Our resident blackbird wakes up at dawn every morning and proceeds to sing very loudly outside our bedroom. It goes on like this ALL morning without stopping. I've tried to shoo it away several times but it just comes back. Has anyone got any advice on how I can deter or remove this bird as we have had enough. Practical and legal advice only please.
Practical advice? Recognize how lucky you are to have a bird singing outside your bedroom!
You could try playing a tape that has both the calls of predator birds and birds in distress, or put up plastic owls or hawks. Birds are not dumb however and you will have to change these regularly.
Kendall, as far as you are concerned it doesn't matter how long this will go on (which could probably be for another few months depending on the bird) as I can already read the frustration in your post.
The bird is either calling for a mate or preparing to welcome the dawn during spring and summer. You need to discourage the bird from that location either by netting the tree concerned if possible or arrange another deterrent such as the [link=http://www.derwenttraders.com.au/contents/en-us/d222.html?gclid=CJfXosTV... deterrent sprinkler[/link] or something similar or invest in more comfortable ear plugs. Good luck!
Alison
~~~~~~
"the earth is not only for humans, but for all animals and living things."
Hi everyone, I grew up in Europe, where the Blackbird comes from.They start singing as soon as the sun comes up.3.30? What time is sun rise ? Their beautiful song continues for most of the day, and all year round.But, mostly they sing for pure enjoyment, especially after rain.They love the rain, because it brings worms,their favourite food to the surface.Although they do not belong to Australia, I like them,as they are a fantastic "warning system" for other birds.Their warning call is very loud.I know when the neighbour lets his cats out. You can even tell, how close the cats are, by the speed of the call! (the closer the faster it gets!)M-L
M-L
I would not have any worry about hearing a Blackbird singing outside my bedroom at night to be honest and this time of the year my local pair start at around 04:00 (that's four in the morning for those who don't know the 24-hour clock). I love their calls and could listen to them all night. On the sound blocking point, I used to work nightshift many years ago and at first didn't like using earplugs, but got used to them after a while and they worked a treat. They cut out more than enough noise.
Hi Kendall,
I feel for you. What I ended up doing was placing a few rubber snakes and liazrds on the roof near the bird's perch and sprayed the entire roof and some of the surrounding vegetation with a product called Deter. You can get it at the garden centre or probably Bunnings. It is supposed to smell like fox urine to other animals (but not to humans). It worked pretty much straight away. After about 2 months of going insane I got the satisfation of hearing the blackbirds distinctive predator distress call the next morning and, with the occasional followup spray, it hasn't been back since in the last two years (it'll probably come back tomorrow now I've sent this). We still have blackbirds in the garden, but more recently we have had red rumped parrots and satin bowerbirds which sound much nicer.
What a sad world are we living in? Where people are disturbed by a bird singing!! There seem to be more and more questions asked like, what can I do to get rid of the birds that bother me?
You probably won't find this funny, but do you know if the product "Deter" would work on detering the hundreds of trail bikes, that are disterbing the birds every weekend??? Now, that is noise!! You can't even hear the birds sing!( and that's not funny)
M-L
M-L, my mother loved a lot of native birds and while the butcherbird was her favourite, the blackbird was a close second simply for it's call and despite it being introduced and it's other lesser qualities. She has been gone for close on 13 years but the call of the BB still makes me think of mum with a smile.
Alison
~~~~~~
"the earth is not only for humans, but for all animals and living things."
[q]What a sad world are we living in? Where people are disturbed by a bird singing!! There seem to be more and more questions asked like, what can I do to get rid of the birds that bother me?[/q]
There have been a lot posts about this lately while, to me, other human noises are more bothering and affect my sleep. However, when some peoples' sleep is disturbed, frustration builds up and sometimes worse consequences result than when they can be resolved by implementing a few deterrent measures. Luckily, if implemented early enough, the birds will find another location without those consequences.
Alison
~~~~~~
"the earth is not only for humans, but for all animals and living things."
The blackbird call is truly wonderful. However, from my perspective it would be even more wonderful if it were only heard in its natural habitat which isn't in Australia. In the Mt Lofty Ranges the blackbird is an important factor in the near extinction of the Bassian thrush as it occupies the same ecological niche.
To discourage blackbirds I seek & destroy their nests in spring & put out the welcome mat to raptors all year round.
