Simple & reliable House Sparrow deterrent

[Lisa Millbank]

Since reading Jim Smith's post about House Sparrow problems, I thought I'd share a simple and effective method to deter House Sparrows from nest boxes: the "sparrow spooker."  It protects eggs, nestlings and adult native birds from deadly attacks and harassment.  Other methods of House Sparrow control may be more controversial and are more difficult to employ than the sparrow spooker, so I won't go into those.

A sparrow spooker consists of shiny mylar strips that dangle over the edge of the nestbox roof and move in the wind (see attached photo).  Nobody knows why House Sparrows find this so intimidating, or why native cavity-nesters tolerate it so well (links to more info: House Sparrow problems, sparrow spookers).  We have had 100% success with it despite heavy pressure from House Sparrows in our neighborhood.  If it is properly designed, House Sparrows will not even land on the box when the sparrow spooker is in place.

I strongly urge everyone who has nest boxes and has any HOSPs in the area to use sparrow spookers.  We made ours from scrap wood, wire coat hangers, and strips from a bag that had crackers in it.  A few important points:

• Don't allow House Sparrows to nest anywhere on your property.
  
• Monitor boxes daily (not in the morning, when the female may be laying an egg) and put up a sparrow spooker as soon as the first egg has been laid.
• Remove sparrow spooker as soon as young have fledged so HOSPs can't get too accustomed to it.
• Make sure that the mylar strips brush the roof edge right over the hole.
  
• If you have to put up a sparrow spooker during incubation or after eggs have hatched, monitor the box to make sure the parents accept it within 30 minutes.  Bluebirds don't seem to care much about it, but Tree and Violet-green Swallows may experience some temporary distress, especially when it's windy and the strips move around a lot.
  

Lisa Millbank

[Molly Monroe]

Hi Jim and all,

I won't go into too many details here but wanted to share this link with the group in case it may help with reducing house sparrow/starling numbers rather than deterring them from one box and sending them on to another:

https://www.vanerttraps.com/

We have had good luck with reducing their population around our house (over 20 in 2012, only had to trap 4 last year) and have four successful VG swallow boxes every year. I say I'm 'pulling weeds' to help the neighbors understand. The VG swallows are my wildflowers and we would have none left here if we'd let the sparrows take over our boxes.

Please let me know if you have any questions,
Molly~

A few fun related links: http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/bill_monroe/index.ssf/2012/09/edible_invasive_species_make_t.html

http://appliedeco.org/product/theyre-cooked-recipes-to-combat-invasive-species/

_
( '<
/ ) )
//"  
I love to see anything that implies a simpler mode of life and a greater nearness to the earth.
                - Henry David Thoreau

---

From: birding...@midvalleybirding.org <birding...@midvalleybirding.org> on behalf of Lisa Millbank <millba...@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2017 10:07 PM
To: Hendrik Herlyn
Cc: JAMES D SMITH; MidValley Birds
Subject: Re: [birding] Simple & reliable House Sparrow deterrent

 

Hi Jim,

Yes, Hendrik is correct, I was referring to the native species when I was
making those points, not the House Sparrows.  I should have been more clear
about that.  The assumption was that all House Sparrows nests have been
removed initially, and then the function of the sparrow spooker is to
protects any native cavity-nesters by keeping House Sparrows away from the
box.

I said to wait to put up the sparrow spooker until after the first egg is
laid.  One year, we had a large number of persistent male House Sparrows
competing for the bluebird box, before the bluebirds even had a chance to
build a nest.  We put up the sparrow spooker much earlier than recommended
to keep the sparrows away.  In that case, the bluebirds returned and nested
successfully, with no further interference from House Sparrows.  So, there
are times when you may have to go against the general recommendation and
put up a spooker very early.  This might be the case for your situation.
You may end up having native birds return if you do manage to keep the
House Sparrows at bay.

I also want to be clear about that last point...the time to remove the
sparrow spooker from the box is after the native birds have fledged.
Basically, the spooker needs to be up to protect the native birds from egg
to fledging.

Lisa


On Thu, Apr 13, 2017 at 8:03 PM, Hendrik Herlyn <hhac...@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Hi James and all,
>
> I, too, was a little confused when I first read this, but I think what
> Lisa is talking about are native species (bluebirds, swallows, house wrens,
> etc.) that are already using the box. The sparrow deterrent is meant to
> prevent House Sparrows from taking over an already occupied box.
>
> Correct me if I interpreted your post wrong, Lisa!
>
> Luckily, in almost 2 years up here on Witham Hill in Corvallis, I have yet
> to see a single House Sparrow in our neighborhood. Hope it stays that way!
>
> Cheers
>
> Hendrik
>
> __________________________
> Hendrik G. Herlyn
> Corvallis, OR
>
>
> *"Nature is not a place to visit. It is home."     -- Gary Snyder*
>
>
> ------------------------------
> *From:* JAMES D SMITH <JDSM...@msn.com>
> *To:* Lisa Millbank <millba...@gmail.com>; MidValley Birds <
> bir...@midvalleybirding.org>
> *Sent:* Thursday, April 13, 2017 7:50 PM
> *Subject:* Re: [birding] Simple & reliable House Sparrow deterrent
>
> Lisa,
>
>
> Thank you for the information, I'll check out the links. I have a couple
> questions that might benefit others:
>
>   *  You mention don't monitor in the morning due to female laying eggs;
> HOSP aren't protected by the Song Bird  laws, so I wouldn't think it would
> matter.
>   *  Also, you mention remove it prior to fledglings coming of age; I
> would throw out the eggs for the same above reason.
>
> My efforts have been to scare the HOSP off, prevent them from taking over
> the next box in the first place, and tossing their nests. At this time, at
> my place, the VGS haven't started building their nests, typically first
> week in May, and my Bluebirds haven't come back.
>
>
> Thanks,
>
>
> Jim
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: birding...@midvalleybirding.org <birding-bounces@
> midvalleybirding.org> on behalf of Lisa Millbank <millba...@gmail.com>
> Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2017 1:38 PM
> To: MidValley Birds
> Subject: [birding] Simple & reliable House Sparrow deterrent

