Pest bird exclusion is a bit of a controversial topic for me and other nuisance wildlife professionals around the country. By using exclusion products successfully you are in essence intentionally relocating the target species. If the target happens to be one of the three unprotected invasive species you have basically contributed to the problem as opposed to helping solve it.
When you exclude these birds you are forcing them to take up homes somewhere else. A couple of things can happen when you do this:
1. The birds can split up and begin completely new colonies in different areas which will spread the population out among the community quickly.
2. The colony/colonies will undoubtedly move to people’s homes or businesses where people may not know that these birds are a problem or simply may not care, thus eliminating an opportunity to decrease the overall population.
Both of these things are undesirable situations and one or both of things will always be the result of proper exclusion methods (if done improperly the birds will remain in the same place, often nesting right on top of your exclusion equipment). That being said, there are some occasions when exclusion is an acceptable for of area control.
If these birds take up residence in businesses or apartment complexes and have a high volume of nest sites within the structures there are problems with health and safety involved. The nests are fire hazards, so much so that they are used as tinder bundles when starting fires in wilderness survival situations. The nests almost always house mites which will eventually find their way into the homes or businesses that they are built on. In addition, there is a minor chance that people can develop respiratory irritation from the fecal matter left from these species. In this case it is better to relocate the birds for the health and safety of the people.
Remember, people always come first. One good solution to the down sides of exclusion is to educate the public. Most people have no idea about the problems caused by sparrows so they don’t do anything about it. If you find yourself with no other option than to exclude, take a few minutes and inform the residents around the exclusion site. Who knows, you might get an invitation to trap at their place!
Here is the company that I use for my bird control products in my business:
http://www.birdbarrier.com/ If you have any questions about the use of specific equipment or their effectiveness ask away. Oh yea, STOP PUTTING PLASTIC OWLS EVERYWHERE! They don’t work, if you think they do I will be more than happy to send you pictures of birds on them or sitting next to them.
Next time somebody tells you to exclude rather than trap try explaining this to them.
