How to Protect Wild Birds From Predators While Feeding
Bird feeders can attract a wide variety of colorful and interesting birds to your yard or garden. Many bird lovers and nature lovers put up feeders to attract birds that would not normally come out into the open to be observed. Unfortunately, when birds feed in these open spaces, they become more vulnerable to predators. Bird predation at feeders may come in the form of domestic of feral cats, hawks and other birds of prey, or even other "bully" birds.
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Instructions
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Keep domestic cats indoors instead of letting them outside unattended.
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Place your bird feeder near an area with plenty of cover for birds to escape to or hide in. A feeder placed about 10 to 12 feet from a wooded area works best at preventing predation. If areas of dense cover do not exist, create them by piling brush near the feeder.
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Place bird feeders on, or hang them from, a metal pole instead of a tree. Suspend feeders with heavy fishing line to limit climbing predators' access.
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Wrap barbed wire or the stems of thorny bushes around the bottom of your feeder poles to discourage climbing.
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Cover the feeder in large-mesh hardware cloth, leaving an opening small enough for the desired birds to enter.
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Only offer as much food as birds will consume in one day, and feed birds early in the morning. Many birds of prey will hunt late in the morning or near dusk.
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Consider what you are feeding your wild birds. Grains, corn and chicken scratch attract bully birds, while there are several commercially available foods (such as suet cakes) which do not.
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Tips & Warnings
Declawing cats does little to prevent bird predation; cats are often able to prey on birds without claws.
It is illegal in the United States to kill or harass most birds of prey.
To prevent predation of wild birds, never release unwanted cats in rural areas. Find them appropriate homes or take them to a shelter.
