Nuisance Birds

[fruity]

I have a major problem with a flock of birds that is causing me no end of problems.

They are those brown b#######'s, look like Mynah birds / small crow type, orange beak. I had the same last year, three or four appear then quickly we are up to 60 or so. They spend their entire day around my buildings, stealing feed & sh#####g everywhere, they are very, very clever birds & seemingly can 'work things out' they are persistent beyond belief. These birds are driving me crazy & I just don't know how to get rid of them. I would love to poison them, but this isn't an option due to their carrying stuff away, maybe dropping some where the livestock could get it. I would love to be able to get an airrifle, does anyone know if this is possible & where? Also any other ideas as to how to get rid of these flying rats would be much appreciated.

Fruity

[jaideeguy]

Sounds like mynah birds, .......get a sling shot or those cheap bottle rockets or better yet, place a owl replica up high and they should move elsewhere and disturb someone else.

[slapout]

Those big plastic snakes, if placed in the bird area seem to work fairly well.

[xerostar]

I Perth we have a problem with too many pigeons in the central city.

My brother was in charge of the problem for a while.

They feed the pidgeons every day for a week with ordinary wheat, same place, same time.

The word soon spreads and soon half the pidgeon population turns up for the free lunch.

On the last day they get some wheat and soak it in water that is laced with a strong sedative.

The pigeons eat the wheat and fall asleep near the feeding zone.

After some time they can be gathered in a basket and disposed of.

This culling method seemed quite efficient and was not seen to be cruel.

Hope this helps.

[Goshawk]

they were here long before you my friend...

you could try this though..

Its Robo-Peregrine !! he turns his head.. he flaps his wings.. he screeches his call.. he scares away birds..

[xerostar]

I think the birds you described are known as "Starlings" here in Australia and are considered vermin.

Any reported sightings are taken seriously and people are sent to shoot them.

Evidently they can be a very serious problem and can reach plague numbers around grain farms and cause

considerable losses.

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

We had a big problem with pidgeons at our condo when we moved in. Nesting crapping a ton and just general nuisance. On a trip to Australia we picked up about eight plastic snakes and placed them around the areas the pidgeons spent their time. It worked very well for us. We shift positions every once in a while but very rare to see a pidgeon on our balconies. The others still have the problem.

Don't know if it works with all birds but worth a try the snakes were only a couple dollars a piece. Good luck on getting rid of them.

[fruity]

Thanks guys, will try to get hold of some plastic snakes & an owl /hawk replica & give that a try. I did a similar thing last year to the sedative, but it didn't work; I put food out every day for them, well away from my buildings for a week or so, then did the same thing, although, not with sedative, but with poison ( the blue powder stuff) Some of them ate it, most wouldn't . These birds are clever. I think they are Thai Starlings & without a doubt they are vermin. A sling shot only makes them lift from one area to another & unless you were out there from dawn to dusk it has zero effect. I want them dead, wiped out, shot! I don't care as someone said that these horrible, dirty, thieving b******s were here before me or not, they are a very real nuisance & I worry about the possibility of their shit causing disease / illness in my stock. If I knew where they roost at night, I'd happily pay someone to get up the tree with a sack & get them, problem is, I don't know; they fly in at dawn, stay all day then bugger off again at dusk after dining all day at my expense.

[geriatrickid]

The problem of using poison is that there is run off which can taint ground water and soil. As well, the birds disperse before they die. Once they die, they are consumed by other animals some of which are beneficial to farmers and the local ecosystem. The net result is that assets to the farmer can be lost. Note too, that many casual users of poison end up poisoning themselves or ingesting toxic doses.

You can kill them off as much as you like, but the population will quickly replenish if you do not use a proven strategy.

Please consider the following;

1. Where are they nesting and roosting? Get rid of their nesting sites. Make their roosting places uncomfortable.

2. If you can find a nesting site, kill the eggs, but do not remove them. (You can google how this is done.) This will occupy the breeding population long enough that the breeding period will pass and you can skip a generation.

The standard population control methods used for seagulls follow the egg removal and egg destruction method.

3. Consider asking for help from the lcoal agriculture department officials. You are not the only one to have this problem, and maybe they have methods that are tried and true.

[Pond Life]

On the air rifle question.

These are classed as a firearm in Thailand

They are the same price as a Czech made .22 LR. (about 27,000B )

A farang cannot have a firearm licence.

But your Thai wife/hubby can.

