Crows and other large garden birds.

[HMS_Dave]

I've had a similar problem with Wood pigeon's. Nothing worked. I haven't had the mental strength to try it but have you considered asking Drago for a pair of his stained Y-fronts to hang on the line? Surely that will work?

 

[slowmotion]

I've had a similar problem with Wood pigeon's. Nothing worked. I haven't had the mental strength to try it but have you considered asking Drago for a pair of his stained Y-fronts to hang on the line? Surely that will work?

Ask him to come round with his Beretta Silver Pigeon over and under shotgun.

 

[OldShep]

Buy wooden dolly pegs and see if they like them.

 

[a.twiddler]

Wood pigeons are pretty dim. They don't have the opportunistic decision making ability of the average crow. Crows tend to be aggressive being predators and scavengers. Wood pigeons are usually timorous and easily scared away, as lots of creatures eat them. Surprisingly, the other day I saw a wood pigeon chase off a magpie in a dispute over a hunk of bread in the garden. Maybe it was a bit of a territorial thing, too where the wood pigeon perhaps felt it had the rights in this case. Assuming it has the brain power to actually process that concept.

I can see how crows and magpies might find clothes pegs interesting, as they seem to like to manipulate objects with their powerful beaks, especially if they can crunch them, but if a wood pigeon can't eat something, it usually loses interest.

I wonder if there's something nearby that attracts the crows like a rubbish dump. Perhaps the pegs in the OP's garden are just a bit of light entertainment once they've eaten and are on the way back to their roost?

 

[gbb]

Reminds me at our last factory, they placed a plastic, life sized owl with a moving head for reality on the roof where they were getting lots of bird nesting problems.
I walked up the yard one day to see a pigeon sat a foot away from the supposed deterrent.
Well, that worked well....

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Aarrgghh, the ****ing crows and magpies!

One or more have only removed a metal rod or sprue which was holding the bottom of a feeder in. Cue a pile of peanuts on the ground and lots of happy but squabbling birds.

It was a relatively new feeder and although not very expensive, it's still annoying.

Luckily, I have an old feeder which had started to fall apart, in the shed, so I have repaired it with donor pieces, but, still, FFS!

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Buy wooden dolly pegs and see if they like them.

I forgot to get back about this thread I have been a bit busy so have not been doing so much washing, but the wooden ones seem to be holding up so far.

Wood pigeons are pretty dim. They don't have the opportunistic decision making ability of the average crow. Crows tend to be aggressive being predators and scavengers. Wood pigeons are usually timorous and easily scared away, as lots of creatures eat them. Surprisingly, the other day I saw a wood pigeon chase off a magpie in a dispute over a hunk of bread in the garden. Maybe it was a bit of a territorial thing, too where the wood pigeon perhaps felt it had the rights in this case. Assuming it has the brain power to actually process that concept.

I can see how crows and magpies might find clothes pegs interesting, as they seem to like to manipulate objects with their powerful beaks, especially if they can crunch them, but if a wood pigeon can't eat something, it usually loses interest.

Actually, talking of confidence, we have lots of baby blue tits and other small birds. At first, the pigeons, crows and magpies scared them away, but they are getting bolder now and will now share a feeder with a bigger bird!

I wonder if there's something nearby that attracts the crows like a rubbish dump. Perhaps the pegs in the OP's garden are just a bit of light entertainment once they've eaten and are on the way back to their roost?

We live near to a large park and golf course, not to mention in an urban setting. The dump is quite a distance off.
My neighbour has been feeding the birds for years (as have I, on and off), so I think they have just learned. Also I had a lot of seed which the birds never touched in the feeders, but when scattered on the grass, they loved it. Whenever anything lands on the ground now, they are right in there like a shot.
They have also learned to stand below the feeders and collect what one on the feeder drops.
They are, of course, all feeding their chicks - Even crows don't just 'appear'.

Anyway, I have now learned, after seeing my neighbour's feeders empty for a while (and mine full) that he has stopped feeding the birds to deter the big birds, so I am in something of a quandary, because I need to help him deter the crows and a so on, but, the young birds need a bit of help and I don't want to make them go away completely, especially the more unusual species like the Woodpeckers!

Reminds me at our last factory, they placed a plastic, life sized owl with a moving head for reality on the roof where they were getting lots of bird nesting problems.
I walked up the yard one day to see a pigeon sat a foot away from the supposed deterrent.
Well, that worked well....

Oh, they aren't daft (relatively speaking).

 

[annedonnelly]

You need something like this -caged feeder - so the smaller birds can get to the food and the large ones can't.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

You need something like this -caged feeder - so the smaller birds can get to the food and the large ones can't.

Thanks, that is an option, I must admit.

That said, I have a feeder with tiny holes for small birds and the big ones STILL manage to get into it - I swear I have birds that can shapeshift like that guy in Terminator! 😆

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I've stopped feeding them, in line with my neighbour and am just letting them eat the last of the food now.

I'll wait a few days probably until they have all got bored and stopped waiting on my roof and the roofs of the surrounding buildings and then start again with things for the smaller birds.

Not that it'll do much use probably.

How do you deter Crows Magpies and pigeons but not other species anyway? Is it even possible?
Oh and we have some Seagulls too, but they have not been so prolific recently.

EDIT: Just started to look it up - I thought that CDs and so on attracted Magpies as they like shiny things! ☺️
Lovely looking birds Magpies too, I wont deny.