If you’ve installed a bird feeder for the tiny, helpless birds around your home, you’re doing them a great favor! And if you’re here to learn how to keep those nosy crows away from the feeder – that’s another excellent favor! As such, keep reading, as we’ll share exactly what you must do!
The key stands in two solutions – install a crow-proof bird feeder or protect the one you’ve already purchased and keep your garden clean. There are some other solutions you can try, but they may scare the other birds away as well.
Before discussing details, let’s find out why exactly it’s a bad idea to let crows settle around your yard.
Why Should You Keep Crows Away From Bird Feeders?
Having crows coming to your bird feeders is a very, very bad idea. First, they can become quite aggressive toward other birds, especially if the birds are much smaller. The crows will scare them off, and you can rest assured they won’t return to your backyard.
Secondly, like the tiny birds, you don’t want crows coming back to your yard either. You won’t even be able to have a quiet and peaceful lunch outside without them bothering you.
It’s well-known that crows aren’t the most elegant and polite creatures. On the other hand, they’re intelligent birds that learn from their mistakes. None of these things work in your favor. As such, once they settle around your yard, it will be pretty difficult to scare them away so you’ll have to prevent this at all costs.
Thirdly, if you’re a gardener, the crows will likely damage the flowers in your yard. They may also damage roofing tiles and the seals around windows. Besides this, needless to say, crows carry many diseases that can pose a risk to your health.
How to Keep Crows Away From Bird Feeders?
It might be a true challenge to get rid of crows if you want other birds to visit your backyard. But with a little effort and a little luck, we’re sure you’ll get the results you’re hoping for! Remember that the key is consistency – after all, fighting these intelligent creatures can be truly difficult and time-consuming!
Choose a Bird Feeder for Small Birds
First things first – the bird feeder. You have to make sure it doesn’t invite crows in. Opt for bird feeders created especially for small birds.
For example, some bird feeders are designed in a way that they close when larger birds or animals land on them. Others are enclosed and have small openings accessible only to small birds.
This is probably your best option if you want other birds to keep coming to your yard. Other solutions might indeed scare the crows, but your garden may look unappealing to smaller birds as well.
Protect Your Bird Feeder
If buying a new feeder isn’t an option, you can protect the one you’ve already purchased by covering it with a net or mesh that allows only small beaks to get the seeds out.
Another option is to place the bird feeder in a protected place. That is, you can install a fence around the bird feeder and make some tiny holes for birds to squeeze in without hurting themselves.
You’ll have to be a little creative with this option and research the size of the birds that live in your area, as well as those of the crows you want to get rid of.
Keep Your Garden Clean
Specialists suggest that you should clean your garden thoroughly and remove all crow droppings or nesting materials. They argue that these birds are attracted by the scent of their poop even if you install crow deterrents.
Besides this, you’ll have to remove the spilled bird food from your yard. Even if you protect the bird feeder, the crows will still visit your precious garden if seeds are scattered throughout it.
If you have pets, we recommend placing their bowls inside the house, as crows won’t mind eating dog or cat food, as well. This way, not only will you keep them at bay but also protect your pets from potential diseases.
Scare Them Away
Some bird enthusiasts argue that crows are scared by specific sounds, especially of other crows in distress. You can rely on Youtube for this, but ensure to observe whether these sounds scare the other birds as well.
Others suggest that crows get scared of decor crows hung upside down with their wings spread. You can try this method, but as already mentioned, ensure it doesn’t keep the other birds at bay.
Whichever way you choose to get rid of the crows, remember that they are intelligent creatures. They can learn that there’s no real danger and will return to your yard in no time. That’s why it’s of absolute importance to be consistent, to use different methods to keep them at bay, and not to keep the device in the same spot for too long.
Feed the Crows
Ultimately, if you can’t scare the crows away or don’t want to, you can feed them by placing their food on a separate tray or platform, far from your backyard bird feeder but also far from your house.
However, remember that this might attract more crows than you expect so it’s only a last resort. Furthermore, if crows are abundant where you live, it’s best not to encourage them to stay there by feeding them.
What Else Can You Do To Keep Crows Away?
There are many other methods you can rely on to scare the crows away, such as installing an ultrasonic bird repellent, bird netting, thorny bushes, or scarecrows. You can also try removing all water sources from around your house because crows are attracted to them.
On the other hand, relying on these solutions means you’ll likely have to part ways with smaller birds as well. As such, we strongly recommend trying the techniques listed above. If they still don’t work and you want to keep feeding other birds, you can contact a professional team who will assess the situation and help with a solution.
