How To Scare Away Pigeons But Not Other Birds Uk

How To Scare Away Pigeons But Not Other Birds: UK (15 Ways) Feeding birds at your home is an enjoyable activity. Yet, it can create problems if pigeons decide to join in. Pigeons become pests that dominate feeding areas and nest in inconvenient areas of homes and buildings. To scare away pigeons but not other birds you can install barriers such as netting, wire cages, and anti-bird spikes that keep the larger pigeon away. Other tactics such as sprayed water, sticky substances, and keeping your yard litter-free help to keep pigeons away. Read on to learn more about the many ways to keep pigeons away, yet allow small birds to still visit your home.

What scares pigeons the most?

What Do Pigeons Hate? – Pigeons hate the sight or presence of other domineering birds, such as birds of prey. This is what makes falconry such a successful deterrent in getting rid of pigeon populations. Additionally, pigeons do not like strong smells, such as cinnamon or hot pepper juice or spray.

What is the best way to scare pigeons away?

The easiest way to deter pigeons from your patio, deck, or balcony, is with sound or reflected light. You can achieve this with a wind chime, Mylar balloon, aluminum foil pans or even hanging CD’s. The reflected light disorients the birds. Plastic owl or rubber snake.

How can I stop pigeons eating all the bird food?

To stop pigeons eating your bird food, try: Wheat Free Food – Wheat free foods deter pigeons and other larger birds like pheasants, whereas mixes which are seed-dense ensure smaller birds get a chance to eat. Other foods pigeons don’t like include peanuts in the shell, suet and mealworms.

What Colour do pigeons hate?

The Color Flower That Birds Avoid Completely – What to Plant to Keep Birds Away Gardening is one of those tasks that you either love, or hate–there’s no in between. If you’re a lover of wildlife, and enjoy watching all of the birds and insects your flowers attract, then you should be aware of the color that birds avoid at all costs.

What is the fake bird that scares pigeons?

Editorial comments: – The Prowler Owl is a variation on the plastic owl theme with one major difference – it has moving parts. Static plastic owls are not considered to be effective at getting rid of pigeons in the main due to the lack of moving parts and habituation on the part of the target species.

Although the Prowler Owl does have moving parts, the device is totally dependent on wind power which is not always available, particularly at certain times of year.
The Prowler Owl is designed to be installed on top of a pole or hung from a line of some description and yet these installation options may not lend themselves to installation at height, particularly on a building.

Because the Prowler Owl needs to be installed above the roosting or perching area of the target species in order to be effective, another problem inherent with this product is identifying a suitable site, at height, where strong winds will not damage the device or the pole upon which it is placed.

All wind-blown scarers, including predator balloons and kites, are vulnerable in strong winds and ineffective when there is no wind.
One user mounted the Predator Owl on top of a traffic cone and painted the cone black in an effort to make the owl less vulnerable to wind damage and easier to move as and when required.

Although this may resolve many issues associated with wind damage and ease of movement, it is almost certain that the Prowler Owl would not be located high enough above the ground to be perceived as a threat by problem birds. DEFRA’s research clearly suggests that in some cases raptor models can actually attract pest species of birds rather than deter them.

DEFRA also confirms that scarers are species-specific and will only have limited success with some, rather than all species of bird. Where live raptors are flown to deter certain pest species of bird such as gulls and members of the corvid family (crows, rooks etc), they are regularly mobbed and attacked resulting in the raptor becoming the prey rather than being the predator.

This fact alone suggests that static raptor models will have little success in their own right. It is also the case that the owl is a very efficient predator, but it is not the natural predator of the gull nor the pigeon, Neither is the Great Horned Owl resident in the UK.

In a vast majority of cases raptor models will be sold to those experiencing problems with pigeons and gulls and as a result the product is likely to be ineffective unless provided as part of a comprehensive control system.
Even then, there is doubt as to whether a raptor model can or will play any useful part.

Habituation to scaring products is a rapid process in a majority of birds and never more so than in the case of the feral pigeon, one of the most intelligent and widely controlled birds on the planet. Although the manufacturer suggests that habituation can be reduced by regularly moving the Prowler Owl it is unlikely that the relocation will render the product more effective for use with the control of pigeons or gulls, particularly if the device is simply being moved from one part of a building to another.

