Limited Magic Halo Money-Back Guarantee (policy)

A situation occurred recently where a customer purchased 3 Magic Halos, then due to efficacy issues, returned them for a refund. This is a reminder that new users should purchase one (1) Halo to start, in order to try it out first and make sure it works as expected. Though most of our customers are satisfied, survey feedback indicates that it doesn't always work for everyone. This may be purely contextual, or based on a number of factors that we continually try and explain. And of course, we have no way of knowing if these customers are confusing other brown birds. We continue appealing for feedback, and urge all buyers to participate in our survey.

Because of the above situation, if you purchase multiple Halos with no prior experience using the device, we can only offer a money back guarantee on one (1) Halo. You are welcome to return the others and we will assess their condition for possible refurbishment. If they can be refreshed and resold, we will consider a partial refund there as well. To qualify, you must be certain of less than 50% efficacy after 60 days of use, after troubleshooting with the recommendations in our User Guide. Shipping is the responsibility of the customer.

Please see our Disclaimer for further info about Halo efficacy, including how the device was invented, studied, and originally marketed. Thanks for your understanding  -Admin, MH

Possible House Sparrow Juvenile to Adult Timeline

Thanks to Cornell U's Lab of Ornithology, we might have a better understanding of when House Sparrows (HOSP) fully mature. Juveniles are generally immune to halos and other lines/wires devices. According to this infographic, HOSP may not reach adulthood until sometime in mid-Nov, on average, throughout its range. We continue to wonder if continued adaptation is the case, especially if HOSP are resident and mature on site, where you live.

A single HOSP pair can spawn 10 to 20 fledglings per year. If you are one of only a few feeders in the neighborhood, they may be abundant -- regardless of seed type you are using. We know that the Magic Halo isn't always 100% effective, and in some cases, may only "help". Juvenile populations may account for that, since they begin to resemble adults as the post-nesting season goes on. Despite this issue, most folks will acknowledge that they are still better off using a Halo than not. Read about HOSP proliferation, courtesy of Sialis, HERE.

Deter House Sparrows from your hanging feeder with a Magic Halo

The Magic Halo is a hand-crafted device for the sole purpose of deterring House Sparrows (HOSP) from hanging bird feeders. The Halo is hung first on your shepherds hook, then the feeder on a hook inside the Halo. The original Magic Halo was invented and patented by the University of Nebraska. The original study papers can be viewed in PDF format HERE & HERE.

NOTES:

• Before purchasing a Magic Halo, please read our disclaimer. Halos over feeders serve as an adult HOSP deterrent, though for many it is HOSP-proof. As with anything birds, results can vary. At this time, our survey results indicate that roughly 80% of customers achieve 80-100% of adult HOSP eliminated from their feeder(s), This appears to make the device quite successful overall.
• Two lengths of hanging wires are offered. 38" should be long enough to ensure that the weighted ends fall several inches below the lowest feeding station(s) on most large sized tube feeders, e.g. Droll Yankees, Brome, etc. A custom wire length can be determined by measuring the total length of your feeder (including the hanger) and adding 6".

Product Description:

• Resist feeding non-native invasive HOSP to encourage native species
• 20" diameter works for most hanging feeder designs (email us with any questions)
• Hunter Green enamel-finished crossbar (Deluxe upgrade available)
• 12 AWG (3/32") thick galvanized hoop, marked for symmetrical wire placement
• 24 AWG clip-on galvanized weighted hanging wires
• Designed for hanging feeders using 1/2" diameter Shepherd hook
• Simply hang between hook and bird feeder
• With more targeted feeding, expect lower volume and cost of birdseed
• Price reflects materials cost, ~2 hours labor, and packaging of item
• Easy assembly in only a few minutes, requiring only a phillips head screwdriver

Visit our Support page for the instructional video.

The birds flying up at, and then away from the feeder in the above video are adult HOSP. The Magic Halo serves as as deterrent, allowing native birds more access to your feeders. If you find it is not at least reducing HOSP, you may return your Halo for a complete refund (+ one-way shipping).

The Story Behind Magic Halo

Frank Warnock (Admin, Magic Halo/Bird Feeder Halo) has been an advocate for walking, bicycling, and wildlife conservation his entire adult life. The idea to fight decline of native species was inspired by his (and other Advocate’s) devastating loss in trying to save 180 acres of critical habitat area, wetlands, and open space in Ogletown, Delaware. This occurred at the hands of Government corruption and profiteering, at the expense of threatened and endangered species, and can never be recovered. Such loss of biodiversity is directly responsible for declining native bird populations, while facilitating an increase in House Sparrows (HOSP) and other non-native birds.
As a Technical Specialist by trade, Frank has put his skills to work in order to assist other bird feeding enthusiasts. First was producing a 20" version of the "Magic Halo", a device that was originally invented at the University of Nebraska (pdf) to deter non-native House Sparrows (HOSP). Also in the works is a Starling-resistant peanut splits feeder.
Some of Frank's favorite affiliations over 35 years include the Bicycle Touring Club of North Jersey, NY/NJ Trail Conference, Rails to Trails Conservancy, Wetlands Institute (NJ), Delaware Nature Society, etc.
We hope you find our services helpful in your endeavor to efficiently feed native American birds to the exclusion of non-native. We must work together toward a more resilient natural world. Please “Like” us here on Facebook and share with others for all the latest tips and strategies for feeding native birds while (hopefully) forcing non-native into decline.

R.I.P. Orphanage Property, critical habitat, wetlands, and open space being destroyed through Govt corruption, at the hands of  both New Castle County and the State of Delaware.