To encourage songsters I try to recreate what used to grow in my area. I have resident rufous whistlers, visiting golden whistlers & Australian magpies to awaken me in the morning & entertain me during the day. While trying not to be biassed, I'd say their calls are rather superior to the blackbird's. Still, beauty is in the ear of the listener.
Are kendall and toadstool the same person?
- soakes
soakes
Olinda, Victoria, Australia
Hi Woko,I have all the birds you are talking about in my backyard.Whipbirds, large numbers of Golden whistlers, and all the little birds you can think of, and Blackbirds,(I would rather not have!), but also the "Bassian thrush"! Here is the photo of one !
M-L
[q]Are kendall and toadstool the same person?
- soakes
[/q]
I don't think so, the original post was in 2009 and this thread was probably found and resurrected due to a search.
I have seen the Bassian Thrush at my Emerald house but not as much as the BB - I listened to the voice recording here on BIBY and the sound is very similar to the BB.
Alison
~~~~~~
"the earth is not only for humans, but for all animals and living things."
Ah, thanks qyn55. It seemed like a strange discussion, but I was missing the fact that it started so long ago!
Nice Bassian Thrush, Araminta. I have them around my place, but they are so shy I rarely get a good look at them.
- soakes
soakes
Olinda, Victoria, Australia
The one in the photo is not that shy, she even comes close to the house.She has been here for 2 years now. I'm always worried about her though, because they live on the ground, when danger approaches, they don't move and freeze. That makes them easy prey for the neighbour's CAT.
(I put up 2 cat traps yesterday,no result yet!;-( )M-L
M-L
No, I am not Kendall.
Just for the record, I am an animal lover and we have lots of beautiful birds visiting our garden which I don't encourage or discourage, it just happens as we live in an area close to the bush. We often have families of crested pigeons, wattle birds, currawongs, magpies, rosellas and parrots all coexisting. I've even seen a pair of raptors circling the suburb. Probably stalking someone's poor rabbit, cat or small dog. Our two dogs seem happy sharing the garden with the birds too.
Araminta, I would also be wanting to deter trailbike riders or anything that keeps me awake such as the neighbours dog, teenager, loud parties etc etc. Your comments confuse me though. I took you for an animal lover regardless feral or not, but you talk of trapping cats, another feral (but domesticated) species.
Thanks Toadstool, you are absolutely right about me,sorry, if I confused you. I wouldn't kill anything,I even apologized to the plants I stepped on, when I was a little girl. The traps are possum traps,a big cage. No harm is done to the animal!!! Then I ring the Council Ranger, if the cat is micro chiped,the owner gets a call, has to pay a fine, and is asked to keep the cat indoors. Although it doesn't always work,I would not harm a cat. I still haven't given up on the idea, that people can learn, even if that hope is fading!
( Although our council takes $200 for the first time a cat wanders, the next time is higher, You often see the same cat again.It hurts me, like yesterday, to see the cat walks off with a bird in it's fangs!)
To me all animals,(including us),and plants have the same value and rights!! Have I "unconfused" you now? M-L
M-L
Oh wise & noble council with its system of cat owner fines.
I don't have the same compunction about destroying feral animals that lots of other folk have. I'm more concerned about ecological systems & the part that each animal plays in the system rather than individual animals. I believe that if we give a higher value to the individual animal than the ecological system then the ecological system is at risk &, therefore, the individual animals are at risk. The broader, longer term view has my priority. Hence my belief in the humane eradication or at the very least strict control of ferals. Unfortunately, strict control doesn't always work & escapees are often allowed to roam unhindered. There was even an uproar from some folk in the Mt Lofty Ranges about eradicating fallow deer from a nature reserve! Dearie me!!
Woko, you have discovered my downfall! My friends have told me for years, and they are right, I am still(even at my age), a hopeless " idealist", I still believe in the "power of the individual", and that persistance and persuasion,can get people to "think".Laws don't change anything, convincing people to see what needs to be done, can change the system!(now you know exactly where I'm coming from!)
M-L
Araminta, I'm unconvinced that changing the law causes genuine change. In fact, I suspect it's more often the case that genuine change precedes law change. The law often plays catch up.
