Buildings

Roosting Birds are the easiest birds to control or scare to another location.

Most birds roost in a particular location out of habit. As with other animals these habits can be changed. Make your birds roost elsewhere. A great deal of information has been collected to vindicate this.

Swallows nesting on and inside buildings. In most situations these hawks will work provided the Hawk is placed where the Swallows and other birds can see the Hawk profile above them prior to the nesting season. Once the Swallows commence nesting they are impossible to scare until the nesting season is over. Even when you remove the nest your Swallows will still return to the site their nesting instinct is so strong. If you can install your Hawk above where the Swallows are nesting or at the entry point to where they usually nest prior to the nesting season you will have excellent results.

Swallows, Starlings, and Sparrows are the most common birds found roosting inside sheds, barns, warehouses and factories. If your building is such that birds can enter at many points too numerous to locate scaring devices outside, then move them inside. For birds roosting in a shed or building simply suspend the device from 3 lines so the hawk is hovering above the roosting area inside the building.

The best method is to actually prevent the Swallows from entering the building. By suspending the Hawk from just below the eve of the building, or, above the doorway where the birds are entering you will stop them from flying under the Hawk.

If your situation is one where problem birds roost on a roof usually the culprit is the Swallow. They love to sun and preen themselves while sitting on a roof. As they are not toilet trained this goes on the roof too. Still, better there, than on your head! However, as with seagulls, pigeons are easy to scare. It’s only because of habit that they roost on your roof. Change their habit for a few weeks and they will not return. You may find it impractical to suspend a Hawk Bird Scarer on strong fishing line 45Kg plus above your roof. If so, spike the hawk on a pipe and erect above the roosting area. Drill out the round “plug” found in the middle of the reinforcing rib to the size of the bolt. Bolt the hawk to a 6-metre length piece of pipe (as per T.V. antenna installation diagram) and fix to a high point above the bird problem area e.g. chimney, vent pipe, T.V. antenna etc. You will find curtain rod, steel pipe, copper pipe or aluminium tube suitable. Simply flatten out one end, drill hole to the size of the bolt to be used, bend at 90 degrees to the pipe and bolt hawk on.

A Hawk Bird Scarer fixed in this method is not as effective at scaring birds as if suspended on fishing line. However, as roosting birds are easily deterred good results will be obtained. Singleton Shire Council had hundreds of pigeons roosting on an old council building roof. One Hawk Bird Scarer spiked on a length of water pipe scared them across the road onto a pub roof. Fourteen months later the Hawk Bird Scarer blew down. The pigeons still roost on the pub roof. Why? Because they are birds of habit.

The Hawk is unique because it is a full size imitation hawk made of durable weatherproof plastic. As birds instinctively fear the Hawk they are also scared to come within sight of the profile of this replica of a hovering Hawk.

Other customers have had 100% success in preventing Swallows roosting and nesting on yachts, cruisers, on verandahs of homes, around windows and other walls of homes. The Hawks have also worked in sheds, and factories including the Scone Bus Company. The main thing to be sure of is the timing of the installation.

Remember that once a bird has selected the nest site those birds can not be scared until nesting season is finished.

PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE

In cases where birds are entering at one or two points, e.g. doorways, suspend your Hawk Bird Scarer above the doorway on 3 lines (as for Balcony). Birds will not fly under the hawk. If birds are entering after dark, it may be necessary to flood light your hawk.

The Melbourne Transport Authority, Tramways Division, had problems with birds in their tram sheds. Starlings and Swallows entering through open tram doorways. Suspending the Hawk Bird Scarer above the doorway worked for a few days. After that the birds waited till dark and then flew in. The birds could not see the hawk at night.

The Transport Authority floodlit the hawk at night.

Result: NO MORE BIRDS – PROBLEM SOLVED.

The Goshawk hovers before striking its prey. This is why a replica, mounted, is so effective. The Hawk Bird Scarer can not only reproduce the shape but also its mode of action and flight pattern. A Goshawk has one other important characteristic in scaring birds. It will attack birds that are flying, roosting or feeding on the ground. Other birds of prey such as the Falcon may be more aggressive but will only attack birds in flight.

More Bird Pests

Click the links below to read more about a specific problem bird or problem area.

Problem Birds

Problem Areas