Birds peck at my tomatoes as soon as they turn red.
I’m going to try to hide the tomato plants with ripening tomatoes with kitchen trash bags this year.
I have heard the suggestion of hanging red Christmas ornaments on the plants before they produce fruit. Then the birds go after them and find they can’t eat them and eventually quit trying because they learned that they can’t eat them.
When the actual tomatoes come in, then, the birds still think they can’t eat them.
Sounds like it could work.
You might want to try dome dry cleaning bags - clear - and you can poke some holes for air circulation.
What I do to keep wildlife off of my tomatoes.
Go and find the HOTTEST hot sauce you can find. then strain some of it through a paint strainer or cloth into a container. you need the "juice",thin it down with water then put in a spray bottle. Spray only the tomatoes.The watered down hot sauce will burn the leaves.
I know squirrels won't get near them. I would imagine birds would stay away also.
by the way the spray has NO effect on the taste of the tomatoes.