The other problem associated with having to regularly re-site the device is the need for human interaction.
If the Prowler Owl is installed in a hard to reach area, on the roof of a building for example, the amount of time spent moving the device will be considerable, particularly if the device requires complex fixings.

User comments about the Prowler Owl are positive, although these comments were taken from supplier websites, therefore the device cannot be discounted as a scaring product but as a stand-alone deterrent it is unlikely to be completely effective. The general view from within the pest control industry is that any type of static scaring device, such as a raptor model, is largely ineffective other than as a part of an existing anti-perching system.

What smell do pigeons hate?

2. Essential Oils – Peppermint oil is the most common to keep pigeons away, so simply spray the peppermint oil on your garden, garage, gutter, and other areas of your home. Other essential oils can do the work too, including cedarwood essential oil, and lavender essential oil.

How do I keep pigeons from pooping on my balcony?

Use Sticky Spray to Make Pigeons Uncomfortable – Applied a lot like mylar tape, sticky spray (or brush on adhesive) is used to make pigeons uncomfortable. Simply spray it on your ledges and balconies and the birds won’t enjoy stepping on it. Stick spray can also damage their nests if they pull bits out with their sticky feet.

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Do shiny objects scare all birds?

What Do Birds Hate the Most? – Birds are very finicky and easily-frightened animals, however, it should be understood that scaring away birds is only effective if the birds are terrified to return to the roosting or nesting site that they have become accustomed to.

Predators. This method is probably the most successful at keeping birds away due to the natural fears that the birds have of being harmed. Although fake replicas of birds of prey and other large predators can be effective at first, pest birds will more than likely become acclimated to the inanimate objects after a certain amount of time, rendering the objects ineffective. Anti-bird spikes. Bird spikes can be attached to a number of surfaces including roofs, ledges, and guttering. The metal spikes point upwards and make it a very unpleasant landing spot. No harm is done to the birds, as they simply will not land on them. Bird spikes are used in urban areas on commercial buildings and private properties. While not aesthetically pleasing, spikes can be a highly effective deterrent, but may not completely scare birds away like falconry. Strong odours. As previously mentioned, strong and repellent scents and smells like pepper or even essential oils may deter birds for a time. To get rid of birds completely with smells, you would have to consistently spread the scents all over their roosting and nesting spots to make the habitat unliveable. Birds hate strong smells, but again, this is likely not a viable long-term solution.

For the absolute best results, utilising predators is the best of the above-mentioned methods to try. Falconry uses birds of prey that naturally incite the flight or fight response (mostly flight) in smaller birds, which makes this one of the best methods for the removal of pest birds through intimidation and fear, which are natural instincts within the birds. Example of one of our birds of prey being used to scare away pigeons on London roof tops.

What noise scares birds away?

One of the best sounds to get birds to scatter (and perhaps not to return) are synthetic sounds such as high-frequency, ultrasonic sounds. If you add in a frightening visual object such as an owl statue or scarecrow with shimmering tassels, the strategy becomes all that much more effective.

Is there a pigeon repellent?

Optical Gel is a non-toxic, low-profile bird repellent that provides a versatile solution to problems where more traditional bird control methods may not be applicable. It is a multisensory repellent gel that comes in pre-filled dishes. Optical Gel deters pigeons by triggering multiple sensory responses.

Are pigeons really afraid of owls?

OWLS CLEVER, BUT PIGEONS GET WISE (Published 1986) Credit. The New York Times Archives See the article in its original context from October 29, 1986, Section B, Page 1 TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. This is a digitized version of an article from The Times’s print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996.

To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them.
Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions.
Rooftop sightings in the Clinton section of Manhattan on a recent morning: one plastic great horned owl at 402 West 46th Street, no pigeons; one plastic great horned owl at 503 West 47th Street, no pigeons; two plastic great horned owls, not courting, at 461 West 47th Street, no pigeons.

”The owls work, ” said Sarah Weinberg, whose brownstone on West 46th Street bore no trace of pigeons. ”A month ago we could not stand outside the door because of all this gook falling from the sky.” At various sites in the metropolitan area, an artificial-owl school of pigeon control is emerging.

The theory is simple: Owls prey on pigeons and pigeons are not the smartest things on wings. Confronted with something that looks like an owl, a pigeon will assume the worst and fly away. The ruse is hardly new. For years, gardeners and boaters have used fake owls to scare off birds. Airports post the owls near jetways.