As far as persuasion is concerned I think we have to select our targets. There are folk who have the capacity for change & there are folk who, for whatever reason, find it difficult, if not impossible to change. I often think that the most effective way of changing people's attitudes/ideas/values is to model the behaviour we want them to adopt. I used to try arguing the point with people but slowly became aware (due to my low capacity for change, I suppose!) that this was a real turn off. Maybe it was the way I was going about it. However, when I began my ecological restoration project I said nothing. I just let native vegetation growth speak for itself. Now there are heaps of neighbours who are doing what I'm doing.
Undoubtedly, there were other factors at play such as a generally growing awareness of the need for ecological restoration but I like to think that what Ms Woko & I have done has been a model for others to use. Then again, I might be deluding myself. Still, it helps to keep me going.
By the way, Araminta, thanks so much for the Bassian thrush photo. It's a beauty & certainly reminds me of what we're missing here thanks in no small part to the introduction of blackbirds.
I live in the Hawkesbury area of NSW and Blackbirds have appeared on our bush property really recently.(last couple of months). We enjoy a range of small native birds here (honeyeaters, eastern spinebills, pardalotes, wrens, robins, firetails, thornbills and more) and don't even have Indian Mynahs, so we are not at all happy about these new interlopers. Are they likely to compete with the other birds we currently have? Can someone provide some advice about how to identify their nests, or any other strategies for getting rid of them?
Welcome to the group, Ken, & I hope you'll contribute lots of observations, even photos, of goings on at your bush property.
Any introduced species is likely to compete for space & resources with native species. As I've posted before, the blackbird is a key factor in the precarious status of the Bassian thrush in the Mt Lofty Ranges (& possibly elsewhere) because they occupy the same ecological niche. So if you can prevent the blackbird spread you'll be doing the native species at your place a big favour. You'll also be helping the native vegetation of your area because, among other things, blacbirds eat berries of introduced plants & thereby spread their seeds.
To limit blackbird numbers on our property I start in early spring by observing where the blackbirds are flying to & from to give me an idea of where they might be nesting. As I wander around I also put my nose into the many shrubs we have on our property to locate their nests.
The nest is a rather round structure, about 20 cm across & 8 cm high, from about waist high to 3 metres, mainly in shrubs, sometimes in trees with low, dense foliage. The material is course grass & fine bark reinforced with mud & sometimes containing plastic bag fragments & similar stuff.
To destroy their nests, which are usually deep within shrubs, I use a long, thin but rigid branch or stick & ensure I get as much of the material onto the ground as possible. This is to discourage the blackbirds from rebuilding which they are inclined to do.
So far this breeding season I've neither seen nor heard a young blackbird so I'm hopeful I'm getting on top of them. Their population over the last few years has been confined to around 4 birds in about 17 hectares of land. I'm hoping that their nesting failures will cause them to abandon all hope & move on.
Yeah Woko!
A 410 and 2 boys is the best blackbird removal service. But only if you live on a farm and a long way from town.
Breaking the nest is best for townies!
Sorry to say it , this is "skating on thin ice".The discussion is going a way , that will bring out nasty comments again. There is no place in my view to incite violence and cruelty to animals. M-L
M-L
To KenFraser:
I took some photos of the 2 blackbird nests in my yard this afternoon. For the record, I think the only way to identify a blackbird nest conclusively if you wish to destroy it, is to make sure there's a blackbird sitting in it or constructing it at the time.
The 2 in my yard are at approx 1.5-2m above ground level, a dense platform of twigs / sticks approx 20-25cm in diameter externally, with a little cup-shaped spot for the eggs approx 10cm internal diameter.
The photos... Hope they show up ok:
An apricot tree from a distance, nest in the middle of shot (at eye level):
A closer-in shot:
This nest had 3 eggs in it which I destroyed.
The other nest in our hedge (again at eye-level):
This nest had 2 (very) young, which I was considering having euthanised. I checked a few days later however, and 1 was missing (eaten by something I presume) and the other was dead. No blackbird babies at my place :)
Hope this helps. Again, I think the best policy is to observe where the adult birds are going in early to mid Spring, as well as sticking your head into bushes like Woko says!! The apricot tree nest I found completely by accident - I flushed the female simply by standing on our path, right next to the tree...
(While I was out taking these photos, I saw a Peregrine Falcon fly over - didn't manage to get good shots, but I'll try to put my crappy ones up anyway!).
