Bird-proof your campus

The University of Maryland at College Park had a strange visitor in their Memorial Chapel one February weekend in 2006: a red-tailed hawk. It perched up in the rafters and stuck around for a wedding Saturday afternoon and a memorial service that evening. It also stayed for Mass the next day.

Luckily, no one was fazed and plenty were amused – including the bride.

"He just kinda hung out," university student Taylor Atkinsons said in The Diamondback. "The guests thought it was funny; the bride thought it was hilarious. People just want to take pictures of it - more of the bird than of the bride."

Even if people were disturbed by the endangered hawk’s presence, there was nothing anyone could have done about it. Under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, no one is allowed to pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, collect or participate in any attempt to carry out these activities. So moving it would have been a federal offense.

Birds protected under the act include all common songbirds, waterfowl, shorebirds, hawks, owls, eagles, ravens, crows, native doves and pigeons, swifts, martins, swallows and others, including their body parts (feathers, plumes etc), nests, and eggs – a total of 836 species.

The people at the University of Maryland had a good experience. Generally speaking, though, having one-too-many birds around is much more of a pest than a pleasure. The harm they can do to property and people can be quite costly time-wise, financially and aesthetically.

Their acidic droppings erode many surfaces and their feathers can clog drains. Dried fecal matter becomes an airborne dust and, when unknowingly inhaled, exposes people to the over sixty transmittable diseases birds carry. This is especially harmful to those with weakened immune systems who might not be able to fight off diseases like histoplasmosis, candidiasis or cryptococcosis.

Fecal matter speeds up degradation of those beautiful campus buildings that have been around for years. Many universities pride themselves on having top-notch landscaping and antique structures. Birds, especially pigeons and Canada geese, can visually ruin what maintenance crews and alumni donors have spent a lot of time and effort perfecting.

And speaking of Canada geese – did you know they can produce up to 1.5 pounds of fecal matter per day? Since they are attracted to the same hard edges and clean landscapes of parks and universities, this can not only be unhealthy but also a steep liability. The New York Transit Authority was recently ordered to pay a man $6 million dollars after he slipped and fell down a set of subway steps on bird droppings.

What doesn’t work

Many well-intentioned individuals attempt correct methods yet get no results because they are executing them improperly. And anything lethal is ineffective and probably illegal. Poisoning and shooting birds works only in the short term; the current crop is gone for good, but more will come a lot sooner than you may think.

Killing pests does not address the real problem of their draw to your property. And it also can cause quite a public stir. In 2007, the University of Missouri in Columbia used a chemical called Avitrol to control the pigeons roosting around their dining halls. Soon after, the Central Missouri Humane Society received numerous reports of pigeons having seizures, flying erratically and dying.

Habitat modification is the only truly effective method of expelling birds permanently. The good news here is that there are many green and humane ways to do this. And, luckily, not all of these tactics are a visual downgrade to campus quads and student unions.

Sound devices

Sound devices can be used in multiple places including loading docks, railroad sidings, underpasses, barns, airfields, rooftops, open lots and parks, construction zones and landfills. Some devices cover up to six acres. There are two types: sonic and ultrasonic.

Good sonic devices are programmable and give off bird distress calls, creating the illusion of a predator being near. Similar to a warning, it urges birds to stay away because there is danger near. Some devices have up to eight recorded distress calls and can be timed to turn on and off at certain times. Calls differ in frequency, duration and intervals. Periods of silence can also be programmed.

Ultrasonic sound devices give off sounds beyond the human threshold of hearing capabilities. The sound is harsh but harmless, annoying the birds, along with other pests, to the point that they do not want to be in the area. Adjustable frequencies, warble rate and speaker sequencing will keep the birds guessing so they will not become acclimated to the noise.

Roost inhibitors

Netting seals off all structural openings and other havens. It is lightweight and pliable with very little upkeep and it will not deteriorate with age or lose strength when exposed to the elements. It can be used nearly anywhere and is effective in keeping away pigeons, starlings, blackbirds, sparrows, gulls, larger birds and some smaller animals.

Spikes make surfaces uneven so birds cannot set up shop. Birds avoid spikes the way humans avoid walking barefoot on glass or a bed of nails. Though they are not lethal, they are extremely uncomfortable. They work very well on ledges, gutters, pipes, beams, trusses, support structures, and sills. Spikes are available in stainless steel and polycarbonate.

Gels and spikes are quite similar in that they can be used in the same places and have the same effect, only the gel is basically undetectable by humans. It is non-toxic and harmless to metal structures, sealed masonry and ornamental metals. Birds avoid it like humans avoid wet tar.

Visual Scares

Visual scares run the gamut – from plastic coyotes, owls and alligators to Mylar balloons with holographic eyes to strobe lighting. If used correctly, in conjunction with other devices, they are very effective in keeping birds and other pests and critters at bay.

The University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) had a major pigeon problem for over 25 years, until they installed balloons with holographic lenses in trees around their dining halls. Since the “eyes” of the balloons resemble those of an owl, a natural predator to pigeons, it frightened the pigeons away almost instantly.

Taste and smell aversions

Chemical repellants can be sprayed on anything animals like deer, squirrels and other pests like to munch on. They do not like the taste so they will stay away from the area. One chemical in particular is especially unappealing to birds. Methyl Anthranilate is made from a constituent of Concord grapes and has been used for decades by the food and drug industry to flavor candy, gum, sodas and drugs. Birds had the taste and smell of this and will surely stay away from any area with this scent. Most of these chemicals are water resistant and all of them are harmless to the environment and the animals.

Correct bird control can save your university thousands, maybe even millions, of dollars in clean-up costs, labor and lawsuits. Using any of these methods will send the birds a message. Using them in conjunction with other effective products is bound to keep birds off campus for good. Addressing multiple senses is the best approach to keeping your university bird free.