Birds have a great natural defense system, they can fly out of reach at a moment's notice - but they still fall prey to a variety of predator. While you may wish you could keep your backyard predator free, it's worth remembering that predators are part of nature's balance. And some bird predators, such as owls and hawks, are fascinating subjects for bird watching in themselves. However, there are dangers in your yard that will get them even with this defense system.
In
the big picture, bird predators play a vital role in the survival of their
prey. The easiest adult birds for a predator to catch are the weakest:
birds that are sick, old, or stressed. By removing these birds, predators
strengthen the bird population by preventing the spread of diseases.
It's survival of the fittest. If a bird is healthy, watchful, and
quick to escape a predator, it won't get eaten, and will pass these desirable
traits to its offspring.
Birds have lots of babies, and some even raise more than one set of babies in a season. There are predators who eat bird eggs too, but enough hatch for some to adulthood.
Bird
predators fall into three groups. There are pursuers, mainly hawks,
which swoop down on their bird prey and snatch them in midair. The
pouncers include perching hawks, cats, snakes, and other animals that sneak
up on unwary or roosting birds. Nest thieves include owls, jays,
crows, and raccoons, which raid nests looking for eggs, young, or even
parent birds.
While predators are a part of nature's way, I try to keep the predators out of my yard. After all, I'm inviting birds to dine in my yard, what kind of host would I be if I led them into danger?
Cats that aren't kept indoors are one reason songbird populations are in a decline. Some sources estimate that cats catch as many as a million songbirds a year. Cats, whether they're free roaming feral cats or pet cats, are major bird predators. The best approach if you own a cat is to just keep it indoors. However, that doesn't keep other neighborhood cats out of your yard. In spring, it is especially important to keep cats out of your yard because fledgling birds don't fly well and are especially vulnerable to cats. Many people just shoo cats away by clapping their hands and chasing them, but I prefer something that tends to keep the cats away. I use a super soaker. Cats don't like to be sprayed with the water. And if just water doesn't scare them off, I add a little vinegar.
Unfortunately, not only do squirrels eat tons of your birdseed, they don't exclusively dine on the nuts, corn, and birdseed. They also rob bird nests of eggs and sometimes nestlings. If your neighborhood is overrun by squirrels. If you don't have hawks and owls that will dine on the squirrels, then try employing the metal baffles and other methods for keeping them out of your feeder, if you discourage them from dining at you feeders, they may go elsewhere for their meals.
Raccoons
are other critters that will dine on eggs and nestlings. Heck, these
beasties will dine on just about anything. I try to keep raccoons
totally out of my yard because I don't like picking up garbage, and because
in my area, we have a rabies problem, especially in the raccoon population.
Stopping raccoons is quite the chore.
Raccoons are attracted to suet, especially in early spring and again in the fall. In the fall they are attracted to suet because this high-energy food helps build their store of body fat for the winter.
Raccoons are what you might call "hit and run" eaters. They will swipe what they can get easily and run off with it. The best way to protect your suet offerings for birds from raids by raccoons is to provide a small piece of suet or pieces of corn-on-the-cob just for raccoons. Place these within easy reach, and you are likely to find your raccoon satisfied.
Raccoons can climb just about any tree or post in order to reach a birdhouse. Once they get to the house they manage to reach inside and pull out the eggs or nestlings. You can make your houses predator safe by placing a 1-11/2" thick block of wood over the entrance hole of the house. Drill a hole in the center of this block the same diameter as the entrance hole. Secure the block around the entrance hole, creating a longer entrance so the raccoons paws can't reach the nest.
For houses mounted in trees, place a three-foot piece of galvanized metal around the tree. Secure with nail, with a loose fitting to allow the tree growth and air circulation.
One way to keep raccoons from getting into your birdfeeder is to mount the feeder on a smooth metal fence post. A galvanized waterpipe will also work. Raccoons can, how-ever, climb untreated metal posts and pipes. A heavy coating of soft all-purpose grease should be applied. The application may need to be repeated during the year.
Other effective devices include a large conical guard made from sheet metal attached to the post below the feeder. A two-foot length of 4-5" PVC or stove pipe around the pole under feeder. The raccoon will not be able to get a good hold on the smooth surface. Both these will also work with houses mounted on poles.
Windows are another safety concern. If you have a big picture window, when birds are flying, they will at times fly into the window thinking its a safe area because they see the reflection of trees and sky in the window. You can try breaking up the reflection with a trellis or netting over the front of the window. You can also try using black hawk and owl decal for the window. Also try placing feeders close to the window to give them less distance and keep them from gaining top speed when going the direction towards the windows.
When placing your feeders, make sure they are placed close enough
to dense bushes and other types of natural cover from predators that they
can escape, but not close enough so that cats and other pouncing predators
have a place to hide in and have easy access. This provides
nimble birds a safe haven while preventing hawks and four footed predators
a way to get in. Good types of sheltering plants evergreen shrubs
and trees, and deciduous shrubs, , spruces whose sharp needles repel predators.
These sheltering plants will also provide cover from heavy rain and snow,
and the cold in northern climates.
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