But it is only in recent months that plastic likenesses of these nocturnal predators, with piercing yellow eyes and lethal-looking black bills, have been sighted on old and ornate city buildings with nooks and crannies that invite pigeons. The plastic owls – typically 16 1/2 inches high and made of molded or inflatable plastic – are also being used to oust pigeons from the postmodernist arch of the American Telephone & Telegraph Building on Madison Avenue, from the canopy rafters of Long Island Rail Road stations and from the roof of the New Jersey State House in Trenton and other historic buildings.

By most accounts, the owls do the trick – at first. Weeks or even months pass before it dawns on the pigeons that the owls never move. Meanwhile the pigeons keep their distance and the people grow more and more convinced they have found an easy, humane and inexpensive solution to a messy problem. Why bother with other pigeon-proofing methods, they say, when one can walk into a marine supply or hunting store and walk out with a $5 to $10 plastic owl? Moving the Problem Of course, plastic owls cannot begin to control the city’s 7 million pigeons – ”at least one pigeon per person,” according to the director of the Bureau of Animal Affairs, Martin Kurtz.

Noting that his office receives 1,000 complaints about pigeons each year, Mr. Kurtz said: ”If plastic owls were the answer, I’d quit my job tomorrow and go into the business. Hanging out plastic owls will help – temporarily – but it only moves the problem someplace else.” ”Initially, it seemed like a miracle cure,” said the building manager at A.T.&T, Larry Doyle, referring to the plastic owl his predecessor bought after the company had spent thousands of dollars on other schemes.

Once wired to a ventilation grid in the rafters of the arch, he said, the first owl proved so effective they sent out for more. An Aggressive Breed As is often the case, however, talk of miracles faded as the pigeons evinced less and less respect for the static owls and eventually sat on them, among other things.

”They’re dumb, but not that dumb,” said a spokesman for the Long Island Rail Road, Brian Dolan. He was speaking of the Jamaica Station pigeons, an aggressive breed given to strutting the platforms like commuters. Faced with 30 artificial owls last spring, the pigeons immediately fled.

But back they came in summer. The railroad retaliated by attaching chains to the owls. ”They blow in the wind a little, which helps,” said Mr. Dolan, noting that 40 more owls have been posted at the Seaford and Wantagh stations. In Trenton, where artificial owls recently replaced poisoned corn kernels in a program to stop the befouling of historic structures, results have been mixed.

More owls are being added to the six already perched on the State House and the owls are being repositioned every three months. The psychological warfare at A.T.&T. is random. ”We put the owls out, take ’em in, put ’em out, take ’em in,” Mr. Doyle said.

”It confuses the pigeons.” Perhaps the moral was best expressed by a spokesman for the utility, John Geoghegan: ”You can fool some of the pigeons some of the time, but not all of the pigeons all of the time.” A version of this article appears in print on, Section B, Page 1 of the National edition with the headline: OWLS CLEVER, BUT PIGEONS GET WISE,

| | : OWLS CLEVER, BUT PIGEONS GET WISE (Published 1986)

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How do you scare pigeons with sound?

Do audible deterrents represent an effective deterrent for pigeons? – Starting with sounds, pigeons can hear in the same audible range that people do. Therefore, if you are unable to hear the ultrasonics from an ultrasonic device, they cannot hear it either.

In addition to the ultrasonic devices, there are a myriad of different devices that mimic the sounds of pigeon predators – hawks, owls, falcons, etc.
Theoretically, it makes some sense – pigeons have an instinctive fear of raptors.
Unfortunately, in this case the pigeons also become accustomed to the sounds of a predator and eventually ignore the sounds without the presence of an actual raptor.

In the extreme case, a loud propane cannon can be deployed but this is not appropriate for any kind of urban site. These noise makers are used mostly in agricultural scenarios or airports.

Do pigeons know when to stop eating?

How To Stop Pigeons Eating Your Bird Food Pigeons are birds, right? So if we want to feed garden birds shouldn’t we be happy to feed pigeons too? Hmm, well maybe, up to a point. But if you’ve ever become popular with your local pigeon population, you will know that there comes a moment when you just think “Enough Now!” If you’ve reached that point, then read on.