Cheers,
Scott.
After years of angst due to blackbirds digging holes in my garden, I have finally eliminated them from my immediate neighbourhood.
The solution was so simple, it seems miraculous. I simply baited rat traps with cherries. I caught 6 within a week. I believe any other red berry will work just as well, eg strawberries, raspberries; even red grapes. Perhaps even blueberres would work, but I believe they are especially attracted to red.
I have not had a single hole for 2 weeks now! I am so relieved, as my hatred for these pests had reached monumental proprtions! That chit-chit-chit sound used to drive me crazy as well.
Blackbirds have never worried me despite their alienness. Certainly not compared to european starlings and sparrows that foul birdbaths and probably spread bird lice. No doubt its frustrating having holes dug in the garden. Trouble with rat traps is they are not selective. Nor always quick to kill?
There are no other ground-feeding birds in my garden in inner Melbourne, except Indian mynas, so no problem about selectivity.
As in the ACT and in various progressive council shires around the country, there are proven and humane methods supported by authorities for control of indian mynahs. I wonder if your own council or community is progressive enough to provide the apparatus and whether it can also be used for blackbirds. Killing two (types of) birds with one stone as the saying goes. Maybe there is not enough support in the general community for eradicating blackbirds. Again personally I have never seen them as a problem, compared to indian mynahs which quickly populate an area and forcefully displace native birds. Personally I wouldn't use rat traps but that's a decision for the landowner I guess. I would worry about cruelly maiming a possum, or, yes, even a bloody cat. And there are other critters that roam gardens such as lizards, small native mammals such as antechinus perhaps.
I am being frivolous here.........
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trtxVvyzlrA
Whilst they are introduced species I believe they would still be covered by animal cruelty legislation and may only be controlled (officially and legally) via approved means. Interestingly i think it's legal to catch them for an aviary bird, which some people do.
I've noted many people like Blackbirds especially their song (perhaps in part due to an unfamiliarity with native songbirds; some people even encourage and feed Common Mynas and put nesting boxes up for them!) and I would be hesistant in becoming a social pariah if word got out if so, dependant on a said community's perception of the species.
Coming from the ACT, you obviously don't realise what a faunal desert inner Melbourne is. You would never see an antechinus in a hundred years (they are carnivorous anyway, and would not eat a cherry), and I have only seen a small gecko once in the woodpile in 10 years, also a carnivore. You are lucky to see a moth at the light in the middle of summer! We do have the odd brushtail possum, but a rat trap would not hurt that.
Why does no one care about cruelty to rats in a rat trap? If this were a problem, they would not be available at every hardware store. In my opinion, blackbirds are in the same category.
I was not implying your modus operandi of blackbird control breaches existing animal cruelty laws or was indeed cruel, only floating the idea that you take the time to familiarise yourself with any animal welfare or other relevant legislation prior to proceeding with any culling programmes, just a thought.
It seems cervical dislocation (albeit it's only specified via in-hand manipulation) is an approved technique to euthanise Common Mynas though this information was surprisingly difficult to find, presumably this technique also extends to Common Blackbirds as they are also an introduced unprotected species.
I suspect a rat trap may be capable of inflicting considerable injury to a brushtail though...
There might also be a possible risk of foul trapping of legs etc. causing significant suffering to the birds.
Amusing, isn't it? They could just say "wringing their necks"!
I believe such euphemisms are representative of the political correction campaign waged upon us, leemrmg.
Back in the day 'ol mate used to set rat traps for a rodent control programme and reported Common Blackbirds as being a not infrequent bicatch species, with Common Mynas also reputed to have succumbed on occasion.
A internet search also revealed a reference to this chiropractic apparatus being mistakenly implemented on a population of Noisy Miners, ostensibly reflecting confusion with Common Mynas, questionable avian identification abilities being rather prevalent amongst the general public.
Clearly bait selection and trap positioning are critical.
I will never forget overhearing a couple of young blokey types atop Mt Ainslie in Canberra when a resplendent full adult crimson rosella landed on the ground virtually beside them: "uh... look at that bird". He couldn't even manage "parrot".
