Crow Problem , Please advise ... (1 Viewer)

[malkc]

Good Morning .

I need some help . I am having somewhat of a serious Crow problem .
I was awakened this morning to a great commotion outside , and when I looked out I had at least 20 Crows in my garden eating the bird food I put out.

Also there was about another 6 just outside my garden . I managed to chase them away , and shortly after that back came my starlings and blackbirds .
Only a week ago I saw a crow grab a baby starling and kill it for no reason . The crow didn't eat the bird , just killed it and let it fall to the ground.

It seem more often I am awakened to the sound of disgusting crows , and not my usual Blackbird and Starlings .

I should add , where I live is quite a clean place , no rubbish of crisp packs lying around . Also it is just on the outskirts of town and the nearest farm is 5 miles away .

Please , Is there any way to keep these vermin birds from this area ??
As always , thanks for any help .

Malcolm

 

[Bubbs]

Malcolm, I live 1 minute from York city centre and we have lots of Corvids but thankfully no problems with them.

Your food I take it is very accesible. Why not try properly designed feeders, along with a bird table complete with a sloping roof. The crows hate this type of design as they can't fly straight on to the table, plus their exit isn't immediate. I tolerate the Collared Doves to a certain extent and even had 2 Stock Doves on the table in early spring but never yet any Corvids.
Hope this makes sense.

If you could explain your feeding designs it may help BF's replies

John Barclay

 

[malkc]

Thanks for the fast responce John .

I have some bird feeders hanging , but I also placed loose food on the grass .

I now see the errors in my feeding .

I will not place any lose food on the ground , and when my extension to my house is finished I will buy a proper bird table ,
I also have some Stock Doves in the garden , but my Blackbirds dont seem to botherd with them ,

Just Crows . When they are around the rest of the birds take cover .

Again thanks for the sound advice , and have a great day

Malcolm

 

[steve_nova]

Hi Malcolm, that seems like very sound advice from John.

Just out of interest, are the Crows Rooks, Jackdaws or Carrion/Hooded Crows?

 

[Bubbs]

Good Morning .

I need some help . I am having somewhat of a serious Crow problem .
I was awakened this morning to a great commotion outside , and when I looked out I had at least 20 Crows in my garden eating the bird food I put out.

Malcolm, Now I know that you put food on the lawn (which I've done too, but no longer) their is the problem of overnight rodents and perhaps cats feeding on the leftovers. Also, the smaller birds may feel vulnerable 'out in the open' I always felt that a bird table with a roof (yeah I know it's a bit naff) gave the smaller species some security whilst feeding. A roof also keeps the food dry. Many reading this will have - roof or no roof - seen Sparrowhawks pluck the odd unfortunate greenfinch etc, either from the table or feeder...that's life!

When I moved into the house I am now living in, there wasn't a bird to be seen for months, but with the addition of nestboxes, the correct feeding strategy, plants etc, the place is covered in them now..well not quite but you get my drift? Even the neighbours comment on the increase in birds.

Thankfully, Corvids and cats aren't a problem here.

John Barclay.

 

[Ranger James]

Crows are great in thier own way Malcolm - don't fall into the trap of looking at them as small, feathered humans.
James

 

[Rasmus Boegh]

There has been a lenghty study on crows in Denmark, and it clearly showed that if one crow finds a good feeding spot, many more will follow. How this is done is so far un-resolved, but it is believed that others may be able to see if another crow appears well feed. Next day they seemingly follow that crow; in this case, to your garden! Crows are intelligent birds, they are able to solve some fairly complicated matters, if it involves getting food afterwards. So, you may have to see if you can find a "crow-secured" feeder, and/or may have to refrain from putting out food for i.e. ~a week. Then the "crow follow well feed crow" should stop, at least until next time...!

 

[malkc]

Hi Malcolm, that seems like very sound advice from John.

Just out of interest, are the Crows Rooks, Jackdaws or Carrion/Hooded Crows?

Steve , I had to look into this one , but im sure they are Crows Rooks



Ps . Thanks for the sound advice everyone ... and thanks for the fast responce .

Once my extension is finished I will be looking at good bird talbes ..

Malcolm

 

[Euan Buchan]

Ive been having this problem aswell everytime I see these flipping Jackdaws and Crows I knock on the window or chase them off. I have 2 feeders and they go to both of them and the main feeder I have gets the most attention then the small feeder I put it in differnt branches hoping they won't reach it but it fails so now I have not put that feeder up at all at the moment hoping they will think "oh wheres our dinner mebe we should leave this garden and do to another garden" but they have been going to the small one this morning I saw that the feeder had been knocked down and they were feeding it, I went out and put it back on the tree and as soon as I went in they came back aso this time I have changed places with the gliiterball and the feeder and so far they Crows and Jackdaws have not come back so fingers crossed. No disrespect to them I like them but I don't like them pinching food for the smaler birds.

 

[Elizabeth Bigg]

Jacobi Jayne sell a cage sort of thing to go over a ground feeder table, which they say keeps out starlings, blackbirds and collared doves etc - and it certainly keeps out squirrels, which was my main aim. Just as well it does keep squirrels out - because a couple of weeks ago, I saw a starling struggling to get in, and it managed! I thought I might have to go out to release it later, but it did manage to force its way out again - and went off to tell all his friends. Now I have no starling-proof way of putting out fat-ball mixture, and they demolish it before the other birds get a look-in.

http://www.jacobijayne.com/moreinfo.php?info=GFG-1&page=BFDS&type=ONT&from=search.php&search=guard