Help smaller birds and keep jackdaws and rooks out of garden with simple trick
While the sight of charming birds and the melody of their songs are welcome additions to most gardens, not every homeowner is keen on having all types of feathered friends flocking to their backyard.
Jackdaws and rooks are sometimes seen as a bother as they can monopolise bird feeders, edging out smaller, more timid birds and competing for the food you leave out. Both jackdaws and rooks will scavenge for scraps left by humans. They tend to scavenge and disrupt other bird populations, particularly smaller birds, and can nest in spots you would rather they didn't.
Belonging to the Corvidae family of birds that also includes crows, ravens, magpies, jays, treepies, choughs, and nutcrackers, both jackdaws and rooks can compete for nesting sites, be noisy and even cause property damage. Jackdaws are known for nesting in chimneys and roofs which can lead to blockages and damage, and may nest in gutters and eaves, increasing the risk of water damage and structural issues. Rooks are known to harm crops and both species will pilfer eggs and nestlings from other birds, reports the Express.
Garden bird feeding expert Lucy Taylor of Vine House Farm Bird Foods has shed light on what can be done, as well as suggesting a possible compromise.
Lucy remarked: "Despite their relatively large size and the fact they're both naturally ground feeders in the crow family, Jackdaws and Rooks have increasingly adapted to precariously cling to hanging bird feeders containing seed, peanuts or suet products. Along with quickly depleting the amount of food in the feeders, these larger birds will generally deter small songbirds from feeding. But there are several things you can do to prevent this."
To combat the issue, Lucy suggests opting for a squirrel-proof bird feeder, which tends to be effective against jackdaws and rooks as well.
She explained: "There are two basic designs of feeder which are aimed at keeping grey squirrels out, but actually generally work just as well for larger birds. The first has a simple cage around the feeder, with the gaps being large enough for small songbirds but will be far too small for the likes of a Jackdaw.
"The second type of feeder works on a spring-loaded mechanism, with the ports of the feeder closing with the weight of a larger bird landing on one of the perches. Both these basic types of feeder are available for seed and other types of food."
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Additionally, she recommends considering a ground cage that permits small birds to feed while obstructing the bigger corvids.
Lucy suggests: "For ground feeding and including where food is placed directly on a surface like a patio or short grass, a simple ground cage can be placed over the food. Again, this allows small birds in and keeps larger birds out - including wood pigeons which anyway can't land on hanging feeders. The same would broadly apply to magpies, though they will sometimes try to use hanging feeders as well."
However, she advises not to discard your regular bird feeders, as there's room for a balanced approach.
"Retain at least some normal feeders," Lucy recommends. "The reason I wouldn't advocate only using the above types of feeders, is that along with allowing Jackdaws and Rooks at least some access to food, having at least one or two normal bird feeders as well also means that species like Great spotted wood peckers aren't excluded. So my overall message is one of compromise rather than complete exclusion, as all garden birds need our help, and regardless of size and species."
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