Recently on the TV program "Selling Houses Australia" the woman being shown a new house exclained: "Oh no it's a noisy bird; can't stand them." when a Sulphur Crested Cockatoo squawked on the balcony. Considering the iconic status of this species, I can only assume that she would not know what a kookaburra is either; perhaps even an emu. Mind you, she did admit to having only been in the backyard of the house she was selling 5 times in the last 7 years.
Despite my desire to murder blackbirds, I am an keen bird watcher and native bird lover. Unfortunately where I live in Melbourne, the only natives we ever get regularly in the garden are red and little wattlebirds, and brown thornbills. There is the very occasional grey butcherbird; and only one once ever (11 years) for white-plumed honeyeater, eastern spinebill, silvereye, and spotted pardolote. That is despite me having a 100% Australian native plant garden!
Indian Mynas are abundant, but the blackbirds have suddenly disappeared!
Perhaps you should listen to the Beatles' song "Blackbird". You might learn to appreciate them rather than wanting to kill them.
Very bad Karma to kill a bird with such a beautiful song.
Introducing, The Beatles.......
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrxZhWCAuQw&list=RDBrxZhWCAuQw
It is indeed a depressing state of affairs, leemrmg, I consider it to be part of a wider dissociation from nature.
Interesting examples you have provided, I recall a very similar instance whereby a neighbour once reported seeing a 'big pink and grey bird' whilst out walking the dog and didn't think it was a native bird and so concluded it had escaped and rang up the zoo enquiring about said purported escapee, being completely unfamiliar with the species (despite it being locally common). She was Australian.
I've also heard from adults
'Look.. it's a baby magpie!' (Magpie-lark).
'... We don't have owls or falcons in Australia'
'it's a stork/crane (white ibis)'
and also when considering the substantial volume of an Australian field guide whilst I was perusing it in public, as you do, 'Is this all the birds in the world?' 'Oh, no, just Australia' *dumbfounded expression* 'I thought we had like 8 types'.
Inner city suburbs often present a bleak picture of what used to be, your garden is a step in the right direction so I commend you, alas isolated pockets of refugia amidst vast expanses of concrete are essentially islands and often difficult for native birds to colonise due to lack of suitable habitat in surrounding areas, as reflected in your bird observations.
Leemrmg, you're certainly conducting an interesting experiment by planting natives in the midst of an ecological desert & then determining how many species of birds come to your property. It's a shame others in your neighbourhood haven't followed your excellent example so that wildlife corridors would enable more frequent visitors of larger numbers to make their way to your doorstep.
Have you thought about contacting your local council about your concerns about the dearth of wildlife in your neighbourhood? Or photographing the native birds that do come to your garden & then distributing to local letterboxes flyers about birds you've seen & how to attract them?
Our cities are certainly lacking in wildlife & this contributes further to environmental deficit syndrome which is afflicting so many Australians & devastating vast areas of our great nation.
I always like to test people who have done some sort of trip within Australia:
"Did you see any wildlife?"
"No, not really; only a couple of kangaroos."
"Did you see any birds?"
"Oh, yes; we saw lots of birds."
Why do they think wildlife has to have four legs and fur? I don't dare venture into reptiles or all the entomological wonders we have on this continent. Try the question yourself sometime, zosterops.
If I lived in England, I would have a different attitude towards blackbirds.
If you believe in karma GregL, I can only suppose you also believe in the easter bunny.
Is it OK to kill cane toads because they don't have a "beautiful" song? That would be songist of you.
'It is amazing how complete is the delusion that beauty is goodness' - Leo Tolstoy.
I don't believe in the pure buddhist version of karma, but I believe I should live as though it is true. Although there isn't causality between my actions and things that may happen to me by chance, my actions should cause the least harm possible to living things around me, and I should always be mindful of the beauty and diversity of the environment.
I wouldn't kill a cane toad, I think they are innocent animals just doing what they know. It's up to you to decide what actions to take but it is a pity to kill innocent animals just for the sake of a few holes in your garden.
See post #18.
