The Wisconsin birding list discussed this a few years ago. They documented similar behaviors with finches (esp. goldfinches) and thistle. They speculated that the seeds are being treated at such high temperatures (so they don't reseed) that they're drying out and/or that the long import time is drying the seeds out. Apparently, thistle seeds have a short shelf life.
I don't know if their explanation is right. But I'm adding this because birders in at least one other state are noticing the same patterns.
There is a juniper at the edge of my yard. Below it are all sorts of introduced plants that, I suspect, robins (and perhaps waxwings) have spread while visiting the juniper to eat her cones: a young Russian Olive, Poison Hemlock, and thistle. It's neat, though frustrating, to see how these plants cluster around a favored spot of songbirds. Meanwhile, I have several baby junipers growing around my yard, thanks, surely, to those very same songbirds.
- Jared Del Rosso
Centennial, CO
On Tuesday, May 30, 2023 at 3:40:06 PM UTC-6 John Malenich wrote:
I've noticed the same thing with them completely refusing thistle starting at about the same time (3-4 years ago) after many years of devouring thistle with the same feeder set up with sunflower seed nearby. Now they are only eating sunflower no matter how many times I put out fresh thistle....about to give up on it.
John Malenich
Boulder, CO
On Monday, May 29, 2023 at 6:48:50 PM UTC-6 Chip Clouse wrote:
Hulled sunflower gives higher caloric value for less work as it doesn't have to be cracked to be eaten. I think your birds have just gotten smarter, that's all.
Cheers,
Chip Clouse
Lakewood
Birders -
I've noticed a change in Goldfinch (both American and Lesser) behavior over the past 6 years or so.
I live in Roxborough Village, and going back 5-6 years, we had a dramatic increase in the numbers of Goldfinches. Two foot-tall mesh thistle feeders would be covered with a dozen Goldfinches each, with easily a dozen or more waiting to feed. It was normal for them to consume 1/2 to 2/3 of the seed from each feeder daily.
Local populations crashed roughly 3-4 years ago, with almost no Goldfinches showing up at my feeders. Oddly, at that time, I noticed that the remaining Goldfinches had gravitated to my (shelled) sunflower seed feeders. This continued for a roughly 3 years, with only one or two Goldfinches showing up at a time.
So far, this seemed normal as populations shift, and Goldfinches are known to eat sunflowers, but they were completely ignoring my thistle feeders.
This year has brought more Goldfinches - as many as 10 at a time - but the unusual thing is that they ALL are eating sunflower seeds and ALL ignoring my thistle feeders.
I dumped all my older seed and have completely refilled my thistle feeders twice, and have moved one to the front yard, but the Goldfinches continue to eschew my thistle feeders and in both front and back yards now exclusively eat sunflower seeds.
At the same time, House Finches are also ignoring my thistle feeders.
While it's possible I've purchased a bad or old batch of thistle, I'd like to think that the bird supply retailer I use hasn't received bad seed.
So my question to the group is whether anyone else is seeing Goldfinches at their feeders refusing to eat thistle?
Thanks!
Jim Tyler
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