Robins can brighten a winter morning as Christmas approaches but even when food is left out for them they will avoid gardens if there are any magpies lurking nearby. Magpies are much larger than robins and will behave aggressively around food, which means they often get away with bullying smaller British birds.
As a result, robins can really struggle to find enough to eat in winter, especially when their natural food sources like worms are frozen into the ground.However, Nelly, a gardening expert from She Grows Veg, has revealed there is an easy way to keep magpies away from birdfeeders, as you just need some old CDs or tin foil. Nelly said: “We hang CDs, foil strips, or even reflective wind chimes around beds. To keep birds from getting used to them, change the placement every few days. Novelty is key!”
Hanging up reflective objects in your garden is the key to keeping magpies away as they will find the flashes of movement intimidating.
The light reflecting off the CDs or tin foil can look like a predator moving quickly and they will be scared of any unpredictable flashes as they will not know where they are coming from.
Robins are less bothered by CDs as they are clever birds that tend to adapt quickly to an environment and are more likely to figure out that the flashing light is harmless.
How to use CDs to keep magpies away from robins
To begin, you will need some old CDs you do not itend to use again or use some scrunched up tin foil.
Tie your reflective object to some string and hang it up high in your garden on tree branches, fences or tall clothes polls.
Robins feel safest when feeding in a sheltered area nearer the ground so they are less likely to even see the CDs.
Meanwhile, magpies like to perch on open and elevated spaces so will quickly feel nervous if they see any reflective movement at a height.
Make sure to space out the CDs and do not clutter them together so the reflections cover a wider area of your garden.
Keep your birdfeeder for a robin somewhere secluded like next to a bush, hedge or near denser plants like a flowerbed.
Move the reflective objects occasionally, like every few months, to stop magpies figuring out they are harmless, and your garden should stay a safe haven for robins this winter.
