I think I now post one of these pigeon problem threads annually on various forums, in the hopes that one day I will find a solution....
Living in the city we have a lot of feral pigeons around, if they just came in small groups and didn't take food direct from the feeders I wouldn't mind too much, its just too expensive to keep them fed directy. I don't think of them as 'rats with wings' they just suffer from that reputation the same as all animals that manage to thrive alongside us (cockroaches, foxes, rats, etc), but they do push other birds away and they are just too greedy. In fact just one or two they are funt to watch, even though their feral nature is always in the back of my mind.
There is also the issue of keeping the neighbours happy and too many pigeons and neighbours who don't like birds is not a good mix.
I think I've mostly stopped them going for my general seed feeder, but the pigeons have now turned to focus on my nyger feeder, they sit directly on the little perches and take the food out through the small holes! I'd read that they didn't go for nyger seed, but it seems they didn't read that guide. It would be an interesting exercise to see if there is anything at all that these birds won't eat.
Hi Kogia!
The only thing I can think of (which I'm sure you have already also thought of!) is to use one of those cage type feeders that only allow small birds in to feed. Of course this means that other larger birds miss out as well, but maybe it will deter the pigeons! If they can't get an easy meal they'll soon look elsewhere!
"All weeds are flowers, once you get to know them" (Eeyore)
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Thanks, but yeah I have thought of those, unfortunately they only provide those for smaller feeders and not the large long ones that I have up.
I have thought of a possibility and that's making my own feeders using the parts that I have already, but making the tube part longers and spacing the perches out more. The pigeons land on a lower one and reach up to the one above to get the food, so if I could increase the gap between the perches they wouldn't be able to reach. So if I just buy blank plastic tubing (no holes cut) then I can choose how and where the perches should go.
I'm now searching online to try and find somewhere that might sell the type of plastic tubing used in seed feeders, any ideas on that would be useful. :O)