Unlike many of our other bird species pigeons are very successful, Their numbers are on the increase. In,
The clue’s in the name, The person who decided to make “pig” the first part of their name had watched them feeding. They eat a lot, they eat fast, and they generally don’t stop until everything is gone.
This is going to mean that once the pigeons have moved in, feeding the birds can start costing you a small fortun e.
More importantly, they don’t shar e. Pigeons will wait for you to put out food then hoover it up, leaving nothing for the smaller birds.
They scare off smaller birds, Pigeons are much bigger than many of our garden birds, And while they don’t tend to attack other birds, they are intimidating. Smaller birds often won’t come to your feeders with pigeons around.
They bring their friends. There is never just one pigeon, they are friendly birds, and they will visit in groups. Once they know you provide food, the groups seem to get bigger and bigger.
They hang around, Pigeons don’t seem just to feed and leave. They hang around, presumably to see if you are going to offer them anything else interesting.
They’re noisy. They seem to coo non-stop, and while this might seem like a sweet relaxing sound at first, it quickly drives you nuts when it’s repeated for hours. They are easily spooked, and the sound of five of six of them erupting from your lawn is quite something. And if like me, you have an attic bedroom, the sound of a big fat pigeon coming in for a heavy landing then scuttling around over your head at 4 am on a summer morning can get quite vexing.
They are full of sh*t. Despite what you might have heard, pigeon poop is no more dangerous, from a health point of view, than the poo of any other bird. There’s just more of it. Because they are bigger birds, (and maybe because they eat so much) pigeons, seem to produce an awful lot of poo. Finding it on your washing, your garden furniture, in the birdbath is no fun at all.

So as you can see, there are lots of good reasons why you might not want pigeons around. Let’s look at how to make them less welcome. Pigeons like to feed on the ground. They need a horizontal surface to land on and cannot hang on vertical or angled surfaces to feed.

BUT crafty pigeons will try to tip these and spill the seed on to the ground where they will happily hoover it up.
You can buy, which are surrounded by cages too small to allow access for pigeons, but wide enough to let little birds feed.
BUT many people have found that the wire cage on the outside of these just makes it easier for the pigeons to tip them and spill the seed onto the ground.
, where anything heavier than a small bird causes the feeding holes to close, offer a practical option.

So do, The holes are just too small for a pigeon to squeeze through. You may want to keep your hanging feeders for the blue tits and other small birds that love them. You may also want to offer food on the ground for blackbirds and others who prefer to feed there. But how to keep the pigeons off it? Pretty simple really. You need a cage that will let seed and small birds in, but keep pigeons out. You could use an upturned hanging basket, or, The main things to consider are:

Be sure your cage is reasonably large, at least 20 inches across. Otherwise, although a whole pigeon may not be able to get in, the eating end will, and snaffle up all your seed.
Peg it down! Fix the cage to the ground or the pigeons will just push it out of the way. Tent pegs would work well.

The other strategy that works quite well for ground feeders is to throw the feed into your borders or dense shrubs. Though the pigeons will have a go at getting these they are much less agile than the smaller birds, so smaller birds will tend to get more of the food. Even Amazon doesn’t offer a pigeon-proof bird table. But there are several DIY solutions and pigeon deter ants you could try.

Make a cage of chicken wire. Try surrounding your table with chicken wire, leaving a hinged opening on one side so that you can get in. If the holes in your wire are roughly 4cm across small birds should be able to access the table but pigeons won’t.
Make a fence. Strings or wires hung from the roof of your bird table at 4cm intervals should serve the same purpose as the chicken wire. We’ve also see canes stuck into the ground around the table for the same purpose. It doesn’t look pretty, but apparently, it does the job.
Try some bird spikes. look horrible, and I would be nervous about using them. But, reputedly they don’t harm birds, just discourage them from landing. So spikes on the top of even the edges of the bird table should deter the pigeons who like to land there, while the smaller birds will just fly straight to the food. You might also want to try some of these on your roof if the pigeons like to sit up there waiting for you to appear with dinner.

Would it surprise you to know that pigeons love junk food? Probably not. Pigeons like sunflower seeds with the husks on, corn, millet – all the things that are put in cheaper seed mixes to bulk it out. They are not so keen on:

So the more you can focus on these foods, and the best you can buy, the less interested your pigeons will be. We are a soft touch in our household. And I reckon the pigeons know it. So we do feed them. But we have a cunning plan. We have a cheap seed mix and a cheap loaf of bread.

