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Dealing with Nuisance Birds

Author: Allison Kosto, MSU Broadwater County Extension Agent MSU Broadwater County Extension Agent

Allison Kosto

MSU Broadwater County Extension Agent

People sometimes ask me where I get ideas for articles. Many ideas come from people like you who suggest a topic or ask a question. However, some ideas come from my lived experiences and own necessity to do research to solve a problem. I feel others may experience similar problems and can learn from my experience and my mistakes. A recent problem I am dealing with is nuisance birds. I’m having increasing issues with them in my garden and more recently, swallows have decided my house would make an excellent nesting site (I disagree).

There are two primary types of swallows that nest on buildings: barn swallows and cliff swallows. I originally assumed it was the barn variety on my house, but learned cliff swallows were actually my uninvited guest. Cliff swallows live in big colonies (there were at least a dozen or more around my house) while barn swallows live in solitary pairs. Cliff swallows are a dark color with a pale collar and a buff patch on their rump. They make a gourd-shaped nest. Barn swallows are a solid dark blue and have an open cup-shaped nest.

In general, deterrence and removal for both species are similar. Cliff swallows can be more persistent and take more effort to remove because of their colony behavior. Before taking any action, it’s important to recognize that swallows are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which means it is illegal to remove an active nest, one that has eggs or chicks. Any action must take place early in the season or late summer after the breeding season is over. Luckily, my birds were still in the initial stages of nest building.

Outside of the breeding season, you should remove the nests. Additionally, you will likely need some type of physical barrier along the eave to prevent them from returning. Examples include bird netting, metal or plastic sheathing, bird spikes or slanted boards where mud won’t stick. Temporary deterrents such as mylar strips, reflective tape and pinwheels can also be effective. Sound devices don’t work because swallows have poor hearing.

Birds can also be an issue in the garden. Birds have given me headaches in the garden by stealing seeds after I plant them. Once they learned about the free buffet, they kept coming back each time I would replant. The only prevention strategy I found that worked was bird netting. It needs to be at least 6 inches off the ground. Otherwise, the birds will still get the seeds. Once the seed sprouted, I removed the netting and the birds left the plants alone.

Additionally, birds love berries and fruit. A few of their favorites include strawberries, cherries and honeyberries, and they can easily (and quickly) remove all the fruit from a tree or shrub. Creating a physical barrier with netting or wire cages is the best way to prevent birds from stealing your berries. Visual scares such as old CDS, strips of aluminum foil and reflective tape often work in the short term, but birds will get used to them and eventually not be bothered by them. Same goes for frightening devices that make sounds. If you change or rotate these devices, it will help maintain the scare value. Research also shows that ultrasonic high-frequency sounds do not work because birds, like humans, do not hear them.

There are a variety of taste deterrents, both commercial and homemade. These should be used cautiously because some research has shown that repeated indigestion of certain products can have a detrimental effect on bird health. Additionally, they must be reapplied frequently after each rain or irrigation.

One final strategy is to reduce attraction to one area and/or create areas of habitat that birds prefer. Other ways to reduce attraction are to spray the birds with water, remove mud sources, cover bird baths and remove nests (when legal).

As for me, I’m still battling the sparrows and am currently trying to make my house a less attractive place to live. This morning, I gave my daughter instructions to spray the birds and nesting sites with water (a choice I might regret) on a regular basis to deter them. The next step will be attaching a physical barrier or deterrent to the house. Feel free to call MSU Extension in Broadwater County for an update on the sparrows or with any other pest control questions at 406-266-9242 or allison.kosto@montana.edu.