Crows On Bird Feeders
 

HI JTs,WOULD ANYONE KNOW HOW TO STOP HUNDREDS OF CROWS (besides running down the garden like a lunatic flapping my arms & shouting) FROM ATTACKING ALL MY HANGING BIRD FEEDERS?I HAVE ONE OF THESE STANDS WITH 3 DIFFERENT HANGING NUT FEEDERS.IF YOU COULD ONLY SEE THESE BIG IDIOTS HANGING ON TO THESE FEEDERS FOR DEAR LIFE!THEY HAVE EVERY BIT OF FOOD GONE ON THE LITTLE BIRDS.DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY HELPFUL HINTS (i even tried a scare crow-nothing can scare these!)
THANKS AMIL...ALL TIPS WELCOME...

They're pests aren't they! I suspect I have the same problem, just haven't caught them yet.
The only thing I can think of is, if you surround the feeders with mesh big enough for the small birds to get through but not the crows heads. Or you could make entry points big enough for the little ones. I will have to make something like this for one of my feeders to keep the doves out.

Caged food seems a little odd....lol

Eibhlin has a brilliant idea for hers that are on the side of her house in one of the Before/After threads. Maybe a smaller but similar round woven effort will help out the little birdies?

crows
 

Hi there, I have same problem!! big black ugly things, nicking all the food!!! think I will buy a gun!!! that should sort them! are you allowed to kill crows in Ireland, thought I read about a law somewhere that they are protected!! maybe someone will tell me. :)

I had to do make shift pointed roof on my stand. Just make sure it goes beyond the food. Then they cant lean down n get it and also no space to land on feed.

Hold on a minute!
what makes you think small pretty birds are hungrier than big black ugly ones?
Aren't you being a bit species-ist? :)

(though I agree the noise can be annoying).

crows
 

All wild birds are protected, unless they are causing damage to crops, livestock and fauna or represent a threat to public health or to air safety.
Since robbing bird food from the little birdies does not fit into this category I'm afraid you can't kill them.
Saying that I understand exactly where you are coming from, they are noisey beggers. I would suggest you hide your bird feeders in the trees or bushes (if you have any) I have loads of feeders in the bushes in my garden and only the little fellas can get at them.

By the way did you ever look at the David attenborough video on youtube on how intellegent crows are http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGPGknpq3e0 so I don't think they will be fooled easily.

crows
 

Hi Jt,s, I thought there was a law about birds alright, so better put my gun away!! I wouldnt kill them anyhow, but sometimes feel like it, as they are nesting in an old chimmney pot which is above our bedroom!! and the bloody noise is loud.. I was up this morning at 6am, and there they all are on my front lawn pinching all the bread I put out last night. If you look closely at them they have pretty eyes! but thats about it. My bird feeder has a roof on it, and they never go on it, so not sure that makes a difference.. anyhow, maybe like other person said, try moving it. goodluck anyhow. :)

THANK YOU TO ALL JTs,I AM GOING TO TRY & MAKE A LITTLE POINTY ROOF FOR THE BIRD-STAND/FEEDERS & SEE HOW THAT WORKS!I WATCHED THAT UTUBE VIDEO TOO...OMG...IT FREAKED ME OUT ABIT TO THINK THEY ARE THAT INTELLIGENT!THEY HANG UPSIDE DOWN ON MY FEEDERS & ACT LIKE VULTURES...GIVES ME THE CREEPS.WILL LET YOU ALL KNOW HOW IT GOES!
ONCE AGAIN...A BIG THANK YOU TO YOU ALL...YOUR A GREAT TEAM!
ESTELLE...

ferral pigeons ditto!
 

I have seed tables up and the feral pigeons have discovered my 'patch,;
I love my 'woodies' and 'collared doves' so how can i get rid of the piggies without the other birds which are almost as big and and same size?

pigeons gone
 

i lost most of my pigeons when i took the table feeders away, but alas also lost my collared doves and regular woodies.
but this winter my small bird population has increased.
last winter one great tit, this winter all tits and zillions of house sparrows, dunnock too visit, robin but no blackbirds now.
the bigger birds have more body fat so they survive better than the little uns, the bigger birds are well able to find food, their size is very intimidating for smaller birds.
there is a pecking order for all birds.
i have noticed, before most birds up, the dunnock will be out, then the sparrows, then the tits. the pigeons come whenever they like.
there is a pecking order to the tits too, the bigger they are, they feed first, or if a long feeder, they are at the top!

We cater for all,we buy the big bags of bird seed for the small ones,nuts from the €shops till we have enough of the nets that they come in and just fill them,make fat balls,we have so many hanging all over the property that their is plenty for every birds liking,and the best bit is that they in turn leave my clothes lines in and out of the sheds out of poop range... I say feed them all.

Hitchcock the birds??J?
 

Dee,
my place is about 18ft by 12ft, its a slip of a patch, it was like bloody hitchcock's Birds and Psycho, bound together.
one day a visitor came.
"Oh my God whats that noise"
we went into the bedroom, thousands of bloody pigeons were dive bombing the stick on window feeder, stabbing at bodies with beaks, missing, slamming into the glass, actually it was far from funny i have to say.
the starlings were even worse. they came from the whole of south county dublin, i swear!
p

Crows
 

I had the same problem here in Kerry, what l have done, is to put the feeders into old bird cages, Take the bottom off the cage, and take off a few bars so the birds can get in and out easily, and that seems to have stopped them, so far. good luck.

birds
 

I used an old swing stand but you would make something similar A shaped
and put board or wood on the top part of the A to make table and the cheap wire you can buy either plastic or wire the cover the top part of the A to table the small birds can get in and not the big birds (who will clean up underneath) just leaving yourself a flap to enable cleaning and supplies
it works and keeps the order
grow some climbers up legs it makes it look better. good luck

so the A makes the table & is not ugly