Suggestions for keeping unwanted pigeons away from neighbour’s feeder

Q: The couple in the rented bungalow next door have a bird feeder that attracts numerous pigeons. These pigeons land on my roof – sometimes starting at 4:30 a.m. – and wake me with their cooing. I have a good relationship with the owner of the house and have asked him to ask his tenants to stop feeding the birds, but the tenants continue to do so. How can the tenants keep feeding birds while not attracting pigeons?

A: Pigeons are not native to Canada and are a real nuisance. They create substantial droppings which carry diseases that can affect humans and pets. However, many people like to feed other birds, especially smaller birds with attractive plumage.

To avoid drawing pigeons while feeding the attractive birds, the first secret is to put out feed that pigeons do not like. Apparently, just like humans, birds have food preferences! According to information on the Internet, pigeons don’t like sunflower seeds, but most other birds do.

The second secret is to put out the feed in a way which prevents pigeons (or squirrels) from accessing it. Some ideas are the following:

“Gate” in your bird house so only the little birds can get through.

Cage in all food so that pigeons cannot reach it. Maximum effective mesh size will be 2.5 inches. Pigeon-proof feeders are commercially available.

Place a bird feeder on a slope – pigeons hate that.

Use a hopper type feeder with a weighted perch that closes when a heavy bird (or squirrel) lands on it. Avoid long perches. A third key is to avoid food on the ground. Avoid bird seed mixes that contain a lot of milo, or that contain wheat. They are fillers that most birds don’t like, and the birds will knock it out of the feeder. Pigeons, squirrels and rats will eat the milo and wheat on the ground. Using seed products with no shells also helps.

Apparently, pigeons are especially attracted by food or shells or other debris they see on the ground. They are natural ground feeders, and if they do not initially find something on the ground or surface to investigate, they will move on.

Some experts recommend using a single type of food in each feeder, even though one might then use two or three feeders to attract different birds. Birds will sort through the mix for food they like, scooping out seeds or other food they do not like and dropping it on the ground.

If a person use mixes in a hopper style feeder (which looks like a little house, with Plexiglas sides and long perches on each side), larger birds will “beak swipe” to find the seed they want. That is, they will push seed out in big bunches to get to the preferred seed.

Another way to avoid spillage is to buy a catch tray that sits under the feeder. Alternately, hang a bucket under the feeder to catch spillage. Place a tight screen over the bucket that lets in the spillage but not any birds or squirrels.

Hopefully using some or all of those techniques will allow your neighbours to keep feeding the attractive birds while not drawing pigeons.