How to Make Your Own Hawk Deterrent to Protect Bird Feeders

If you have gazing balls in your garden or yard to help protect birds at your feeder from predatory birds such as hawks, the balls may not be enough. Some people who raise chickens will hang mirrors at an angle facing upwards, around the chicken coop in all four directions. This, many farmers say, supposedly does help.

To hang a mirror might involve tying it in trees to keep it place. I've found a quick and easy way to set mirrors in positions that might benefit the birds that I am trying to protect. So far I've placed one mirror in my backyard near my bird feeding area and close to my gazing ball. This does seem to help keep away the hawk that's been flying over but I know I will have to set out at least three more mirrors to be more effective.

All you will need is a plant basket with a hanging handle and a mirror close to the size of the bottom of the basket. If you buy potted plants in plastic hanging baskets that you will have to transplant once they are big enough, outside, save those baskets to use but don't cut the basket down the side to get the plant out otherwise the basket is unusable. If you save plastic hanging pots, "Hey that's great!"

Dollar stores, garage sales and flea markets are all good places to find reasonably priced mirrors. If you buy compact powder that comes with a mirror for your face, save the compact or rather the mirrored side. The mirrored side of the compact can be used. You can use several compact mirrors to fill the bottom of a hanging plastic pot instead of one big mirror.

Once you have a plastic hanging basket and mirror simply set the mirror in the bottom of the pot facing upwards. The side of the mirror facing upwards must be the side that you see your reflection in. Remember that if you can see your reflection in the mirror the hawk can see his own reflection to. Plus the hawk will also see a flash or flashing light when the sunlight hits the mirror which, hopefully will distract it enough to keep it away.