Bird Bird Small Feeder (1 Viewer)

[SamB3711]

Hello, I'm new to the forum. I recently put a bird feeder on my upstairs window where I work and have been getting robins and blue tits and recently young robins and teeny blue tits, which is lovely. Recently, I also had male black bird. I have a couple of questions:

1) The sparrows don't come. I see them in the garden, but they don't come to the box for some reason. Could it be the food (wild small bird seed mix, mealworms, and berry suet pellets)? Or are they just more timid than the other birds?

2) I have had some larger birds try and access the food. There's a raven who has figured out if he flaps his wings hard enough, he can "hover" long enough to make a snatch and grab, and a wood pigeon who somehow got into the feeder then realised he couldn't spread his wings to fly away. He did manage to get out by sort of jumping off backwards, but hasn't tried again since. He just occasionally sits hopefully on the top. I actually don't mind the ravens or wood pigeons, I just don't want them scaring off the smaller birds or getting stuck. Is there some kind of food I can put out elsewhere in the garden that will keep the wood pigeons and ravens happy, but not attract the little birds away from my window feeder?

 

[delia todd]

Hi Sam and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators.

I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I look forward to hearing your news. I have a similar window feeder and have had it for many years now. Sparrows do come to it on occasion, but really seem to prefer feeding on the ground or a larger flat area nearby (neighbour's shed roof). Although I get both Wood Pigeons and some of the larger corvids (Jays, Crows and very occasionally Rooks), they have never been tempted to the window feeder, but eat on the shed roof or on the ground.

The only 'troublesome' birds that try to use the feeder are Starlings as they come mob-handed, all try to muscle in, fights break out and the feeder comes unstuck (fortunately I have a secondary fixing - a piece of string tied to it and threaded through the window to a fixing inside). So I've fitted up a 'bird scarer' which I can activate when I see them trying to feed on it. I only use it for the Starlings though.

I haven't found any of the big birds have frightened away the smaller ones. Fortunately I have Blackbirds too, and when I hear their alarm call I know there's a cat around and can usually chase that away.

Between all the birds, they demolish mixed seed feeds, fat balls, peanuts, grapes, bits of apple and pears. The last three on the ground or shed roof. Seed the same or in hanging feeders or trays on a pole feeder, which is where the fat balls and peanuts are too. Everything likes mealworms, especially during the breeding season.

 

[emc]

Hi, welcome to the forum. I was wondering do window feeders increase the chance of birds flying into the window?

 

[SamB3711]

Hi, welcome to the forum. I was wondering do window feeders increase the chance of birds flying into the window?

Hi, I've had it up six weeks and they all seem perfectly aware it's a window and I have about 50 visits a day. Have you heard that they do? I certainly wouldn't leave a window open, or even open a window, except for the small one, which is permanently very slightly ajar, because I can see that would definitely be risky as they wouldn't be expecting it. They generally land on my satellite dish first (the robins and the blackbird) or the window ledge (the wood pigeons), then hop up or down. The baby blue tits bolt straight over from the apple tree, grab a suet pellet, and bolts straight back. They know exactly where they are headed! If you think they might be risky, I would hate that, but this particular model is winner of the British Birdwatcher award, so I hope not. I'd actually heard that anything that breaks up the surface of your windows deters birds flying into them. Have you heard otherwise?

 

[pianoman]

Bird strikes on windows usually happen when there is another window on the far side of the room, letting the birds think they can fly straight through to the other side. Without that fairly unusual setup, a window hit is pretty unusual

 

[SamB3711]

Bird strikes on windows usually happen when there is another window on the far side of the room, letting the birds think they can fly straight through to the other side. Without that fairly unusual setup, a window hit is pretty unusual

HI, that makes sense, thanks.

 

[SamB3711]

Hi Sam and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators.

I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I look forward to hearing your news. I have a similar window feeder and have had it for many years now. Sparrows do come to it on occasion, but really seem to prefer feeding on the ground or a larger flat area nearby (neighbour's shed roof). Although I get both Wood Pigeons and some of the larger corvids (Jays, Crows and very occasionally Rooks), they have never been tempted to the window feeder, but eat on the shed roof or on the ground.

The only 'troublesome' birds that try to use the feeder are Starlings as they come mob-handed, all try to muscle in, fights break out and the feeder comes unstuck (fortunately I have a secondary fixing - a piece of string tied to it and threaded through the window to a fixing inside). So I've fitted up a 'bird scarer' which I can activate when I see them trying to feed on it. I only use it for the Starlings though.

I haven't found any of the big birds have frightened away the smaller ones. Fortunately I have Blackbirds too, and when I hear their alarm call I know there's a cat around and can usually chase that away.

Between all the birds, they demolish mixed seed feeds, fat balls, peanuts, grapes, bits of apple and pears. The last three on the ground or shed roof. Seed the same or in hanging feeders or trays on a pole feeder, which is where the fat balls and peanuts are too. Everything likes mealworms, especially during the breeding season.

Hi Sam and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators.

I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I look forward to hearing your news. I have a similar window feeder and have had it for many years now. Sparrows do come to it on occasion, but really seem to prefer feeding on the ground or a larger flat area nearby (neighbour's shed roof). Although I get both Wood Pigeons and some of the larger corvids (Jays, Crows and very occasionally Rooks), they have never been tempted to the window feeder, but eat on the shed roof or on the ground.

