how to make a dove proof bird feeder

I thought Id share the instructions for the feeder cages I made for my suspended feeder & tray feeder. Someone might find them handy and somewhat cheaper (around £5 – £8 per cage) than the ready made ones. They work perfectly -so far- to keep the squirrels and pigeons off. Id searched everywhere to find some baskets large enough to be useful, and only found suitable ones at Wickes DIY. Im sure therell be more elsewhere in-season in summer.

Ive not entirely starved the unwanted critters as there are other feeders in the garden theyre ok to take from 😉

Two 14 inch hanging baskets for the tall feeder with x2 cable ties holding it together – only at the top, so its easy to open it at the bottom, slide it up and off to top-up the feeder. Dont pinch the ties too tight or itll be difficult to release the cage from the feeder hoop (best to attach the ties with feeder hoop in place).

Two 12 inch baskets and parts of the supplied chains to suspend around the tray-feeder. Again, just two cable ties to hold the cage together as a hinge.

Removable chain links & clips used to support the base of the tray-feeder so that the lower cage doesnt drop down.

I used the chain clips with two links either side; three links to the far end, to suspend the bottom cage from the edge of the tray.

Best to add the clips & links to the feed tray before you attach the top cage, to make it easier to fiddle about and get the bottom cage to hang reasonably level.

How do I stop Doves and Pigeons?

Rock pigeons, also called pigeons (Columba livia), are a common sight in cities all over the world. They populate public squares and streets and feed on abandoned food and bird seed offerings. City pigeons were brought to North America from Europe in the early 1600s, and they make their nests on window ledges and buildings. The graceful, small-headed, slender-tailed mourning dove, Zenaida macroura, is widespread throughout the continent. Mourning Doves are swift and bullet-straight flyers that perch on telephone wires and search the ground for seeds. Both species consume a lot of seeds from weeds, herbs, wild grasses, farmed grains, and occasionally fruit. Additionally, they will consume food scraps and bread crumbs (especially pigeons) These birds will consume almost any seed available at the bird feeder, such as canary seed, red millet, sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, peanuts (without shell), millet, Nyjer® (thistle), and corn. They will also consume “filler” ingredients found in low-quality bird seed blends, such as milo, wheat, oats, and red millet. Usually, doves and pigeons consume their seeds whole, including the shells, in order to provide as much food as possible for their crop. So these birds can empty out bird feeders pretty quickly. Because they are so big, they also usually crowd out smaller birds from feeders by dominating them in large numbers.

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Rock pigeons (Columba livia) on the left and mourning doves (Zenaida macroura) on the right

Parts of the provided chains and two 12-inch baskets to hang around the tray-feeder Once more, the cage is held together as a hinge by just two cable ties.

I wanted to share the guidelines for the feeder cages I built for my hanging feeder. These could be useful to someone and somewhat less expensive (between £5 and £8 per cage) than the prefabricated ones. They do a great job of keeping the pigeons and squirrels away so far. I had looked everywhere for some big enough baskets that would be useful, and Wickes DIY was the only place I could find any that would work. Im sure therell be more elsewhere in-season in summer.

It is best to include the clips.

The tall feeder has two 14-inch hanging baskets held together by x2 cable ties only at the top, making it simple to open from the bottom and slide the basket up and off to replenish the feeder. It is best to attach the ties while the feeder hoop is in place to avoid making it difficult to remove the cage from it. Don’t pinch the ties too tightly.

Chain links that can be removed

FAQ

How can I keep doves out of my bird feeder?

Use Cages for Bird Feeders: The large size of Mourning Doves and Rock Pigeons is their greatest weakness. Cages are a very effective way to keep doves and pigeons out of your feeders.

What is a good dove deterrent?

To prevent doves and other pest birds from perching on property surfaces, installing Bird Spikes would be the ideal solution.

How do I make my bird feeder pigeon proof?

Dropped Seed Bird feeder seed catchers can be added to most types of bird feeder, these provide a dish where the fallen seed is collected. They usually sit just under the bird feeder stopping anything reaching the floor where pigeons are most likely to feed from.

How do I keep doves out of my yard?

To get rid of mourning doves, the most effective method is to make the area unappealing to them. This can be done by removing any food sources, such as bird feeders or spilled seeds, and covering any potential nesting spots, such as ledges or eaves.