I find this post quite interesting to follow. I feel that many commentators of this thread are being a little short-sighted not only in regards to Toadstools initial query but to the broad implications that the presence of Black Birds have on our urban and regional environments in general. Some have left comments a long the lines of "what's wrong with this person that they don't like the sound of a Black Bird's song?/ what is wrong with the world?" This, in my opinion, is a very myopic and ill-informed and perhaps irresponsible comment to make. Firstly, it is obvious that Black Birds are an introduced species to many part of the world. They are not native to Australia. What doesn't seem obvious to a lot of people writing on this thread is that their being an introduced species has had a huge impact on the environment and the pre-existing ecology/balance of the pre-existing environment. When we break this down further we can notice a few things: Animals, birds, plants, all living things, compete for resources for survival. Black Birds are no exception to this. In fact, birds like Black Birds, Starlings, etc, have not only proven ferociously resilient and adaptive to the Australian climate, but seem to thrive (much as certain mammals, ie, cats, rabbits, and foxes have, and 'weeds'). Corollary to this of course is the fact that where Black Birds have colonised areas and monopolised its resources, native species have missed out: the swelling in population of introduced species equates (on the most part, but not always) to diminishing numbers of native species or their complete disappearance. What seems counterintuitive to me, therefore, is that on a forum like this - one which ostensibly attracts people who LOVE birds - attracts comments such as those mentioned above. When the issue is given a bit more thought and the logic is considered with a little more circumspection it becomes quickly obvious that the Black bird's presence is, albeit indirectly, KILLING many other native birds that are not only necessary for the all-important balance of a functional self-sustaining healthy ecology, but for natural diversity as well. This means: less Black Birds MORE variety of birds, HEALTHIER environment! When you are laying in bed listening to that beautiful song sung by the Black Bird, you must remember: It is singing at the expense of others; it is singing having made other birds croak. (Last year we had a beautiful family of Piping Shrikes, aka, Murray Magpies, nesting in some of the acacias out the back which delighted me. One day while cleaning the yard I noticed a larger bird sitting in the nest. It was a female Black Bird. What had happened is that the large Black Birds had bullied the nesting Shrikes out, and instead of building their own nests set up shop in the already fully furnished lodgings of the Shrike family. Disgusting).
I would also like to qualify my position further, so people do not think that I am simply some sort of utopian air-fairy nativist. I am not. And I'm not for pragmatic reasons. For the most part I do believe that native species are the best species to have - they are, afterall, those that have adapted to the local conditions over tens-of-thousands (and millions) of years, and so have pretty much an intrincally sound and balanced relation to this environment. But, I am also one who can recognise the systematic and pragmatic uses of introduced species in so far as the do not ADD to the destruction of the environment. There are even species that when used correctly can help restore and emulate the former balance the existed in the enviroment prior to European invasion. Ie, Weeping wilows, when used in a controlled and circumspect manner are fantastic riparian trees for the restoration and relatively fast re-establishment of waterways, creeks and rivers. And we all know what water means to this continent (and to any continent for that matter). So, in this case, the introduced specie is actually helpin rather that diminishing the functionality and productivity of the environment, by repairing waterways that had been drying up it encourages local grasses to grow, local insects to polinate, local species to gather strength and re-establish = more birds to watch. I am not sure but I think that birds like sparrows have little to no disruptive impact on the environment. This is however, definitely NOT the case with the Black Birds.
(A brief aside, I am an avid home gardener/urban permaculturalist with an interest in self-sustainable living; another terrible habit of the Black Bird's is its messy shoverlling of soil away from the bases of my plants in search of their worms, exposing the root systems, stunting and even killing the plants.)
I know for a lot of you, this is obvious, but for some it appears that it is less so. I do not mean to get on some sort of high-horse and tell people that they are wrong to think that the Black Bird's song as beautiful. Im sure if I knew that they shared a harmonious relationship with the environment around them that i too would find pleasure in their riddled octaves as they spruik the dawn. The fact is, however, they sing a song of death. Like the old saying goes: "The Devil has all the best tunes".
Now there's an opinion expressed very well and with sincerity. The singing that makes other birds croak. I like that. "They sing a song of death". I like that too. No doubt we would be better off without them and their devilish tunes, but I still wonder if they do anything like the damage of indian mynas.
what many people don't appreciate is that blackbirds have literally changed the landscape in many parts of australia, being one of or the main dispersal agent of blackberries, ligustrum, cotoneaster, pyracantha, hawthorns, loniceras, billardiera heterophylla, coprosma, solanums, as well as the massive range expansion of the native pittosporum undulatum.
most of these have been first introduced by humans, though.
i wonder what the landscape would look like had the blackbirds never been introduced...
I imagine habitats would be considerably more natural.
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