Crows are a socially intelligent species you may sometimes see in your backyard. They are omnivores and feed on almost anything, including peanuts and grains. They also eat insects, reptiles, eggs, and even other birds. Sometimes, they are seen eating garbage, on food storages, feeders, and on the ground.
Human civilization today has given the crows an ideal environment for them to survive. Simple trash in the garbage can supply them with food, and the trees in your backyard can become their homes. However, since they are very social, the appearance of one crow in your area can instantly turn into an uncontrollable flock of blackbirds flying around.
Crows can be messy and disturbing, and sometimes they scare other birds away especially if they are occupying bird feeders. They are aggressive and destructive, which is why they are considered pests. The good news is, you can solve this problem humanely. Here are some ways on how to keep crows away from bird feeders.
Keep your Bird Feeding area Clean
Crows tend to visit your backyard if the place is dirty. They are always in the hunt for food, no matter what it is. That is why you should throw away any trash you can find in your space, including leftovers on the ground. Do not forget to cover your garbage bin. We do not want to give even the slightest chance for crows to eat anything from our yard.
Make it a habit to clean the area to make it less attractive to them. If they can’t find anything to eat at one place, they will move to another to search.
Include Thistle and Safflower Seeds in The Feeds
Crows dislike thistle and safflower seeds, and including these two in the mix you put in your feeder would get rid of them. Supplying them with food that they will not eat will surely keep them away. Doing this will make them uninterested in going into your place and in the bird feeder. Avoid putting cracked corn and sunflower seeds because they enjoy these types of seeds.
Cover Bird Feeders
Make food less available for the crows by covering your bird feeders. You can use hanging baskets tied together by cable ties and fixed around the bird feeder. Smaller birds can still go through the gaps to get food, while larger birds can eat the spilled seeds on the ground.
This is an effective way to keep crows away because if they have limited and difficult access to feeds, they will definitely spare your area and move to another.
Opt for a Customized Size Bird Feeder
Use a bird feeder that is designated only to the birds you want to feed. Do not use large bird feeders where crows can enter. If you have a budget, you can invest in a bird feeder that automatically closes when a larger bird tries to enter and feed.
Do not forget to clean spillage on the ground after the smaller birds are done feeding because this attracts crows to enter. This will keep them come back to your yard.
Put a Shiny or Reflective Material
Be it old CDs, metallic balloons, aluminum plates, strings, mirrored tape ribbons, anything that shine will work! Crows do not like shiny materials because they think it is a weapon and are dangerous to them. As these materials catch the light, they become nervous and avoid the area right away.
You can put these reflective, shiny materials right next to your bird feeder so that crows will never attempt to get close to them. This is a tested technique to keep crows away instantly.
Play High Sounds and Noises
Just like shiny objects, crows get nervous easily when hearing high sounds and noises especially if these are distress signals from other crows. You can search for different sounds on YouTube which can help you keep the crows away from your area. It can be fireworks sounds or sounds of killer birds and predators. You can play this on your Bluetooth speakers.
When doing this, make sure to keep the volume enough for the crows to hear and not too loud that can disturb your neighbors. Let them know that you are trying to get rid of the crows by playing these noises. Make sure to schedule a time of the day when you will play these noises.
Bird nets
Bird nets are a useful tool to use against the crows. These birds tend to avoid bird nets because they find them dangerous. They are afraid to get stuck into the net and end up dead. Thus, it is effective to put up a bird net over your garden or your bird feeding area. Choose a smaller mesh netting to make sure that crows will not even think of trying to pass through it.
You can put it anywhere you want: down to the ground, up from the roof, or covering an area. A sight of a bird net will surely keep the crows away.
Use of bird spikes
Bird spikes are another effective tool to use. These come in strips or branches and can be installed easily on your roof or the ground. Make sure that it is visible to the crows as these spikes will stop them from landing. With bird spikes, they will eventually skip your area for the succeeding days.
Conclusion
True enough, crows can sometimes be blamed for a messy backyard. Being very social, they tend to attract other birds of their kind. They also are responsible for bullying smaller birds. Because of this, it can be frustrating to give feeds. Their intelligence and resilience may make it look hard to get rid of them. But there is always a solution to this.
There are various ways on how to keep the crows away without having to harm them. You can follow just one way or combine it with other techniques for better effectiveness. It will keep crows away from bird feeders in no time.