Crows and ravens come from the genus Corvus in the corvid family (Corvidae). They are considered to be a disruptive factor, especially in residential areas. Not only are they loud, they can also cause immense, costly damage. They also drive away songbirds with their melodic sounds. It is all the more important that the black birds are not allowed to stay in the home garden. Here's how to get rid of them effectively.
Corvids - the enemy in the garden
Crows and ravens are black and quite large. They attract attention with loud, sharp noises, whereby the courtship call in particular cannot be overheard. They are very intelligent and resourceful birds. They specialize in tricking their surroundings. They learn extremely quickly and are not satisfied with "can't do it". This is especially noticeable when it comes to eating. Here they always find new ways to get to even the most inaccessible food source. Once they are in the garden, there is hardly any food left for most of the rest of the other bird species. These then stay away, especially since ravens and crows do not shy away from "territory warfare" in which smaller birds are greatly inferior to them. To make matters worse, they also use the brood of rare and popular bird species.
Drive away crows and ravens
Eviction is difficult
Due to their intelligence and engaging nature, they cannot usually be driven away with simple measures, and above all not in the long term. If they find preferred conditions with food in gardens, they usually stay and cannot be driven away so easily. Here action is required in various directions in order to make their stay in the immediate vicinity as difficult and unattractive as possible.
Measures to drive corvids away
food
avoid access to food
The Corvidae do not stop at lids, plastic or similar packaging materials. With their sharp beaks, they hack through concealment and can lift objects. If they can no longer get food, the chances of them moving away and ideally not even settling in your garden area increase immensely. You should take the following measures accordingly:
- Always keep trash cans tightly closed
- Do not leave freely accessible garbage bags lying around
- Protect small garbage cans from tipping over
- Cover compost heap
- Cover vegetable beds and fruit plants with a net
- Remove fallen fruit immediately
tip: Make sure that in summer the bird net has sufficiently large holes so that small birds can get to the insects near the cherry or berry. Hole diameters of ten centimeters should not be exceeded.
Adjust feeders
Birdhouses attract the Corvus genus, especially in winter. Here they rob the songbirds of their food. In principle, bird feeders should not be used in winter when a raven or crow is already flying around. You'll also have to avoid approaching songbirds, but there's a much better chance that this only applies to this one winter, because the corvids will move on if they can't find anything to eat.
If you still want to use bird feeders, you should pay attention to a few details:
- Only use self-closing bird feeders
- Watch out for small openings that ravens cannot get through
- Restrict the distribution of feed to the closed, not freely accessible area
nesting sites
Protect nesting sites for other bird species
Nesting sites for small songbirds are particularly attractive to the Corvidae. Once located, they stick their heads into the nest and eat the offspring. They then remember the food source and there is a good chance that they will stop by regularly to see if there are filled nests. This can go on for a few years if they are not discouraged from nest-robbing. Here's what you can do to help:
- Distribute several nest boxes
- There should be a distance of at least 15 centimeters between the entrance hole and the ground
- The loophole should have a diameter of less than 15 centimeters
Use nesting sites for corvids to drive them away
Once the Corvidae have built a nest, they have officially moved into the garden and are now in their "home", from which they are reluctant to be chased away again. You can use a few tricks to make it difficult for them to build and/or access the nest:
- Cut off all dead and dead branches on trees and shrubs
- Distribute so-called bird spikes on the roof, window sills or other landing spots
- Spread "bird repellent gel" - it sticks unpleasantly and lets the corvids keep their distance
crow's nests in trees
Darkness, dummies & light
Drive away through darkness at night
Corvids like to spend the dark part of the day in light areas. They are often seen in groups on trees that receive rays of light. If you switch off the lighting in the garden area in the evening, there is a possibility that existing specimens will change their location. If the new location proves more advantageous than your area, chances are they will stay away and settle there.
deterrent animal dummies
Corvids have a distinctive, expansive vision, but their intelligence is not sufficient to tell the difference between a dummy animal and a real animal. Above all, plastic ravens, which are hung upside down in the tree, deter their "conspecifics". They also avoid snakes, even if they actually come from the children's plastic toys.
Dispel with light reflections
If ravens and crows see light reflections, it keeps them at a distance - at least until they realize that there is no danger from them. However, light reflections do not ensure a raven-free garden area, but allow a maximum of one demarcation individual circumstances, such as a tree or vegetable patch.
So that they don't quickly discover that the light reflections aren't harming them, they should always be positioned in a different place at short intervals. This creates confusion and reduces the chance that they will trust you.
The following are suitable as suitable light-reflecting elements:
- Conventional household aluminum paper
- Special reflective tape that can be hung loosely or is available as adhesive tape
- CDs and DVDs
- Reflective spheres, such as those set up at garden ponds to protect against herons
Animal dummies with reflective eyes
Sounds & Devices
Scare away with noise
While corvids are not extremely sensitive to noise, they do like locations where they can find peace. Loud noises in the form of garden tools, drums or music, for example, will make them withdraw for the time being, but this will certainly lead to problems with the neighbors in the long term. Accordingly, this eviction method is only suitable if the property is far enough away from the nearest residential building, as is often the case in the country. A raven/crow responds most effectively to loud noises made by their enemies. These include falcons and owls. Warning calls from their peers also make them startle and avoid their surroundings.
electroacoustic devices
Electro-acoustic products are available as sound devices depicting realistic corvid screams of fear. They are usually adjustable to vary the volume and pitch. This has the advantage that the birds do not get used to it and no longer take the "danger" seriously.
Ultrasound to deter crows
Ultrasonic devices that have been specially developed for repelling birds such as the Corvus species are available for purchase in specialist shops. This is the emission of ultrasonic waves, which humans cannot perceive. They trigger a pressure wave in the raven and the crow. They find this unpleasant and prompt them to flee. They'll likely come back at a later date, but if they encounter devices with blast waves again, you can drive them out of the area permanently.
Pets & Water
Take action against ravens and crows with the pet
As an effective help against the annoying corvids, you can use pets. Cats and dogs have a natural hunting instinct and will put the Corvidae to flight. However, this can of course also apply to all other bird species. Dogs also use their bark as a scaring tool. A possible disturbance of the neighbors should be taken into account here.
Water as an aid against ravens and crows
If you spot a raven or crow in a tree or on a roof, water can be very helpful in scaring them away. Birds shouldn't be killed, so you shouldn't use a pressure washer with the water jet. A normal garden hose is more than sufficient, because just being startled by the impact of the water drops is enough to take off.
So that you don't always have to do it yourself, there are special spraying devices in specialist shops that are triggered by motion sensors. Here you should make sure when buying that the spray diameter is large, so that ravens and crows flying by can also be hit by the water.