r/AnimalsBeingStrange • u/FierceBadRabbits • 2d ago

Clumsy animal Weird bird

I spotted a fledging Mourning Dove sitting in the left lane of a busy street this morning. I pulled over to rescue it, and moments before I could get it, a speeding SUV ran it over. I drove home crying and went to my backyard to feed the birds. And I found this. After unsuccessfully attempting to free her big fat head from my “squirrel-proof” feeder, I drove her to my vet as she CONTINUED TO EAT MY BIRDSEED THE ENTIRE TIME. Shout out to my local vet who knocked her out, got her out of the feeder, gave her fluids, and released her far from my backyard. How was your morning? Any rat-proof feeder recommendations?

117 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

21 comments sorted by

View all comments

47

u/Coffin_Dodging 2d ago

Chilli powder coating the seeds before putting them out really helps

Birds are immune to the effects of capsaicin, the chemical that makes peppers spicy, because they lack the receptors that mammals use to sense the "heat".

This allows birds to eat chili peppers and disperse their seeds, which is beneficial for the plants

22

u/FierceBadRabbits 2d ago

Thank you. I will definitely do that going forward.

13

u/SkookumFred 2d ago

Dropping in to say you're an awesome person. First a dove then a rat. I hope you treat yourself to something awesome. Most certainly well deserved !!!!

7

u/FierceBadRabbits 2d ago

Thank you. I’m feeling absolutely terrible about the dove. I wish I had gotten to her in time.

2

u/Bowling4rhinos 1d ago

I second that! Congrats on your big heart and thanks for sharing with us here.

6

u/dudeman_joe 2d ago

Does this work for squirrels, asking for my mom who has a bird feeder.

4

u/Coffin_Dodging 2d ago

It does for any mammal, the squirrels I have actively avoid my seeds now.

I find it best to do half the amount of seeds at a time because as soon as it rains, the potency wears off.

3

u/dudeman_joe 2d ago

Oh good too know about the rain its going to be wet here for like a week. Thanks mate I'll work on getting that set up for my mum.

1

u/Coffin_Dodging 2d ago

No worries, as a side note (if you are in EU), if you have hedgehogs and like them coming, it will put them off too)

1

u/Salute-Major-Echidna 1d ago

You need a stove pipe baffle for your bird feeder to keep squirrels off. And you can't park it under a tree or they'll just jump

1

u/dudeman_joe 1d ago

I'll look up what that is.The one my mom has is like a twi sided house looking thing, and then seed falls down and is eaten basically where the grass would be on a regular house. I do think it's too close to the fence, but it's only hanging off of a five foot poll that sticks to the ground so theres no trees above it but many very close to the other side of the fence its mildly close too.

1

u/Salute-Major-Echidna 11h ago

Its 40 bucks but you'll save that on seed the first year. Squirrels just throw it around and it never gets eaten, I know for a fact because if I don't clean it up I get a bunch of millet and sunflowers growing