Bird removal

[mregan]

We have a new flock of birds that have moved in at my marina.  They seemed to have christened my boat as their party/bathroom boat.  Small birds, maybe finch or small sparrow size. 

Anyone use a plastic owl or hawk to keep the birds off. Was thinking of bungee cording it to the boom.

[Jon W]

I had zero luck with the hawk. A couple slip neighbors have the owl, and one has a snake. They don't seem to do much either. What has helped a lot is putting spikes on top of the mast.

If the spikes caused the birds to go to the spreaders instead of the top of the mast, my next step was to add a single string of heavy fishing line ~1 inch above the centerline of the spreader from the shroud to the mast port and starboard.

[waughoo]

I have no idea of its effectiveness, but we have a few boats with CDs hanging off flag halyards so they flash in the sun/wind.

[Noah]

Our yacht club uses fake coyotes and regularly rotates their locations throughout the marina. They fooled/intrigued my dog when he was younger.

[Ron Hill]

mre : I've used snakes, an owl on the piling, and CDs on the life lines.  I also tried monofilament line (which worked), but was a pain as you needed to take it all down to use the boat (labor intensive). Those little birds I was trying to deter were Purple Martins (some people call them "swifts").  They eat a zillion flying insects especially mosquitos, but then unload over your boat gunnel!!!  I had wished they ate spiders, but they was not on their diet!!

I believe that the CDs (Join AOL) worked the best.  If a CD detached and blew away I knew that AOL would replace it in the U.S Mail with in a few days!!!   

A few thoughts

[Catalina007]

I have tried all of these things and none work. Eventually the birds will crap on your owls, snakes, coyotes, etc.
But one thing does work 100 pct of the time

About once a week I put a dead fish or some hot dogs on the boats surrounding my mooring.  Have not had a problem on my boat since! 

[waughoo]

About once a week I put a dead fish or some hot dogs on the boats surrounding my mooring.  Have not had a problem on my boat since!

I always wondered why there were hot dogs on my foredeck...

[mregan]

Just bought a roll of reflective streamer.  Supposedly when it's flapping around and the sun is shining on it, it will keep the birds away.  Pretty much what the AOL cd's were doing for Ron.

[Catalina007]

yes you can get it at home depot, my favorite chandelry. works for keeping the woodpeckers off the house

[paule]

Bird aweigh you can find it on internet. Have used since X-Mass when my daughter bought it for me.
No more Osprey's or damage to instruments. was about $139 worth the money

BEST PRESENT EVER!!!!!

[waughoo]

Looked it up.... pretty clever.

https://www.birdaweigh.com/

[mregan]

Installed some of the reflective tape on the lazy jacks and back stay.  Eliminated 80% of the problem.  Going to try a couple pieces higher on the standing rigging which should eliminate the rest.

[mregan]

Me=1 Birds=1.  Climbed up to the spreaders to put a couple more lengths of tape up.  Just as I'm about to head up, feel something on my arm.  Bird pooped on me.  I could see him at the top of the mast laughing at me.  The saga continues....

[waughoo]

Reminds me of Caddyshack!

[Ron Hill]

mre : It's just a constant battle with the birds!!! 

That Bird-a-way looks like it has some merit.  At least it will stop those guys from "Stomping" on the Windex and breaking it!!  The worst could be the Osprey!!! - because they are protected!!

A few thoughts