The only 'troublesome' birds that try to use the feeder are Starlings as they come mob-handed, all try to muscle in, fights break out and the feeder comes unstuck (fortunately I have a secondary fixing - a piece of string tied to it and threaded through the window to a fixing inside). So I've fitted up a 'bird scarer' which I can activate when I see them trying to feed on it. I only use it for the Starlings though.

I haven't found any of the big birds have frightened away the smaller ones. Fortunately I have Blackbirds too, and when I hear their alarm call I know there's a cat around and can usually chase that away.

Between all the birds, they demolish mixed seed feeds, fat balls, peanuts, grapes, bits of apple and pears. The last three on the ground or shed roof. Seed the same or in hanging feeders or trays on a pole feeder, which is where the fat balls and peanuts are too. Everything likes mealworms, especially during the breeding season.

Hi and thanks for the welcome. That makes sense. I saw three sparrows this morning hopping out in my tufty overgrown lawn, so I guess that's where they're happiest. None of the birds that regularly come to the feeder seem bothered by the larger birds (though if a blue tit and a robin arrive at the same time, the blue tit goes back to the tree to wait its turn) I was just wondering whether the sparrows (and I think I also have a wren that never visits) were more timid, but I guess they're just enjoyed the lawn.

 

[Fritz73]

Hola! Welcome to Birdforum

 

[SamB3711]

Hola! Welcome to Birdforum

Salut!

 

[Kits]

Welcome to Birdforum.

I used to have one of those window feeders and it was used mainly by blue tits and great tits. I took it down as the squirrels discovered it and would sit in it, eating until it was empty. 😂

Bird strikes on windows usually happen when there is another window on the far side of the room, letting the birds think they can fly straight through to the other side. Without that fairly unusual setup, a window hit is pretty unusual

Ummm. Nope. Wood pigeons are well known for flying into my study window and there is no other window making them think they can fly through. One bounced off the window this morning even with me sitting at my desk.

 

[delia todd]

Hi, welcome to the forum. I was wondering do window feeders increase the chance of birds flying into the window?

Not in my experience. Think I've had two, on that window in 25 years. A few more than that on a window on a different wall - including a young Sparrowhawk - he flew away OK after a few minutes recovery. Bet he had a headache though LOL

 

[delia todd]

I was just wondering whether the sparrows (and I think I also have a wren that never visits) were more timid, but I guess they're just enjoyed the lawn.

I never say "never" but so far I've not heard of a wren coming to a feeder, they really seem to be rather shy, despite their very loud voice!! I'm occasionally aware of one in the garden, but it's always on the ground only occasionally have I seen it on the shed roof. Dunnocks also will feed on the shed roof, but are mostly on the ground under the bushes.

 

[Chris G6 UXU]

Hello and welcome to the forum, enjoy and all the best.

 

[SamB3711]

Hello and welcome to the forum, enjoy and all the best.

Hello and thank you for the welcome!

 

[SamB3711]

I never say "never" but so far I've not heard of a wren coming to a feeder, they really seem to be rather shy, despite their very loud voice!! I'm occasionally aware of one in the garden, but it's always on the ground only occasionally have I seen it on the shed roof. Dunnocks also will feed on the shed roof, but are mostly on the ground under the bushes.

Ah! That might explain it...

 

[emc]

Birds kept hitting one large window in my home because it reflects the sky and trees so I was just wondering if window feeders are safe for birds. I put up parachute cords which did help a lot but the only way I was able to stop birds striking the window completely is to keep the drapes closed.

 

[Snowdog]

I have a window feeder up & we've never had anything hit the window (thank goodness) but it's a low window at the side of the house, so it doesn't really reflect the sky.

As far as the question of attracting sparrows goes, as you can see from the video I've linked to below, I certainly have no problem with Sparrows visiting so whatever the reason might be, you can rule out the fact that they don't visit window boxes.

We've never had any larger birds on the window feeder either, so perhaps that is a reason? If you're getting larger birds, perhaps they're scaring the sparrows. You can buy cages that cover window feeders. Might help? Having said that, none of the birds that congregate around my "feeder array" in the garden seem to bother one another especially.

In my (admittedly limited) experience, Blue Tits & Robins seem to be the bravest of the small garden birds. Sparrows seem to be more timid. My window box is at the side of the house & very close to the hedge where the sparrows tend to congregate. Maybe I'm lucky in that they don't have to venture very far. Is your window box very far from bushes or hedges or places where the sparrows might take cover, should they need to?

The only other birds I've had at the box are Robins, Blue Tits & Great Tits, although I did find a squirrel sitting in it one morning!

Here's a link to a long (14 minute) but very entertaining excerpt from a day at my window box which some of you might find amusing:

Squabbling Sparrows!

 

[Montereyman]

I used to get daily bird strikes at the window nearest the feeders that are about 20 feet distance. No window on the opposite side of the room. I tried the decals and they were worthless. What did resolve the problem 100% was hanging 2x2 inch netting about a food out from the window. Even when a bird is fleeing a raptor and hits the netting they are able to recover as they are not concussed as when they would hit the glass.

Most of the sparrow species that come to my property are ground feeders and will not even use the two types of platform feeders that I have. Same applies to the spotted towhee and quail and dark eyed juncos. My shallow water dish that is on the ground is used by every species except the hummingbirds.