They would apply first to the local Ampur.

Edited June 21, 2008 by Pond Life

[fruity]

I agree regarding the poison; I did try it last year, however, in the main these birds were way too clever to fall for it, this was a last ditch attempt out of desperation to get them that failed miserably.

I would love to get at their nesting / roosting sites, problem being I don't know where?

I am going to have a look around & try to get predatory replicas. Our vet was here last night, he is a goverment vet, working for the agricultural dept. I asked him for suggestions, he said shoot them, which, ideally, I'd like to do. Thanks Pondlife for the air gun info. The 'rat hunting' boys, who run around with their gas powered rifles after rice harvest sniping rats could be the answer. I have asked my wife to ask around if anyones available, all I want is someone to sit on my sala sniping away at these b******'s, I would make it worth anyones while. Problem being just now, most folks busy planting rice. I reckon garden centre type places are more likely to have hawk / owl replicas?

The problem of using poison is that there is run off which can taint ground water and soil. As well, the birds disperse before they die. Once they die, they are consumed by other animals some of which are beneficial to farmers and the local ecosystem. The net result is that assets to the farmer can be lost. Note too, that many casual users of poison end up poisoning themselves or ingesting toxic doses.

You can kill them off as much as you like, but the population will quickly replenish if you do not use a proven strategy.

Please consider the following;

1. Where are they nesting and roosting? Get rid of their nesting sites. Make their roosting places uncomfortable.

2. If you can find a nesting site, kill the eggs, but do not remove them. (You can google how this is done.) This will occupy the breeding population long enough that the breeding period will pass and you can skip a generation.

The standard population control methods used for seagulls follow the egg removal and egg destruction method.

3. Consider asking for help from the lcoal agriculture department officials. You are not the only one to have this problem, and maybe they have methods that are tried and true.

[bunta71]

they were here long before you my friend...

you could try this though..

Its Robo-Peregrine !! he turns his head.. he flaps his wings.. he screeches his call.. he scares away birds..

So where can we get such a fine looking watchbird??

[Mosha]

Where I used to work in Huddersfield, there was a pigeon problem. So one fine day one of the gaffers had a great idea. Catch the birds, and cart them off to Liverpool and release them. The birds were back in Huddersfield to their nests and mates before the captors.

Edited July 3, 2008 by Mosha

[fruity]

Where I used to work in Huddersfield, there was a pigeon problem. So one fine day one of the gaffers had a great idea. Catch the birds, and cart them off to Liverpool and release them. The birds were back in Huddersfield to their nests and mates before the captors.

Hence their name......'Homing Pigeons'............hahahahahahaha.........that is a typical English local authority 'stupid' idea.........lol....

My problem persists, if not increases. I managed to kill three I caught in a building by whacking them with the brush, I had a local boy in with his rat gun, he got five, but this hasn't scratched the surface; there now seems to be more. I am going to try to rig a trap up. The s##t they deposit is a major problem, it is everywhere & masses of it. I am actually washing down 'empty' buildings daily. The s##t brings the ants, it is a real problem! I am becomming paranoid.

[IsaanAussie]

Where I used to work in Huddersfield, there was a pigeon problem. So one fine day one of the gaffers had a great idea. Catch the birds, and cart them off to Liverpool and release them. The birds were back in Huddersfield to their nests and mates before the captors.

Hence their name......'Homing Pigeons'............hahahahahahaha.........that is a typical English local authority 'stupid' idea.........lol....

My problem persists, if not increases. I managed to kill three I caught in a building by whacking them with the brush, I had a local boy in with his rat gun, he got five, but this hasn't scratched the surface; there now seems to be more. I am going to try to rig a trap up. The s##t they deposit is a major problem, it is everywhere & masses of it. I am actually washing down 'empty' buildings daily. The s##t brings the ants, it is a real problem! I am becomming paranoid.

With due care for the pigs, have you tried firecrackers? The locals here use them in empty market buildings. Seems to keep them away for a while after two or three loud bangs.

[fruity]

With due care for the pigs, have you tried firecrackers? The locals here use them in empty market buildings. Seems to keep them away for a while after two or three loud bangs.

I've made all sorts of loud banging / clapping noises, sure, the birds lift off, but are back again as soon as my backs turned! These birds, as I've said before are very smart, they are no easy foe:)

[xerostar]

You may note that I never said to use "poison" as one poster has implied.

I agree, you certainly don't want poison getting into the eco system!

