Songbird Breed Discrimination

[Kanthaka]

My alpha hen, a Delaware, seems to have definite preferences as to which kinds of wild birds she will tolerate. Is that crazy or what? Sparrows are alright, as are robins, red winged blackbirds and starlings. Crows, bluejays, cardinals and ESPECIALLY mourning doves are harangued and chased. My theory is that sparrows are roughly the size of baby chicks and therefore well tolerated whereas mourning doves resemble chickens more than other songbirds. It's just a guess. Has anyone else watched their chicken interact with wild birds?

 

[gritsar]

I have a sparrow that eats, forages and sleeps with my chickens. Come roost time he jumps right in through the pop door right along with the rest of the chickens.
Not a good idea really, because the wild birds can carry disease and pests to the chickens but I've tried and failed multiple times to run him off. As far as he's concerned he's a chicken and my chickens seem to accept him as part of the flock.

 

[Imp]

Mine pretty much ignore the wild birds. They will alert if a crow flies down low into the yard. In the summer I can get the songbirds, crows, jays, squirrels, and chickens in a circle around me and feed them all.

Imp- peanuts are king around here.