How to Keep Pigeons Away From Your Bird Feeder?

As bird enthusiasts, we all understand the joy of attracting feathered friends to our backyard feeders. However, with the arrival of these delightful guests often comes the unwelcome presence of pigeons. These city-dwelling birds are notorious for their ability to dominate feeders, leaving little to no seed for your desired bird species.

Furthermore, their droppings can create a mess and even spread disease. If you’re struggling with how to keep pigeons away from your bird feeder, you’re not alone.

In this interesting article, I will talk about how to keep pigeons away from your bird feeder while still allowing other birds to enjoy your feeder. From physical barriers to strategic feeder placement, I’ve got you covered. I’ll also discuss the importance of keeping your feeder clean and well-maintained to prevent the spread of disease.

How to Keep Pigeons Away From Your Bird Feeder?

It’s a beautiful day out, and you’ve decided to feed the birds in your yard. You’ve filled the bird feeder with seeds, anticipating the birds that will soon arrive.

But instead of the colorful array of birds that you were expecting, you find a flock of pigeons have descended upon your feeder and are hogging all the food. Now what?

Dealing with pesky pigeons can be a challenge, but there are several steps you can take to deter them from your bird feeder. Here are a few tips that can help keep pigeons away from your feeder:

Ultrasonic Repellent Devices

Ultrasonic-repellent devices emit high-frequency sound waves that are unpleasant for pigeons, making them stay away from the area. These devices can be used to keep pigeons off balconies and away from gardens or homes.

Chicken Wire or Mesh Surround

Surrounding your bird feeder with chicken wire or mesh can prevent pigeons from accessing the feeder while still allowing smaller birds to feed.

You can create a fence with wires or strings and leave one side with a hinge so you can open and close it. The holes between the wires should be small enough to keep pigeons out but big enough to let smaller birds through.

Pigeon-Proof Bird Feeder

Investing in a pigeon-proof bird feeder is another way to keep pigeons away. These feeders have special guards or barriers that prevent large birds like pigeons from accessing the food.

Anti-Squirrel Cage

Dropping an anti-squirrel cage over a ground bird feeder can prevent pigeons from hopping on top of it. The cage should be positioned in the center of the feeder, with small gaps to keep pigeons out but big enough to allow smaller birds to pass through.

Strong Odours

Pigeons dislike strong odours like cinnamon and hot pepper. To deter pigeons from entering your garden, you can use cinnamon, peppermint essential oil, or cayenne pepper mixed into a spray bottle of water. Spray the mixture anywhere you’ve noticed pigeon activity.

Electronic Repellent

Electronic repellents can be used to prevent pigeons from accessing your bird feeder. These devices emit high-frequency sound waves that are unpleasant for pigeons, making them stay away from the area.

Use Foods That Pigeons Don’t Like

You can also try to discourage pigeons from visiting your bird feeder by choosing foods that they don’t like. Pigeons avoid foods with black oil sunflower seeds, thistle and niger seed.

What Attracts Pigeons to Bird Feeders?

Pigeons are common visitors at bird feeders, but they can be a nuisance to bird enthusiasts as they can eat up large amounts of birdseed and discourage other birds from visiting. It’s important to understand what attracts pigeons to bird feeders so that you can take steps to deter them.

Access to food

The most obvious reason that pigeons are attracted to bird feeders is the easy access to food. Pigeons are opportunistic feeders and will take advantage of any food source available to them. Bird feeders offer a convenient and reliable source of food, which is why they are so popular among pigeons.

Location

Pigeons are more attracted to bird feeders in open areas, such as parks and gardens, than those in more secluded areas. This is because pigeons feel more secure in open areas and are less likely to be disturbed by predators.

Varieties of Food

The type of food offered at the bird feeder is also important. Pigeons are attracted to a variety of different foods, but they are particularly fond of seed-based foods, such as sunflower seeds and millet. Pigeons will also eat a wide range of fruits and vegetables, such as apples, grapes, and lettuce.

Water source

In addition to food, pigeons also require a source of water for drinking and bathing. If a bird feeder is located near a source of water, such as a pond or stream, pigeons are more likely to be attracted to it.

Lack of deterrents

If you do not have any deterrents in place, such as bird spikes or pigeon-proof feeders, pigeons will be able to access your bird feeder easily.

What Bird Food Will Pigeons Not Eat?

Pigeons can be a nuisance at bird feeders, but there are certain types of food that they tend to avoid. If you’re looking to keep pigeons away from your bird feeder, try offering these foods:

• Peanuts in the shell: Pigeons have a hard time cracking open peanuts in the shell, so they may not bother with them.
• Bark Butter: This is a suet-based product that is high in fat and protein, which many birds love, but pigeons tend to avoid.
• Suet: This is another high-fat, high-protein food that pigeons don’t seem to be interested in.
• Mealworms: These are a favorite of many birds, but pigeons tend to avoid them.
• BirdBerry Jelly: This is a fruity jelly that many birds enjoy, but pigeons tend to steer clear of.
• Fruit and Nectar: While many birds love fruit and nectar, pigeons tend to prefer seeds and grains.
• Cylinders and Stackables: These are specially designed bird feeders that have small openings and have been known to deter pigeons.

It’s important to note that while these foods may not attract pigeons, they may still be visiting the feeders. In such a case, you can try using a special feeder that is designed to discourage pigeons and other large birds.

While pigeons can be a nuisance at bird feeders, there are certain types of food that they tend to avoid. By offering these foods, you may be able to keep pigeons away from your bird feeder and attract a wider variety of birds.

Innovative Way of Keeping Pigeons Away From Bird Feeder

Conclusion

Pigeons can be a problem at bird feeders, but from this article, we learned that are several ways to deter them while still providing food for wild birds.

By choosing a bird feeder that is less attractive to pigeons, using decoys, repellents, and physical barriers, and keeping your bird feeder clean, you can enjoy watching wild birds in your backyard without the nuisance of pigeons.

Remember that wild birds are very important to our ecosystem, so it’s vital to protect them. With a little effort, you can create a safe and healthy environment for wild birds to feed and thrive.