Feral pigeon learns from Tits, Chaffinches, etc

[googler]

Got two seed feeders on the edge of the house, and the typical order of things is that the Tits, Chaffs, and sometimes Robins, feed from the feeders, and, since they're messy eaters, the feral pigeons mop up on the path below....

Today, one of the ferals was observed clinging on to the feeder perches, and getting stuck in through the feed holes.

Got a few pictures, will add when uploaded.......

[googler]

Then his pal appeared on the sun lounge roof and appeared to question why I was taking photos....

[aeshna5]

I've seen them do that too! It often looks as though they are using more energy trying to get at the seed. They are pretty intellligent birds.

[SheffieldLass]

The dark morph feral pigeons learned how to use my feeders, at first just one bird. The other dark ones looked on intently and then tried it out, and with a bit of practice succeeded. They seemed to watch how the first positioned its feet, and then they seemed to copy that position, would fly at it with their feet in the same strange angle (to put one foot resting on the perch, and partly in the feeder hole, the other on the bottom very slight edge). The normal and splodgy coloured feral pigeons didn't attempt it at all ... I couldn't decide whether the dark morphs were more intelligent or just more agile, why they tried and could do it and the others didn't try.

[2dogs2000]

I had a wood pigeon which learnt to balance on the tray and managed to eat from the feeder. I moved the tray away a few inches and watched it balancing to reach the feeder and fall off its perch. I don't mind the wood pigeons being in the garden to clean up the fallen seed but if he could reach the feeders he would be there until they were empty.

[SuzieandFlo]

Aren't birds clever when it comes to getting food.
I don't just have Blue, Coal and Great Tits using my peanut feeder but Starlings too , and more recently - Jackdaws , often 2 at a time .
They sit and watch other birds feeding, spend some time eyeing up the peanut feeder then have a go themselves at pecking the peanuts with their big beaks (well , bigger than a Tit's beak). I'm surprised at how long a Jackdaw can hang on to the mesh. It's not even in a tree , it's hanging from my washing line !

[slimrbp]

Similar situation in my garden too. The collared doves and wood pigeons were the hoovers, cleaning up the mess left by the other visitors (I did leave a little fresh out for them too).

I have one feeder with no tray which I put the no-mess food in, the Nyger feeder has a small tray under it and another normal feeder has a large tray.

The collared dove learnt to land on the large tray (sometimes two but they had to balance it properly!) and then eventually the Wood Pigeon also picked it up.
The collared doves have now transfered their attentions to the Nyger feeder!

Fortunately they haven't worked out a trick for the tray less feeder so the finches use that if the pigeons or doves are in residence. The tits make do with a Guardian covered ground feeder and suet filled coconuts.