Bird scarers

[bainbridge]

I'm just looking at getting a jackdaw scaring device and wondered if anyone has experience of effectively deterring them. We bought this house in mid May and jackdaws were nesting in the eaves of next door's house, the din they made was terrible! From the crack of dawn they were screeching away, and in June that meant we were being woken at 4:30.

We have a garage on the side of the house which adjoins next door's garage, I was thinking of putting a fake hawk up on the ridge, one that turns it's head in the wind. I can clamber out of the bathroom window to do this, and even move it about a bit once a week if it means we'll get some blooming peace.

Has anyone used one of these successfully?

I've spoken to next door and she doesn't seem bothered that she has a hole in the facia, providing a nesting site. It's my understanding that once the days start getting longer again the birds will start thinking about nesting and I want to get something in place.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/PestExpel®...ocphy=1006567&hvtargid=pla-430289797083&psc=1

 

[Hagar]

Jackdaws are an extremely intelligent bird, tool users etc. Probably more so than quite a few contributors here. The artificial hawk may concern them for a short while but I have seen kites and the like beaten up on the wing by pairs of jackdaws or crows if they approach nest sites with eggs or young in them.

 

[bainbridge]

Jackdaws are an extremely intelligent bird, tool users etc. Probably more so than quite a few contributors here. The artificial hawk may concern them for a short while but I have seen kites and the like beaten up on the wing by pairs of jackdaws or crows if they approach nest sites with eggs or young in them.

Yes corvids are the most intelligent of the birds I think. The aim is to unsettle them enough to be put off when selecting a nesting site, a very important decision for them I imagine. Once they're nesting it wouldn't be fair to try and turf them out, in my opinion. I just want somewhere else to seem more attractive.

 

[wolfie138]

why haven't next door done anything about them? is it a nuisance thing you could get the council/whoever on to?

 

[200sols]

why haven't next door done anything about them? is it a nuisance thing you could get the council/whoever on to?

You want to call in the council because of loud squawking?

 

[bainbridge]

why haven't next door done anything about them? is it a nuisance thing you could get the council/whoever on to?

It's her own property so I imagine there's little that the council will do.

I've ordered the decoy hawk and will figure out a way of positioning him up there securely, maybe put a hook on a pole so I can lean out of the window and move him about.

I'm surprised there isn't a fancy one available that has proximity sensor and flaps it's wings and calls when a big bird comes near.

 

[wesley]

Get a real hawk...

 

[wesley]

How far is the nest? Poke it hard with a fishing rod at night

 

[Woden]

To be fair they have been there longer than you have.

I'll come sit in your garden, I've been scaring birds off for years.

 

[bainbridge]

Lol the gf suggested squirting expanding foam into the gap from the ground, which is a good idea, though difficult to execute.

 

[bainbridge]

Well here he is, I've named him Harris:

I need to work out a way of fixing him to the ridge tiles and have come up with these ideas so far:

1. There's a bung at the bottom, presumably to fill him with sand. I could chop a few 6 inch lengths of broomstick, mount each one on a small block of wood, then stick them with silicone to to ridge tiles at different points. Every so often I could lean out of the window with a pole and move him to a different perch.

2. I could fix strong magnets at different points to the inside of the roof tiles, put some metal under him and move him about that way.

 

[arknor]

Lol the gf suggested squirting expanding foam into the gap from the ground, which is a good idea, though difficult to execute.

in to someone else's property without permission ? there's probably better ways if you want to squirt something.

mix up a pepper spray or some other scent birds likely detest then spray it with a super soaker or whatever.

maybe our own urine, mark your territory and all that

 

[Psycho Sonny]

Well here he is, I've named him Harris:

I need to work out a way of fixing him to the ridge tiles and have come up with these ideas so far:

1. There's a bung at the bottom, presumably to fill him with sand. I could chop a few 6 inch lengths of broomstick, mount each one on a small block of wood, then stick them with silicone to to ridge tiles at different points. Every so often I could lean out of the window with a pole and move him to a different perch.

2. I could fix strong magnets at different points to the inside of the roof tiles, put some metal under him and move him about that way.

Better off with a realistic looking fake rubber snake.

Throw it into the roof. They won't come near it.

The hawk won't work. Tried it with solar panels and birds nesting underneath.

 

[Charlie Bravo]

As others have said, the Hawk won't work. The birds will get used to the fact that it poses them no threat and will simply ignore it.

Scaring wildlife away is part of my job and we certainly don't use those things at work.

 

[Hyburnate]

Get a cat.

 

[azazl187]

This is so funny. Get an air rifle and be done with it llol

 

[haaammit]

This is so funny. Get an air rifle and be done with it llol

Don't do this. All birds in the UK are protected by law. Whilst some species are allowed to be controlled, there are specific rules to be followed. It's highly unlikely that the OP's circumstances would fulfil GL35 or GL36 General Licenses and killing the birds would be unlawful and then the OP would be in all sorts of bother.

 

[bainbridge]

As others have said, the Hawk won't work. The birds will get used to the fact that it poses them no threat and will simply ignore it.

Scaring wildlife away is part of my job and we certainly don't use those things at work.

What, in your professional opinion, do you suggest as an alternative?

I accept Corvids are very clever, but I'm going to try and outwit them anyway. They start in breeding April and usually only have one brood, so mating must take place earlier and then they select a nesting site.

I'm going to wait until I see them flying around with twigs in their beaks and then deploy the hawk on the roof, moving him every so often. If I time it right it might just spook them enough to make another site more appealing.

I've spent many hours observing wildlife and Jackdaws are extremely cagey, moreso than magpies and crows. I imagine many people who want to get rid of corvids simply put out a decoy somewhere that's easy for them to place, at a time that suits them, then leave it there and start complaining when the birds begin to ignore it.

If it works it's cost me £20 and a bit of time and effort, if it doesn't I'll try something else next year.

 

[Charlie Bravo]

What, in your professional opinion, do you suggest as an alternative?

The only way you'll stop them completely is to prevent access. Netting or such like will do that, as will spikes (for larger birds) on structures that provide a place to perch.

Whilst there are various methods of scaring birds such as waving your arms (making yourself look like a larger bird to them), distress calls, lasers, pyrotechnics and lethal means (all successful), things such as gas cannons, fake birds, fake birds on poles, kites, scarecrows etc all fail after a short period as the birds become habituated to them and the lack of threat they pose.

 

[bainbridge]

The only way you'll stop them completely is to prevent access. Netting or such like will do that, as will spikes (for larger birds) on structures that provide a place to perch.

Whilst there are various methods of scaring birds such as waving your arms (making yourself look like a larger bird to them), distress calls, lasers, pyrotechnics and lethal means (all successful), things such as gas cannons, fake birds, fake birds on poles, kites, scarecrows etc all fail after a short period as the birds become habituated to them and the lack of threat they pose.

That makes sense, I've seen those spikes and nets on buildings.

If I could access the property I'd refit a fascia to stop them getting in.