I rigged up something similar myself, with a tray from an old feeder and some garden wire. It's a square tray, so a wire on each corner, central long wire and S hook onto a branch of my little tree by the back door.
All the little birds love it. It's too small for corvids and too near the house. One or two stock doves occasionally manage to perch, but the wire means they can't peck. I hang it beyond rat jumping distance and everyone from blackbirds down can feed in peace and enjoy mealworms and fatballs without being pushed off by the big boys
I haven't managed to stop them trying but have managed to confuse them. I have a mesh tray on the pole beneath a seed feeder to catch the stuff other birds drop. Pigeons discovered that and made the most of it. Unfortunately they also realised they could reach the seed feeder, and made the most of that too. I dropped the tray about 6" and watched very confused pigeons trying to work out why they couldn't reach the feeder any more.
I see that designers have been pondering this question. There are some new feeder designs now, designed for small birds only. New to me, at least. These models might also be quite good for less food getting dropped on the ground; less rat friendly.
You might not want to buy one, but it might give a good blue print for knocking one up or adapting ones you have.
I get wood pigeons and collard doves eating all the sunflower hearts in my feeder which annoys me. They perch and reach to one of the ports higher up to get the seed. Really annoys me. This is the feeder I have (which I might have to change to one with pegs for perching instead of the rings)....
I've spent so much money over the years on bird feeders trying to detract certain birds including pigeons, and I've finally found a set up that works. Hope some of this helps!
- The only seed feeder I've ever found that works to deter either wood or feral pigeons but other birds inc. finches use is the Squirrel Buster feeder. They are about £25, but last a long time.
Nowadays my main problem is Starlings - hoards of them (often 30-40 at a time) that demolish any kind of fat, chopped nuts and mealworms that I put out within hours. These are what work for those (after many attempts and monies wasted!)
Again I realise they're not cheap but I've spent so much more over the years on many cheaper products that didn't work (either didn't keep the Starlings out, or the small birds avoided). The best thing about the Guardian feeders is that not only do all the Blue Tits/Coal tits etc love them but the ground feeding birds who you wouldn't usually see on bird feeders like Robins, Dunnocks and Black Caps all can access them because of the flat bottom and are always in them too, munching away. So worth the money for me!
The only big loser I've still not figured out how to help are the Blackbirds vs the swarms of Starlings. So they all get a bit of seed on the ground for them and of course the pidges.
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If I paid that much for the feeders I wouldn't be able to afford the seed.
- The only seed feeder I've ever found that works to deter either wood or feral pigeons but other birds inc. finches use is the Squirrel Buster feeder. They are about £25, but last a long time.
Nowadays my main problem is Starlings - hoards of them (often 30-40 at a time) that demolish any kind of fat, chopped nuts and mealworms that I put out within hours. These are what work for those (after many attempts and monies wasted!)
- For ground feeding I use one of the mesh trays or tables with an adjustable sanctuary over the top
https://shopping.rspb.org.uk/bird-feeders-boxes-tables/bird-feeders/ground-feeders/adjustable-ground-feeding-sanctuary.html (it has to be the adjustable one if you need to keep Starlings out)
- For the chopped nuts from birdfood.co.uk -
https://www.birdfood.co.uk/guardian-with-2-port-seed-feeder (fixed to the ground with a pole for sturdiness)
- For fat balls
https://www.birdfood.co.uk/fat-ball-suet-feeder-guardian
Again I realise they're not cheap but I've spent so much more over the years on many cheaper products that didn't work (either didn't keep the Starlings out, or the small birds avoided). The best thing about the Guardian feeders is that not only do all the Blue Tits/Coal tits etc love them but the ground feeding birds who you wouldn't usually see on bird feeders like Robins, Dunnocks and Black Caps all can access them because of the flat bottom and are always in them too, munching away. So worth the money for me!
The only big loser I've still not figured out how to help are the Blackbirds vs the swarms of Starlings. So they all get a bit of seed on the ground for them and of course the pidges.
As I say, they offer models for making your own.
That potentially makes them more interesting. Save money and give me something to do.