I said my brother used a sedative. i.e. a narcotic.

Only a small dose would be needed to make a bird sleepy.

So the wheat would need to be soaked in a dilute solution for some days and then dried out.

Try using one of the benzodiazepines. (Xanax), (Librium), (Tranxene), (Ativan), or (Serax).

It depends on what you can buy from a pharmacist.

Start with low concentrations and gradually increase the concentration until you can walk around

and pick up the birds that are flopping around.

If possible make it the only food available by cleaning up all other sources of food.

Then if they're hungry enough they will fall for the bait.

I think it's important to go through the routine of regular feeding with normal grain (to get their trust)

before you hit them with the food laced with sleeping medicine.

I checked the internet and it seems there are lots of other methods you can try.

Try a shotgun using small-shot cartridges.

This will give you some satisfaction, if nothing else.

Just be careful where you aim it!

[slapout]

12 gauge with number 8 or 9 shot at 25 to 30 meter works very well

[p_brownstone]

Before resorting to potentially hazardous poisons!

Get an old Vidoe Tape - the 1/2" type in a Cassette.

Cut up a few 3 or 4 foot lengths of the Tape and drape them around trees or bushes in the area - don't overdo it, as you know the birds are pretty smart!

The birds will see them glistening in the wind and sunlight, think they are snakes and, hopefully, will stay away.

Patrick

[fruity]

Great ideas, thanks guys. I'll look for a video tape in the morning, give it a try, if no good, I'll try to source the sedative & give that a go, the only problem with this being it is impossible to make sure the only available feed source is the 'laced' bait. I have already changed feeding regimes to try to avoid these pests, but it is impossible to make sure theres nothing available for them at all times.

Before resorting to potentially hazardous poisons!

Get an old Vidoe Tape - the 1/2" type in a Cassette.

Cut up a few 3 or 4 foot lengths of the Tape and drape them around trees or bushes in the area - don't overdo it, as you know the birds are pretty smart!

The birds will see them glistening in the wind and sunlight, think they are snakes and, hopefully, will stay away.

Patrick

[jts-khorat]

Sounds like mynah birds.

Not sure if this really works, but I came across this: The smell from young leaves of A. pennata is very strong for myna (Gracula religiosa) birds. In Thailand people do not put this acacia near the myna cage, otherwise the birds may die.

Acacia pennata subsp. insuavis (common name cha-om) is one of thirteen Acacia species native to Thailand. This thorny multipurpose shrub or small tree up to 5 m tall grows extensively throughout the country in homesteads.

They can be planted as living fences or green manure and grow like weed, so there is not much maintenance: In northern Thailand, seeds are sown in the rice field in which they will germinate after rice harvest. Young shoots (leaves) can be collected twice for (human and cattle) food before the plants are ploughed in as green manure.

More realistic strategies for eradication of Myna's are to be found here: http://www.issg.org/cii/PII/Electronic%20r...rt%20290906.pdf

Edited August 19, 2008 by jts-khorat

[harrry]

In Turkey the owner of the orchard I used to stay in paid the local kids a bounty to shoot them with catapaults. Of course you would have to watch they didnt bring takeaways/

[Maizefarmer]

Shoot them all! - ex-pats can legally purchase a air rifle (without a license) up to 12ft/lbs or 15ft/lbs energy - it's one or the other, can't remember off hand which, in any event its the limit to which air rifles sold over the counter in Thailand are set to - and is plenty energy enough to drop just about any bird at 15 - 35yards

If you intend to up the power try and start off with something a little better than the cheap Baht 2000 - 5000 Chinese made guns - they are hopeless mechanicaly and they rust with the slightest exposure to rain.

[fruity]

Shoot them all! - ex-pats can legally purchase a air rifle (without a license) up to 12ft/lbs or 15ft/lbs energy - it's one or the other, can't remember off hand which, in any event its the limit to which air rifles sold over the counter in Thailand are set to - and is plenty energy enough to drop just about any bird at 15 - 35yards

If you intend to up the power try and start off with something a little better than the cheap Baht 2000 - 5000 Chinese made guns - they are hopeless mechanicaly and they rust with the slightest exposure to rain.

Hi MF,

What type of shop sells these air guns? I most definately want one yesterday:) I had been led to believe that I'd need to go through the same rigmarole to get an air rifle as I would a shotgun. Was just saying the other day how I wished I had an air rifle; it's the only way to get these b######'s.

