Bird Table News Forums » Feeding Birds In Your Garden

Ways To Stop Large Birds Eating All the Bird Food

(12 posts)

  1. admin
    Key Master

    I received this idea to keep pigeons away from the bird food

    I have just joined the throng to attracted garden birds and bought a standing feeder with three hanging feeders a feeding tray and a water bowl. At first I had robins and other small birds. Then along came the pigeons. They couldn’t get to the hanging feeders but perched in the tray and had their fill.

    What I have done is to place the water bowl immediately above the feeder tray so that hopefully they can no longer perch there but there is room for the little birds to feed.

    Not sure of results yet but so far they have come but flown away again. May help some of you.

    I have just joined the throng to attracted garden birds and bought a standing feeder with three hanging feeders a feeding tray and a water bowl. At first I had robins and other small birds. Then along came the pigeons. They couldn't get to the hanging feeders but perched in the tray and had their fill.

    What I have done is to place the water bowl immediately above the feeder tray so that hopefully they can no longer perch there but there is room for the little birds to feed.

    Not sure of results yet but so far they have come but flown away again. May help some of you. G.

    Posted 1 year ago #

  2. TopVeg
    Member

    My son had this problem as he lives near a rookery, & the rooks were emptying all his feeders.

    He put a circle of canes round the bird table - it does not look very pretty but it keeps the big birds off.

    Posted 1 year ago #

  3. admin
    Key Master

    Hi TopVeg,
    Thanks for the tip. It's good to hear how others are stopping larger birds from taking smaller birds food. I think I will start to compile a list of tips in a post on my website.
    Kind regards
    Trisha from birdtablenews

    Posted 1 year ago #

  4. TopVeg
    Member

    I suppose it would be possible to devise a maize of tunnels into a feeder for small birds - which bigger ones could not access. Or would the birds find that too complicated?

    Posted 1 year ago #

  5. admin
    Key Master

    Hi Top Veg, good to hear from you again. I live near a rookery and it is amazing how agile and clever rooks are. I do get fed up of them. Usually by now they have stopped coming to the garden, but this year they still arrive, which is the reason I think your son's idea is brilliant! I am going to do it.

    I think it would be fun to put together a maize of tunnels into a feeder for small birds to get to. Mmmm. It would be interesting to see how the smaller birds coped. I bet they would cope really well.

    Say thanks to your son. Trisha

    Posted 1 year ago #

  6. TopVeg
    Member

    It would keep the squirrels away too!

    Posted 1 year ago #

  7. admin
    Key Master

    Hi Top Veg, The solution of putting a circle of canes round a birdtable to keep the big birds off is still working in my garde.

    You are right it doesn't look pretty, BUT IT WORKS. I have thrushes and blackbirds on the bird table new. The large birds just can't get through.

    There are other feeders that would keep big birds off, such as the caged bird feeders and the mesh covered ground feeders, but they don't allow blackbirds and thrushes in. Your method lets any sort of bird in - except the big ones like pigeons, rooks, crows etc.

    I live near a rookery and they are often scavenging in the garden. Thanks again for the tip

    Posted 1 year ago #

  8. admin
    Key Master

    I would first of all like to thank Trish for her inspiration.

    I cannot stand grey pigeons, as they finish enough food to feed 4 or 5 of the smaller birds in my garden. So through searching for advice on how to keep pigeons away from the bird table
    I stumbled upon Trish’s idea of placing canes around the table. I thought I might take this a step further and incorporate the canes into the table itself creating a more aesthetically pleasing table. I ended up purchasing a table from H*meb*s* along with a strip of floor edging to act as my canes.
    Instead of boring you with the details of how I made the table pigeon proof, I thought

    I might post pictures up instead (as soon as I know how) which are self-explanatory.
    The pigeons have tried to enter the ‘house’ but being too big they couldn’t balance on any part of the table apart from the roof. All other birds however have been enjoying the treats I have put out for them which in previous days would have been finished by the pigeons before the smaller birds even got a taste. This has all been happening while the pigeons sit on the fence and wonder how they are going to enter, but all their attempts have failed!
    Thanks Trish!

    Submitted on 2009/12/28 at 2:49pm

    THIS IS IN REPLY TO THIS ARTICLE
    http://birdtablenews.com/2009/07/keeping-pigeons-away-from-bird-tables/
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    Hi Shiv, Thanks for saying I’m an inspiration. I’ve never been called that before!

    What a brilliant idea of yours to put the canes round the bird table itself. I would never have thought of that in a million years.
    Can I ask where you live? Is it in England?

    It’s brilliant that the internet can spread practical ideas like this.

    I, like you, have been so fed up watching pigeons and rooks get bird food that I put out for smaller garden birds.

    I was amused when I saw pigeons sitting on the fence trying to sort out a way to get at the food. They didn’t manage it.

    Hi Shiv, Thanks for saying I'm an inspiration. I've never been called that before!

    What a brilliant idea of yours to put the canes round the bird table itself. I would never have thought of that in a million years.
    Can I ask where you live? Is it in England?

    It's brilliant that the internet can spread practical ideas like this.

    I, like you, have been so fed up watching pigeons and rooks get bird food that I put out for smaller garden birds.

    I was amused when I saw pigeons sitting on the fence trying to sort out a way to get at the food. They didn't manage it.
    trish11@tiscali.co.uk
    Trish

    Posted 8 months ago #

  9. admin
    Key Master

    I have received this from Sherrylee

    Hi Trish!
    I have hidden some RSPB Sprinkles under the fallen leaves in the hope that the blackbirds will find them and the woodpigeons won’t! Probably won’t work but worth a try. I put out a whole fat ball on the ground. The blackbird was having a wonderful feast until a carrion crow swooped down and took off with the whole ball in it’s mouth! I was furious! Mind you, it was funny watching it trying to keep it from all the seagulls which suddenly appeared

    -0-0-0-0-

    Hi Sherrylee, What a good idea to hide food under leaves. I see blackbirds pecking the ground all the time, Good to hear from you and thanks for getting in touch

    Posted 8 months ago #

  10. admin
    Key Master

    This is an idea I have received from Sherry -

    I have this problem too but i find if i put out a lot of bread on the garden they tend to eat this instead of the seed.

    i also put corn out for the pigeons.i know they can be a problem but i still would not like to see them go hungry all creatures great and small still count.

    i have this problem too but i find if i put out a lot of bread on the garden they tend to eat this instead of the seed.i also put corn out for the pigeons.i know they can be a problem but i still would not like to see them go hungry all creatures great and small still count.
    sherry

    -0-0-0-

    My reply to Sherry

    I seem to remember someone else told me they did this. They put bird seed in one area of the garden and bread and other things in another area and the large birds took the ‘breaded’ area.

    I have two birdtables, and I put seed on both. Maybe another idea would be if I put bread on one and seed on the other.

    I like putting birdfood on the ground and on a ground feeder. Problem is I am now getting crows and rooks eating this food – but don’t really want to stop putting bird food out

    Thanks for getting in touch. Trisha from Bird Table News

    Posted 8 months ago #

  11. arkwood
    Member

    I tend to use very low roofed bird tables that I make myself, the clearance is only about 3 -4 inches making it more difficult for bigger birds to land in, also many of my designs look like Roman Colluseums with a strut every 3 inches around the table to support the roof, again hindering access to bigger birds (and cats).

    Posted 7 months ago #

  12. admin
    Key Master

    Hi arkwood,
    Thanks for letting us know about your low roofed bird tables, what a good idea. You bird tables sound good. What sort of birds do you get at the tables?
    Kind regards
    Trisha from Bird Table News

    Posted 4 weeks ago #

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