Individuals own bird tables in order to lure a mixture of birds to their gardens. Typically they will be trying to attract pretty / exotic wild birds.
But there is a deterrent to other birds and that is when pigeons come in and take over the bird table.
Your bird feeder will attract a selection of birds, including pigeons. You can eliminate pigeons by safeguarding your bird table, safeguarding it with a cage, using the right food, or using special bird tables that stop the larger birds from landing on them! You must also keep the underneath of the area clean.
Best Ways to Keep Pigeons off Your Bird Table
Most importantly, you need to decide on a way to keep your aviary feeder free of pigeons while creating a desirable setting for other wild birds.
Keep an eye on this, and be flexible in changing it as you need to. Here are some ways that you can keep pigeons away.
1. Protect Your Bird Table
There are several ways that you can protect your bird table:
- Another method you can use is to chicken wire around your bird table, and have one side hinged to allow you to get into it. Make sure the holes are large enough for the wild birds to get through, and the pigeons will not be able to enter.
- Another option is to make a fence with wires or strings; if you hang them about 4 cm apart, this is a similar idea, the spaces will be suitable to the wild birds but too small for the pigeons to get through.
- You could also try bird spikes, these are not harmful to the birds, but simply prevent them from landing!
Smaller birds are able to fly to the food, but pigeons will find another place to feed.
2. Add a Cage to Your Feeder
By adding a cage to a bird table you can create a feeder that restricts pigeons and larger birds.
No need for expensive branded cages – you can upcycle a hanging basket turned upside down!(edward)
- Be sure to have it sized appropriately for the length of your bird table.
- You will want to make sure that it is large enough that the pigeon cannot stick its head through the bars of the feeder.
- You will want to peg it down. You don’t want the pigeons to push it away, so make sure it is enclosed to the bird table.
- Also, you will want to layer the food in the middle of the table where the smaller birds can eat it.
3. Choose the Right Food
Pigeons have a real appreciation for certain foods, such as sunflower seeds, corn, millet, or some other seeds that you might find in cheap seed mixtures.
But there are other foods that pigeons are not quite as interested in as you can see below:
- Sunflower hearts
- Fat balls
- Suet products
- Nyjer seed
If you stick to a high-quality mixture, you will be able to attract wild birds, but the pigeons will be less interested.
4. Choose a Bird Table That Prevents Large Birds From Landing
In the event that you do not have a table for birds yet, it is possible to acquire one that is fitted with either spikes or another method of preventing larger birds from sitting on it.
There are plenty of choices available, but they are similar to those mentioned above.
5. Clean the Ground Underneath Frequently
It’s important to regularly keep the area below your bird table clean.
If you allow the mess or leftover food to sit under the bird table it will attract pigeons and a number of other animals including, mice, rats, or raccoons.
Ideally you will remove the leftover every day just before sundown. The hulls from the sunflower seeds can create a lot of mess and attract pigeons and other animals. It’s helpful to look for seed mixes that contain seeds without hulls.
This will lessen the amount of mess and the birds will eat more of the seed you put out. Other foods that pigeons don’t love include:
- Larger pieces of fruit
- Mealworms
- Peanuts in the shell
- Jelly
If you select fruits or jelly, you will have to clean up any leftovers.
While they will attract squirrels or insects, pigeons will not be interested in these foods.
Will Pigeons Frighten Other Birds Away?
Larger birds generally do intimidate smaller birds. They consume bird seed, and they often take the best locations. While not as assertive as blue jays and larger birds, pigeons still allow smaller birds to remain vigilant when they are present.
While three pigeons are on your bird table, smaller birds may not even perch on the table, but there are times when a flock of them will swoop down and bother pigeons until they leave.
There are some larger birds that actually will kill smaller birds, including crows, gulls, woodpeckers, herons, and a few others.
As long as you take precautions to protect the small birds you want feeding at your bird table, this won’t be a concern.
Should You Feed Pigeons?
You will have larger flocks of pigeons if you feed them. Pigeons love junk food, such as corn and sunflower seeds still in the hull. If you have had problems with too many pigeons in your location and you cannot get rid of them, you might consider feeding the pigeons with a strategy.
Find yourself a cheap seed mixture for the pigeons to eat and throw it on the ground a distance away from your bird table.
If your bird table is in your backyard, then feed the pigeons in the front of your location.
Works Well: As soon as you see the pigeons coming for food, immediately put the bird seed out on your bird table. If you cannot eliminate the pigeons, this is a good compromise.
Final Thoughts
You can pigeon-proof your bird table so smaller, prettier birds can feast in your yard.
There are lots of different ways to pigeon-proof your bird table, and then you can see if you want to set up a feed spot for the pigeons.
Pigeons will not attack or kill small birds, but they will steal food from your feeding area. If you pigeon-proof your table and feed small birds correctly, you will keep pigeons away.