These birds are increasing rapidly in number, I get the odd one, but nothing of significance to dent numbers. They are a VERY real problem. Any info on where to buy very much appreciated.

Fruity

[Maizefarmer]

Any gun shop - all the provincial cities have gun shops and most provinical towns of any significant size also have them - usualy run by the local bent copper (or some other hoodlum!!). Ask your local copper or traffic officer - he'll know where the local gunshop is because most cops pack their own personal firearm, not a service issued one - or ask your partner to ask - indeed, when you go to purchase, if you are at all uneasy just ask her to purchase it. At most she might have to show id and house doc's but intheory if its "springed" for no more than max energy, she should be able to just pay over the counter and leave.

And some unasked for comments: personally I'd go for a .22 air rifle -only say that because its what I use occassionaly on rats - just that the trajectory of .22 pellets is a lot or more pronounced than the smaller/lighter airgun pellet diameters so they can be a bit more akward to use at distance, but .22 pellets carry a load more energy at the same velocity. And forget the old break barrel types - get one with a lever operated spring. Sure as hel_l, if you have kids and its a break barrell type air gun it'll be broken in no time.

[fruity]

Any gun shop - all the provincial cities have gun shops and most provinical towns of any significant size also have them - usualy run by the local bent copper (or some other hoodlum!!). Ask your local copper or traffic officer - he'll know where the local gunshop is because most cops pack their own personal firearm, not a service issued one - or ask your partner to ask - indeed, when you go to purchase, if you are at all uneasy just ask her to purchase it. At most she might have to show id and house doc's but intheory if its "springed" for no more than max energy, she should be able to just pay over the counter and leave.

And some unasked for comments: personally I'd go for a .22 air rifle -only say that because its what I use occassionaly on rats - just that the trajectory of .22 pellets is a lot or more pronounced than the smaller/lighter airgun pellet diameters so they can be a bit more akward to use at distance, but .22 pellets carry a load more energy at the same velocity. And forget the old break barrel types - get one with a lever operated spring. Sure as hel_l, if you have kids and its a break barrell type air gun it'll be broken in no time.

Thanks MF, we will head into the city tomorrow 'on a mission' to find the gunshop:) I'll do as you suggest, a 2.2, lever operated spring. We don't have any kids, but the wifes father will undoubtably want to 'play'.....I'm excited, can't wait to start potting those scavanging, sh*****g b******s...lolz....

[zoltannyc]

Here are some bird control devices from Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Dalen-Gardeneer-Rota...2422&sr=8-5

http://www.amazon.com/Bird-Scare-Eye-Diver...2422&sr=8-8

http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Gardener-Defens...2422&sr=8-9

[Pond Life]

Thanks for the info MF.

I was told by my local gun shop that we needed a licence & the airgun costs as much as a .22 LR.

However its quite possible that I was given that answer to encourage me to buy somthing expensive.

We applied for a firearms licence recently,

We were told they almost never issue them around here,

"because its very dangerous around here" TIT

[Pond Life]

I visited my local Merchant of Death today (CM),

Asked about low powered air-rifle,

No, no, no she said.

MF, do you know where I could find that info, official in writing.

She seemed genuine, I told her we had been refused a firearm licence,

So wouldnt be buying anything else from her.

Anyone else tried elsewhere ?

[Maizefarmer]

Nope - I am 100% sure of this: air rifles that fall within the legal ft lb muzzle energy limit do not require licenses - those above the legal ft lb limit do require a license. I will dig out the legislation over the weekend, scan it in and post it for all to see - it'll be in Thai (unless I can find an english copy somewhere around - English copy does exist and I do have it but god knows where it is). If I am wrong then it is a change in legislation sometime over the last few years or so.

As for licenses in general go - yes, some areas have a relaxed issuance policy and other areas have a strict issuance policy. It really is down to the local chief copper - it is he who signs off Yes or No on the dotted line of each application - and I know one thing they always ask is "why" - so have a good reason e.g. problems with birds wil not get you your 308 or Wheatherby Magnum 456 - for one of those write "wild boar hunting"!!! - and the next question will almost certainly be "who's land and have you got a letter of permission fromt he land owner". They always look at the reason......... I wouldn;t have one would get a license for anything more than a 22 rimfire if it was problems with birds.

Failing all efforts take a drive up to Kalasin - where you still find old boys hunting birds with old barrell loading black powder guns !! .... none of them are licensed and no one bats an eyelid!!