In light of news that disgruntled New Yorkers have resorted to poisoning pigeons in makeshift feeders to scare them away, I thought it’d be a good idea to post on some humane ways to get deter pigeons from invading your yard and feeder.
Although pigeons are obviously birds too, they aren’t always desirable and are seen as pests. If your yard, more specifically your feeder, is being targeted and tormented by flocks of hungry pigeons, here are some humane things you can do to keep them away.
1. Keep your yard clean
Pigeons are attracted to messy areas where food is plentiful. If you have a feeder, other birds tend to knock seed onto the floor and if you don’t pick it up, it could be a hotspot for pigeons.
2. Make food difficult for them to get
Pigeons love to forage on the ground, so in certain areas with high populations of pigeons, ground feeders are essentially pigeon feeders. Consider doing away with the ground feeder and getting a hanging feeder with small perches and access points. This keeps larger birds out, but allows smaller songbirds to eat.
3. Set up a bird of prey statue
Pigeons are frightened by birds of prey like hawks and owls, which is why fake birds of prey are effective in keeping them away. Just be aware that other birds might also be scared of the statues.
4. Get rid of perches
You’ve likely seen spikes along perches once popular for pigeons. Taking away places for them to perch on, such as along fences or on the roof, will force them to go elsewhere.
5. Try an electronic repellent
This method takes recordings of distressed pigeons and plays it loudly as a warning for other pigeons that the area is dangerous. The devices have mixed reviews and tend to be noisy, but it’s worth a try if there are a lot of pigeons.
10 Comments
I would love to see a picture of this. I love the birds; however not pigeons
It’s a video on their instragram. I’m going to give it a go tomorrow!
I have window feeders and Paulina Paredes gave me an idea. I’m going to wrap filament line around the feeders top to bottom, leaving plenty of space for mid sized birds but too small
for larger birds to climb into the feeder for a buffet! They are designed with covers to protect the food with rain which they perch on. I’ll attach something that’s sharp as they are the only birds that climb on top. The small
Woodpeckers fly in and balance with their tails, so they are a joy to see.