It’s hard to keep magpies away from the garden because they are intelligent and extremely alert. Also, They steal others songbirds’ food and dominate them. So, You might be wondering how to get rid of magpies. Don’t worry, it isn’t impossible:
Today we will discuss some effective ways and help to resolve this problem.
7 ways to deter magpies from garden and bird feeders
Install magpie proof bird feeder
If you are a backyard bird watcher, you love to invite beautiful songbirds. Therefore, You will definitely place bird feeders for finches, orioles, cardinals, house wrens, and more.
But, You may not like to invite a bird-like magpie in your yard which trying to steal food as well as dominate other birds. So, Do you give up feeding smaller birds! Never, Right?
It’s better to use a squirrel-proof feeder to deter magpies. Why? Because These Feeders come with adjustable weight mechanisms. So, You can adjust the weight according to the magpies. Therefore, When they are trying to get access to the food, the seed port automatically closes. In our opinion, Squirrel buster plus from Amazon could be the best option for your garden.
Also, Keep clean the ground of the feeder. Otherwise, It encourages magpies and blackbirds to visit your yard.
Use shiny objects
The Magpie bird is terrified of shiny objects. They think it might hurt them. So, you can use shiny ribbons to keep off Magpie. A glossy ribbon is basically a plastic ribbon that can come in a variety of colors. However, the color of the ribbon is better if it is red on one side and white on the other side. Sunlight falls on the ribbon and reflects the bright light, which is annoying to the birds’ eyes.
In addition, the wind blows on the ribbon and makes a kind of show or whisper, which scares the birds away from the yard.
Also, You can use Old CDs and aluminum plates on the high trees, which scare them and keep them away from your garden.
Magpies don’t like the reflection of light from the surface like shiny ribbons. So, Try to place CDs on the high trees which keep them away from your garden.
Want to know the best part? Those items don’t harm magpies.
List of a few shiny objects
- Old Cds
- Aluminum plates
- Silverware
- Scare-Eye Ballons ( Amazon link)
- Mylar Ballons ( Amazon Link)
A predatory clone to scare birds
Magpie is a bird of prey that is afraid of owls and other predators. So, You can set up a predator replica in the backyard. It’s so much effective.
If you like to set some decoy in your garden to scare magpies away, we would recommend you some cost-effective and useful decoys from amazon. The list includes Plastic Owl Scarecrow Sculpture with Rotating Head, ZAMTAC ZILIN Plastic Bald Eagle Decoy.
Play Recording
You can use a recording of predators or owls that can easily keep them away from your garden. The sound aware them that predators are coming or maybe near. So, They keep a distance from your area.
However, You need to adjust the recordings perfectly; otherwise, magpies will detect that you’re making them fool. So, You need to play the recording at frequent intervals and move the player from one place to another that sounds natural.
Set Motion-Sensor Sprinklers
To keep magpies away from your backyard, motion-activated sensor sprinkles are a good option. The key benefits of it: Deter many pests, insects, animals, and other predator birds.
When something is moving in front of it, the machine detects it and the sprinkler is active. For this, The Orbit 62100 motion-activated sprinkler from Amazon is a good option. The good part: It doesn’t harm them.
Use nets to cover garden elements
If you find their presence increases day by day, then cover all fruits and vegetables with nets. This will cut off the food sources and demotivate them to visit your garden again.
Eliminate water source
Like other birds, Magpies love to visit where they find a water source. So, You need to keep off placing water in the birdbath. But, That also impacts other birds and their presence might also decrease.
Frequently Asked Question
Is it legal to kill a magpie?
It isn’t permitted to shoot or kill magpies without permission because they are protected migratory birds. If you want, first, you need to take a license from the state and federal. Learn more about it here.
