Sparrow Invasion

Is there a birdseed that house sparrows won't eat? I use mixed birdseed, and the sparrows eat it all and scare away the other birds.

—Mrs. John Wheeler, Rigby, Idaho

George: Sparrows love most of the ingredients in wild birdseed mixes. The solution is to offer seeds that sparrows don't like, such as niger (thistle), safflower and sunflower in the shell (although some house sparrows are able to crack sunflower shells). Also, sparrows usually can't feed from tube feeders without perches. Unfortunately, the same is true for more desirable birds like northern cardinals.