how can i discourage sparrows and pigeons?

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by clonte, Jun 20, 2005.

  1. clonte

    clonte Junior Member

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    hey gardenlen, what do you suggest i do to discourage sparrows and pigeons?
    also our neighbours have an almond orchard which attracts millions of cockys and galahs, is there any way other that noice guns etc to solve the problem of crops being decimated by these birds? any ideas would be great - not that he would necessarily take any notice mind you, but i am interested just the same!

    clonte :wink:
     
  2. Richard on Maui

    Richard on Maui Junior Member

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    I'm not Gardenlen obviously, but happy to lend my 2 cents. Is your neighbours orchard too big for an "anti-aviary"? Basically covering the whole thing with netting will do it. Of course the odd one gets in, but if you have room for four n twenty in the freezer you can end up with pie. :D
     
  3. gardenlen

    gardenlen Group for banned users

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    g'day clonte,

    saw the post header earlier but couldn't figure i could add much, didn't realise that you had directed the post to me in a way.

    with the sparrows i found the only way in suburbia was to attract lots of native birds into my garden ones that would compete in the food chain, and also the butcherbirds they will take the younger birds so declining numbers somewhat. but with sparrows (sprags as we know them) houses and sheds need to be bird proofed so they have nowhere to create nesting sites, if they are forced to nest in trees they are more vunerable to meat eater birds.

    now pigeons i guess you are talking about the ferel bird? they are very messy in uncontrolled nesting situations especially in suburbia, not sure they do too much other damage to plants unless it is seed plants. pest control companies can lay grain baits for them in their roosting areas these baits are laced with an halucinatory drug i have on a number of occassions sanctioned the use of this method and it works very well indeed. again once gone you need to bird proof the nesting sites.

    another way for both of the above is those wooden eagle/hawk bird puppets but put them on running wires so that you can alter the [position regular, have heard of onse that somehow shoot themselves along wire to give the imprssion of hunting.

    now crows well for me i reckon they are way to smart for us humans, not sure if they are doing dmage in your gardens? but in the orchard yes and air guns are only temporary as the crow very rapidly learns that this gun doesn't kill (subliminal message here lol) have actually seen them sitting on an operating gun in a pineapple farm. way back when property wners would shoot crows then hang the dead bird spread eagle on the barbed wire fence this acts like a scare crow to the crow apparently (they are of course a protected species!!).

    in the suburban backyard i wouldn't tollerate them at all so i found running at them and clapping or making loud noises seemd to disturb them but you need to do it as soon as you here them in the yard also throwing clods of dirt they ahte things being hurled at them. neighbours may think you are ready for the looney bin but hey it worked in all my backyards.

    as for the cockies and galahs once allowed to establish a food area they are very hard to get rid of and the cockies will be vandals as well that is they will tear at things if there is no food to eat. for the orchardist netting is his only choice. for you each time you see them wing in try using the hose to shoot jets of water at them it worked for me in one of my backyards and that was on the sulphur crested cockie very ahrd to get rid of as they like our company.

    well maybe i figured wrong hey i added something how much use it is will yet to be seen. most birds you mentioned are protected species.

    len :D
     
  4. Chook Nut

    Chook Nut Junior Member

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    My pidgeon situation is quite sorted now!....

    I have 2 mini-foxies who come with me to feed the chooks, it wasn't too much hard work to train them to stop chasing the chooks but the real bonus is that they have acquired a taste for pidgeons...

    I got sick of them feeding in amongst my chooks so i somehow managed to clobber one with a stone when i only meant to shoo it off... well... u shoulda seen the dogs devour it.... that was only a few weeks ago and they have caught 4 on their own since then....

    Let's just say the pidgeons have taken notes and i rarely see them in the pens now :D

    The dogs also love chasing the quails and have caught mice and are quite keen in catching a rat one day!

    Dave
     
  5. SueinWA

    SueinWA Junior Member

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    I read something quite a long time ago that suggested you find some hawk (or other bird of prey) kites & string them up so they hang from tall lengths of bamboo or PVC pipe. Anchor the bamboo in the ground at an angle, so the breezes move the kites around on their string. Of course you would have to attach the string to the kites in a different place than if you were flying them from the ground!

    And moving the poles around might be a good idea, too. Those plastic owl statues can work with some birds, but you have to keep moving them around. Even the dumbest bird knows that a bird that sits in the same place is either fake or dead (with his feet nailed to the perch).

    Sue
     
  6. biofarmag

    biofarmag Junior Member

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    bird discouragement

    Noise guns are not much use. They soon get used to them. To put it bluntly, their only use is if you wish to shoot them. They get used to the noise, and will sit on the branch whilst you pop away at their mates.

    I've come across some commercial noise-makers which work. These are speakers set up with assorted noises playing randomly. They sound like injured birds, and various scary things. I couldn't tell you the brand of the ones I've heard, but yes they've worked.

    And complete orchard netting-out works well. Netting individual trees, not as well.
     

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