Hey guys,

I have a bird grain + water feeder combo which hangs from the roof. I live on the seventh floor, and pigeons are the only pests I encounter. They weigh significantly more than sparrows/parrots and cause the feeder to swing violently causing the water to empty out in a few minutes.

I was thinking of creating a weight or movement based switch to cover the feeder when pigeons try to sit on. I have a physics degree but after being in the IT business for couple of decades, I have no clue where to start

If you guys could point me to something similar or any other advice, I would be grateful.

Thanks
ART

 

Several possibilities:

• A load cell placed in the hanging structure can be used to sense a change of weight
• An accelerometer can be used to sense movement
• A tilt switch can also be used to sense movement

Googling on any of these terms will bring up tons of information. Adafruit.com has a generous assortment of all three types of sensor; they're well worth checking out.

 

Does it hang on a string, chain, or hook and loop?
By the time a sensor is triggered the pigeon has already landed.
Could you surround the feeder with a bigger cylinder with holes suitable for the birds that you want?

 

Hey,
I have attached a picture. I have two of these hanging side by side.
Each have two openings for the grains. The openings are small and I could rig up a plastic trapdoor to shut them both. So even if the sensor triggers after the pigeon has landed, its ok. The pigeons will lose interest after a few days of not reaching the grains.

Thanks
ART

 

Several possibilities:

• A load cell placed in the hanging structure can be used to sense a change of weight
• An accelerometer can be used to sense movement
• A tilt switch can also be used to sense movement

Googling on any of these terms will bring up tons of information. Adafruit.com has a generous assortment of all three types of sensor; they're well worth checking out.

Thank you very much, I will investigate load cell and adafruit.com

 

Peregrine falcons love pigeons. That's how one place I worked handled the problem of pigeon poop. Unfortunately, if there aren't enough pigeons, they also go after smaller birds.