else in your yard. If possible, be sure to place a natural or artificial barrier between this feeder and the one your mockingbird has claimed. A grass hedge or fence will work; you can also place the other feeder on the other side of your house or building. The other birds will start coming to this feeder, while the mockingbird stays to rule over his.
