Anyone else here had any experience using the "Magic Halo" technique to keep house sparrows from overrunning feeders? Here is a link explaining it for those not familiar already.
http://www.sialis.org/halo.htm
A couple of weeks ago I decided to make my own halo deterrent for a tube feeder. I didn't want to risk using fishing line and entangling anyone, so I started with fine wire that was weighted down with large nuts. I attached the wires every 5" around a plastic umbrella type baffle over a feeder. A week went by and not a single sparrow went to the feeder. They flew towards it, got spooked and turned around.
Problem was no one else was really using the feeder either. I removed every other wire so that they were 10" apart. There was some conflicting info online on how far apart to space the lines. Still no sparrows, but now some chickadees were tentatively using the feeder. On windy days the plastic baffle was blowing around so much that the wires were getting tangled, even with the weighs on them. I decided to switch to heavier wire that could not tangle and not need weights. I used 16-18 gauge copper wire and pulled it as straight as possible, but attached it loosely so it could still move around a bit. It seems much safer with no risk of tangling. Now I am seeing chickadees, goldfinches, house finches, and still no house sparrows!
I decided to make another halo for a suet feeder. This time instead of a plastic baffle, I used an old round "grow-through" plant support. I attached chains to the top to hang it from a hook, and an s hook to the underside to hang the suet feeder from, and put just four hanging wires around the edge. I have seen chickadees, downy, and red-bellied woodpeckers using it.... but still no house sparrows on it!
I think I'm going to replace the plastic baffle halo with another one made from a plant support because the plastic one catches a lot of wind and knocks the feeder and wires around quite a bit. Since using the halo for more than 2 weeks, I have only had to refill the black oiler feeder once. Before, the house sparrows would completely empty it in half a day!
The house sparrows are still sticking around, but so far they are just eating some of the seed that falls on the ground around the feeders. I'm very curious to see how long this works for. They do seem to be studying the other birds! I think if this works a bit longer, I may try to rig one up for a platform feeder as well, so that the larger birds like cardinals have an opportunity to get some food too.
Has anyone else tried this, and did it work long term? I know most rural folks that put out feeders rarely have a house sparrow problem, because they stick to the more populated areas like pigeons do. Years ago we had tons of pigeons too, until they just disappeared for unknown reasons. The house sparrows are still here 365 days a year though.