>
> Since reading Jim Smith's post about House Sparrow problems, I thought I'd
> share a simple and effective method to deter House Sparrows from nest
> boxes: the "sparrow spooker."  It protects eggs, nestlings and adult native
> birds from deadly attacks and harassment.  Other methods of House Sparrow
> control may be more controversial and are more difficult to employ than the
> sparrow spooker, so I won't go into those.
>
> A sparrow spooker consists of shiny mylar strips that dangle over the edge

> of the nestbox roof and move in the wind (link to photo
> <https://groups.google.com/d/msg/mid-valley-nature/
> l0hfeWzKT6U/bpAq0ieJDgAJ>).

> Nobody knows why House Sparrows find this so intimidating, or why native
> cavity-nesters tolerate it so well (links to more info: House Sparrow

> problems <http://www.sialis.org/hosp.htm>, sparrow spookers
> Managing House Sparrows - Sialis<http://www.sialis.org/hosp.htm>
> www.sialis.org
> Managing House Sparrows "Without question the most deplorable event in the
> history of American ornithology was the introduction of the English ...
>
>
> <http://www.sialis.org/sparrowspooker.htm>).  We have had 100% success
> with
> [http://www.sialis.org/images/sparrow_spooker_sparrowtraps.jpg]<
> http://www.sialis.org/sparrowspooker.htm>
>
> Sparrow Spooker designs and instructions - Sialis<http://www.sialis.org/
> sparrowspooker.htm>
>
> www.sialis.org
> See instructions below on how to make a spooker. A ready-made,
> weather-resistant Sparrow Spooker is now commercially available from
> Sparrowtraps.net.

>
>
> it despite heavy pressure from House Sparrows in our neighborhood.  If it
> is properly designed, House Sparrows will not even land on the box when the
> sparrow spooker is in place.
>

> *I strongly urge everyone who has nest boxes and has any HOSPs in the area
> to use sparrow spookers.*  We made ours from scrap wood, wire coat hangers,

> and strips from a bag that had crackers in it.  A few important points:
>

>   - Don't allow House Sparrows to nest anywhere on your property.
>   - Monitor boxes daily (not in the morning, when the female may be laying

>   an egg) and put up a sparrow spooker as soon as the first egg has been
> laid.

>   - Remove sparrow spooker as soon as young have fledged so HOSPs can't

>   get too accustomed to it.

>   - Make sure that the mylar strips brush the roof edge right over the
>   hole.
>   - If you have to put up a sparrow spooker during incubation or after

>   eggs have hatched, monitor the box to make sure the parents accept it
>   within 30 minutes.  Bluebirds don't seem to care much about it, but Tree
>   and Violet-green Swallows may experience some temporary distress,
>   especially when it's windy and the strips move around a lot.
>
> Lisa Millbank

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[Lisa Millbank]

I agree with Molly that more active House Sparrow control methods that can more effectively reduce their population.  I was reluctant to bring up this sometimes-contentious issue, but the website sialis.org has information about all kinds of lethal and non-lethal control.  We have been using a reasonably effective method of control that's non-lethal, but some may still find objectionable.  Anyone wanting further advice can email Molly or me about other techniques.

Even if House Sparrows are being actively trapped and controlled, the passive protection provided by the sparrow spooker still plays an important role.  I believe that a combination of active and passive control gives the best results in areas with high House Sparrow populations.  It doesn't take long for a new male House Sparrow to show up and kill eggs/nestlings/adults, but the sparrow spooker protects nests even when the homeowner isn't able to observe their nest boxes and set traps.  For those unwilling or unable to use other methods, the cheap and simple sparrow spooker alone will ensure that a nest box is occupied only by a native species.

Lisa Millbank

On Fri, Apr 14, 2017 at 8:17 AM, Molly Monroe <monro...@hotmail.com> wrote:

Hi Jim and all,

I won't go into too many details here but wanted to share this link with the group in case it may help with reducing house sparrow/starling numbers rather than deterring them from one box and sending them on to another:

https://www.vanerttraps.com/

We have had good luck with reducing their population around our house (over 20 in 2012, only had to trap 4 last year) and have four successful VG swallow boxes every year. I say I'm 'pulling weeds' to help the neighbors understand. The VG swallows are my wildflowers and we would have none left here if we'd let the sparrows take over our boxes.

Please let me know if you have any questions,
Molly~

A few fun related links: http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/bill_monroe/index.ssf/2012/09/edible_invasive_species_make_t.html

http://appliedeco.org/product/theyre-cooked-recipes-to-combat-invasive-species/

_
( '<
/ ) )
//"  
I love to see anything that implies a simpler mode of life and a greater nearness to the earth.
                - Henry David Thoreau

---

From: birding-bounces@midvalleybirding.org <birding-bounces@midvalleybirding.org> on behalf of Lisa Millbank <millba...@gmail.com>

> From: birding-bounces@midvalleybirding.org <birding-bounces@

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