How can I stop magpies from eating my bird food?

- Bird feeders often come with perches, but these are basically open invitations to magpies. So, if the bird feeder you're using came with a perch, either remove it or apply some grease to make the perch slippery so magpies can’t get a foothold.

2. Try slippery poles

- As long as the poles are tall enough, you could cover them with either grease or a commercially sold non-toxic anti-roosting gel to make it difficult for magpies to alight.

3. Use baffle devices

- Baffles can be commercially purchased or homemade - they work by stopping magpies from crawling down to the bird feeder.

- Hang the feeder from a wire attached to a tree branch or the eaves of your house (or from a pole secured into the ground). Then hang a baffle 30cm above the feeder to prevent the birds from reaching the food.

4. Choose the right bird feeder

- Some bird feeders are designed to make it more difficult for magpies to access the food. For example, there are bird feeders with cages or mesh coverings that allow small birds to enter but keep magpies out. You could also try weight-activated bird feeders, which have a spring mechanism that closes the feeding ports when a heavy bird attempts to land on the feeder.

5. Provide alternative food sources

- If magpies are eating bird food, it could be that they're finding it difficult to find other food. Try putting out a small bowl of food or nuts for the magpies to eat, or even set aside a part of your garden to grow plants that produce berries and other fruits that birds can enjoy.