I came across this post from one of my favorite rescues about double shepard’s hooks hurting animals, and I hadn’t heard about this before so I thought I’d share.
Beware of the dangers posed by shepherd’s hook bird feeder poles! Every year, rehabilitators rescue countless birds and squirrels that become ensnared in the V- shaped gap between the two hooks. In their frantic attempts to escape, these animals often sustain serious injuries.
You can easily prevent these tragic situations by removing the second hook and opting for a single-hook pole that eliminates any V-shaped joints. Alternatively, consider wrapping the narrow joint with cloth, vet wrap or self-adhering tape (without adhesive) to mitigate risks.
Narrow gaps can become deadly traps for wildlife. Birds and squirrels, eager to reach feeders or other items, can easily get their legs or feet stuck in these tight spaces, resulting in painful injuries or even death. By taking some simple precautions, you can protect the beloved wildlife in your yard from unnecessary harm.
One person in the comments suggested JB Weld as a more permanent solution.
I don’t have the hooks, but I always want to keep my bird buddies safe. If you guys use them, you may want to consider critter proofing your hooks.
The hook pictured doesn’t seem problematic, but I need to take a look at mine. We have a few, never seen a struggling animal but this bears inspection.
Fences seem to be far more of a problem, for the same reasons.
It doesn’t seem to be the most common problem, but I felt it was worth mentioning because I had never heard of this being an issue, but the story originally had a woodpecker that died from getting caught in there.
There are things that we don’t consider because we’re on a different scale than these small birds. I know I’d be heartbroken if I hurt one of my bird friends while I was trying to do something nice for them.
I got a feeder with metal perches for durability, but I saw people say to consider putting tubing over them to keep anyone from getting stuck feet. The bigger birds took that as a challenge to pull off the bits of tubing every day, but I tried! 😁
A quick hazard check never hurts.
Checked! Yes, my double shepherd’s hook does indeed have a sharp “catch”. Not using it anyway, I’ll take it down for now.
Nice! The world is a little safer for our animal friends!
squirrel having a bad day
that is an entirely insufficient warning, allow me to help you
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Last year I found a lifeless bird caught in the decorative fence meant to keep my dog from jumping off the terraced part of my yard. It was really sad, but I learned that leaving a strip of tall grass behind the fence prevented the birds from flying through it.
Last month a robin broke its neck on my front window, so I’ve decided the entire place must be cursed
You can get window adhesives to prevent birds from flying into them. I have one window that used to be really bad for it but since we put the bird collision prevention stickers on it we haven’t had a single one smack into it.
Just remember to put the sticker on the outside as it’s meant to break up the reflections on the window.
Is there anything that uses colors that birds can distinguish but we can’t?
I’m not sure, I was looking for something inexpensive and quick to install at the time and the stickers fit the bill. There might be something out there, maybe someone else will have a better answer for you.
At least you seem to be attracting birds
The correct spelling was right there.