We throw some of this on the ground in the front garden. The pigeons descend. Then we scarper around the back and put out the good stuff for our other garden birds. It works reasonably well. The small birds get a look in before the pigeons arrive. And we don’t spend much money on pigeon food. If you can’t get rid of the pigeons, either because there are just too many in your area, or because like us, you are a soft touch, then offering some cheap food well away from your main feeding stations is a good compromise.

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Pigeons don’t spread disease any more than any other birds, and they don’t attack other birds. But they can monopolise your feeding station. This means smaller birds may be scared off, or not get a chance to take the food they need. You can make your garden less pigeon friendly by choosing the right feeders and food.

Or give your smaller birds a chance by feeding pigeons the junk food they prefer in a different part of the garden. Pigeons are far too numerous for us to hope to get rid of them entirely from our gardens. But by following a few simple steps, you can give your other birds a fighting chance at the feeders, and save yourself some money too.

We hope you enjoyed this article and found it useful. If you have questions, or your ideas about how to keep pigeons off your bird feeders we would love to hear them. Leave us a comment below. And to read more on wildlife and garden birds take a look at our,

What Colour are pigeons afraid of?

Birds can help with pest control, seed dispersal, and pollination, and sometimes they’re just plain pretty. On the other hand, birds may make messes and build nests where they don’t belong. How can you deter birds from your yard if they have become a problem? You can use certain colors to keep birds away.

Are birds afraid of white?

The One Color to Avoid – While most bright colors are attractive to birds, one color, in particular, should be avoided as much as possible: white signals alarm, danger, and aggression to many birds. In fact, many birds use white in their plumage as a warning, such as the white flash of a dark-eyed junco ‘s tail feathers or the white patch on a northern mockingbird ‘s wings.

Do birds hate the smell of vinegar?

What Smells Do Birds Hate ? – Certain natural products produce an aroma that repels birds for different reasons. If you already have these products at home, consider using them to keep birds away. If you don’t already own some of these, they are easy to find and implement as a bird deterrent method. Some smells birds hate include:

Essential oils. These scents are overpowering to birds, especially peppermint oil. The strong smell of peppermint is enough to repel birds on its own. Peppers. With most peppers being spicy, their smell often creates a burning sensation. Specific types of pepper that can deter birds include chili peppers and cayenne pepper. Garlic. Birds avoid garlic because it contains allicin, along with its strong, natural odor. Cinnamon. The aromatic scent of cinnamon is irritating to most birds. Vinegar. Birds can be triggered by the harsh, unpleasant smell of vinegar and will avoid it. Citrus oil. Birds tend to avoid the smell of citrus because they don’t like it. However, if you plan to use citrus oil as a deterrent – it must make direct contact with the bird in order to be effective.

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What do pigeons never forget?

Pigeons never forget a face – ScienceDaily.

What did pigeons hate?

4. Strong Smells – Pigeons dislike strong smells, like cinnamon and hot pepper. To deter pigeons from entering your garden, use cinnamon or peppermint essential oil or cayenne pepper mixed into a spray bottle of water. Spray the mixture anywhere you’ve noticed pigeon activity.

Do wind chimes scare pigeons?

Hang a Wind Chime – Although this method doesn’t work in all cases, many pigeons are deterred by wind chimes on balconies. Pigeons hear very well, and the sound of the wind chimes can be distracting and unpleasant to them. They may also find the light that reflects off wind chimes to be off-putting.

What did pigeons hate?

What scares birds the most?

What are pigeons sensitive to?

What Do Pigeons Hate? – As noted, pigeons avoid areas where there is poor food supply so this needs to be considered. They also dislike the presence of birds of prey and they don’t like strong aromas such as cinnamon or hot pepper. And like all birds, pigeons are sensitive to fire and can see the ultraviolet light emitted by burning materials which they will naturally avoid.

Are pigeons afraid of dark?

Undoubtedly pigeons are mysterious creatures. They have the ability to track their homes from miles away and yet suffer flying at night. Well, why is that, and most importantly, why do we sometimes see pigeons flying at night? So, can pigeons fly at night? No, they don’t choose to do that at night.

Pigeons have limited eyesight during the night.
They are diurnal animals so they don’t even prefer to do that.
At night, they love to sleep in comfort and safety.
Yet, homing pigeons can find their home in the dark.
Nevertheless, this brings up a lot of questions regarding pigeons, such as why homing pigeons are capable of finding their home even in the dark.

So without any further ado, let’s reveal their secrets.

Skye Skinner