Simple, Effective Bird Deterrent--Finally!

[Simi 60]

In the last two years I can count on one hand the amount of times I've had to clean a single bird **** off our boat.

Living aboard and using the boat is probably the answer
Or the cat

[Akapeterc]

If you get a pool noodle and sliced it halfway through slipped on the top run of your life lines the birds hate to land on it

[a64pilot]

The bird distress noises have been around for a very long time.
In the Blimp hanger in New Jersey they have always had problems with pigeons, so they installed the speakers with the bird distress sounds, and these speakers look like horns and rotate, plus they change to bird raptor noises too, hawks maybe. The moving speakers are supposed to sound like the noises move around keeping the birds from becoming used to them.
Somewhere I have a picture of a pigeon sitting on top of the slowly spinning speaker enjoying the ride, and the speakers are covered in pigeon droppings.
I used to keep the hanger in Germany clear with my Beeman air rifle on weekends, thinking back it may have been leaving a dead one or two around that really is what worked cause some would stay in the rafters and not fall.

I have an air rifle on order, I’m going to give the dead bird thing a try, I have never seen anything work, but did see the kite thing is Port Salerno, it fooled me for awhile, not sure about the birds.
There the bird problem is crows in the morning, at least crow leavings are easy to wash off, they are like white paint like a seagull’s is.

[sailorboy1]

Near as I've been able to tell over the year the best way to not have the birds poop on the boat is:

- don't be the only boat out in the water as ony target
- don't leave boat for a long long long time so the birds think it's theirs

The lonely forgotten boats collect the most bird crap.

[WaveDancer2]

Here is a YT.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBDbOMsVK3c

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by WaveDancer2

Here is a YT....

That might work save for the fact that Osprey's are part of the problem rather than a solution, at least here-abouts.

As for being aboard, using the boat more, at least in our part of southwest Florida being aboard the boat or even being underway is no deterrent. We've actually had birds that insisted on landing on us when we've been underway, one of which missed the folded Bimini arch he/she was apparently aiming for and landed on my daughters hat! (I'm not sure who screeched louder--my daughter or the bird at her reaction! Laughing, of course, on our part, didn't improve her spirits in the moment.) One darned bird insisted on landing on our bow pulpit while we were 40+ miles off-shore headed for Key West on one occasion. He/she rode along with us for several hours despite repeated efforts to disloge him/her with a deck scrub-brush. A close-up blast from our canned-air horn finally did the trick...tho' that wouldn't be much of a solution in a marina, eh?

Headed to the boat shortly. Shall report on findings. Hopefully the thing is still working.


FWIW...

[a64pilot]

I’ve had birds land on the boat several times when well offshore, and usually small ones.
I let them stay, they are obviously exhausted having been blown out to sea and flying for no telling how long.
They usually leave the next morning on their own. They are I assume too exhausted to be afraid and will land on you and go below and find a place to sit, and go straight to sleep.

[danielamartindm]

Pursuant to my previous post, this is a short video of the osprey kite that I installed on my dock. I don't know if the birds will wise up, but a flock of four nearby gulls took one look at it, gave warning cries, and flew away like chickens with the Colonel after them.

[danielamartindm]

Originally Posted by danielamartindm

Pursuant to my previous post, this is a short video of the osprey kite that I installed on my dock. I don't know if the birds will wise up, but a flock of four nearby gulls took one look at it, gave warning cries, and flew away like chickens with the Colonel after them.

The video was from an iPhone, and limited to six seconds by data requirements. In heavier winds, the wings flap and it banks, descends, and ascends for a very realistic effect.

[danielamartindm]

Originally Posted by boden36

Like Bilgewater, have lots of Sulphur Crested Cockatoos. They are intelligent but highly effective vandals.
Driving to work one morning, I glanced over to see a dozen or so on the furling genoa, merrily picking the stitches from the UV panel.
They also love snipping any electrical wires and cut the feed to our spreader lights and VHF antenna. I ended up encasing the wires in the flexible metal tubing usually used for hand held showers.

They don't poop much.

On land, they ate their way into a house ,and totally destroyed the contents.
When they had a go at the front deck of our house we started pinging them lightly with a slingshot. They were bright enough to get the message and stayed away.



Regards,
Richard.

I had a number of cockatoos as pets years ago. They are highly intelligent, and when hand raised, need large doses of daily affection and touching. If a cockatoo comes to know you, and then doesn't see you again for thirty years, it will remember you.

[svHyLyte]

Well, for you skeptics, we have just returned from the yacht and after a week, she is still free of bird droppings while Murphy's electronic "Bird Bane" keeps chirping away, albeit at some reduced volume. No droppings on the boat and, in fact, not a bird in sight where we would normally have dozens, if not hundreds, of the darned critters flocking about, perched on the Club Roof, near-by trees; and, the boats' rigging.

FWIW...

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I’ve had birds land on the boat several times when well offshore, and usually small ones.
I let them stay, they are obviously exhausted having been blown out to sea and flying for no telling how long.
They usually leave the next morning on their own. They are I assume too exhausted to be afraid and will land on you and go below and find a place to sit, and go straight to sleep.Attachment 181683Attachment 181684

I've had a lot of those little birds show up all exhausted and catch a ride on the boat. Had one stay with us for 3 days on before getting brave enough to go for it. It steered the boat sitting on the wheel all day and next day was flying around eating bugs that I couldn't see. On third day it came out of the sail as I put it up to leave from a mooring.

Now, this is a LOT different than when a seagull shows up and decides to land on the solar panel!!!

[captainwireman]

Originally Posted by svHyLyte

Well, for you skeptics, we have just returned from the yacht and after a week, she is still free of bird droppings while Murphy's electronic "Bird Bane" keeps chirping away, albeit at some reduced volume. No droppings on the boat and, in fact, not a bird in sight where we would normally have dozens, if not hundreds, of the darned critters flocking about, perched on the Club Roof, near-by trees; and, the boats' rigging.

FWIW...

Easy there name caller, I did not lie when I posted the birds got used to the recordings. Hey, I am all kinds of happy for you and I do hope your system works forever.

[bobnlesley]

Originally Posted by Simi 60

...Living aboard and using the boat is probably the answer...

We've found that helps, though about two weeks ago in Fakarava we had towards thirty sooty terns roosting on the pulpit, guard wires, headsail sheets and roller reefing lines; I wouldn't have minded so much if the little buggers had had the decency to fly away when I went up to work on the foredeck, but the arrogant sods just sat there watching me as I worked within 3' of them!

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by captainwireman

Easy there name caller, I did not lie when I posted the birds got used to the recordings. Hey, I am all kinds of happy for you and I do hope your system works forever.

I do not believe referring to some as "skeptics" is pejorative in either the general or specific case. Particularly so as I tend to be somewhat of a skeptic in the "show me" sense myself. Nor do I think you--or anyone else--"lied" concerning birds' adjusting too, and subsequently ignoring, warning cries although I remain "skeptical" as that would be something of a self defeating behavioral adaptation in the Darwinian sense, No? (See "The Boy Who Cried Wolf!")

I report and let you/others decide.

FWIW...