Simon King Medusa Defender for Hanging Bird Feeders

For the Medusa to work as intended, you should use a cylindrical feeder with a narrow tray/no tray. Wider trays can create a grab point that defeats the defender’s purpose. Using a cylindrical feeder ensures that the Medusa’s protective features remain effective, so follow our recommendation for the best results. This defender works well with the Squirrel Buster Bird Feeder.

Crows are intelligent and persistent, but they dislike anything that interferes with their ability to land cleanly and grip a surface. The Medusa Defender works by surrounding your feeder with hanging chains - crows , magpies, pigeons, jackdaws and rooks find the movement and contact with their flight feathers uncomfortable, so they give up quickly and move on.

For the Medusa to work as intended, make sure the bottom of your feeder doesn't protrude below the chains. If it does, larger birds will find a grab point and the defender loses its effectiveness. A feeder measuring around 30cm tall is ideal.

Jackdaws, rooks, magpies and pigeons are all deterred by the same mechanism. It won't stop squirrels, and it won't stop starlings, because both are small enough to move between the chains.

We post all orders within 1-2 working days (Monday - Friday during working hours). Our standard shipping takes 2-3 days to arrive. We also offer express shipping which should reach you more quickly.

No, the Medusa Feeder Defender is not designed to stop squirrels. Squirrels are agile climbers and can easily scale down into the feeder. If squirrels are a concern in your garden, additional squirrel-proof measures might be necessary to keep them at bay.

The Medusa works with any cylindrical feeder under 27cm wide and around 30cm long, and most cylindrical feeders are designed for seed mixes, sunflower hearts, peanuts, or nyjer seed.
What you put in depends on which birds you want to attract. Sunflower hearts bring in the widest range of small birds, including blue tits, great tits, goldfinches, nuthatches and robins all love them. A quality seed mix with no wheat or milo fillers will attract the most birds and leave the least mess.
We'd suggest starting with our seasonal food blend. It changes four times a year to match what birds actually need at different points in their breeding and moulting cycle.

Yes. Corvids (the family that includes crows, rooks, jackdaws and magpies) are the Medusa's primary target. All of them share the same dislike of having their flight feathers disturbed by moving objects, which is exactly what the hanging chains do.

Jackdaws are often the trickiest because they're smaller and more agile than rooks or crows. Most customers find they give up within a day or two once they realise the chains aren't going anywhere. Magpies tend to be the most persistent. They'll test the feeder from multiple angles, but the same mechanism eventually deters them too.

Pigeons are not corvids but are also effectively deterred. Rooks and crows are typically the quickest to move on.

The most effective approach for a hanging feeder is a physical deterrent that makes it uncomfortable for large birds to land and grip, rather than trying to deter them from your garden entirely, which doesn't work.

The Medusa Defender does this with hanging metal chains. Crows, magpies, jackdaws and pigeons all dislike the sensation of the chains against their flight feathers and quickly learn to avoid feeders fitted with one. Small birds like blue tits, goldfinches, robins, sparrows learn the opposite within a few days: the chains are safe, and they'll even perch on them while waiting their turn.

A few things that make a real difference:

• Make sure your feeder doesn't protrude below the chains. If it does, crows can grip the bottom and bypass the mechanism
• As a general guide, a feeder around 30cm tall should sit at the correct height and prevent birds from reaching the food from outside the cage.
• Be patient for the first day or two - crows are persistent and will test it. Most give up by day three

It won't stop squirrels or starlings. For squirrels, a squirrel-proof feeder inside the Medusa is the best combination. For starlings, our starling-resistant feeder defender is the better option.

It won’t protect the feed from starlings (who are endangered). Starlings are small enough that the feeder’s design doesn’t interfere with their flight feathers, allowing them to access food easily. While the Medusa is effective against larger birds, starlings can still visit the feeder without significant hindrance. Take a look at our Starling Resistant Feeder Defender Set if starlings are eating all of the food in your garden.

Honestly, it depends. The Medusa deters parakeets from flying in through the chains, and many customers find it works well, at least initially. Parakeets dislike the chains against their feathers just as larger corvids do.

The catch is that parakeets are clever and persistent, and some work out that they can climb down through the top of the cage rather than flying in through the sides. Once one bird in a flock figures this out, the others tend to follow quickly. If you have a large, established parakeet population in your garden, the Medusa may buy you some time rather than solve the problem permanently.

If parakeets are your main concern, a fully caged feeder is the more reliable solution. Take a look at our Starling Resistant Feeder Defender Set. The enclosed cage design leaves no gap at the top for parakeets to exploit.