Nuisance Birds (6618)

In most instances, birds are welcomed and encouraged in your residential landscape. In spring, birds are preoccupied with mating, nest building and rearing young. Along with these activities, some species have a variety of behaviors that seem odd, annoying, or even frightening.

Robins and males of other birds may repeatedly fly into windows, attacking their own reflections. Placing a sheer cloth or crinkled plastic wrap on the inside of your window helps cut down on reflections and reduces the number of "bird attacks."

Porches, doorways, outdoor light fixtures, and even hanging plants can be attractive nest sites. If birds start to build a nest in an undesirable location, remove any nest building material immediately. Exclude birds from nesting and roosting sites with materials like plastic bird netting and hardware cloth. Swallows attach mud nests to rough surfaces. They can be discouraged by covering a rough surface with slick material like glass, plexiglas or sheet metal.

Crows and starlings are noisy, social birds that gather and roost in large numbers. If these birds are in your trees, prune out some of the branches to open the canopy. Removing smaller branches reduces the number of good perching sites, and birds will move to other trees in the neighborhood.

Frightening birds is difficult. Items with random movement like strips of mylar tape or children's pinwheels are more effective than stationary items like inflatable owls or plastic snakes.

For more information on this subject, Please visit the College of Agricultural Sciences Publications Web site.

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