How do I get rid of these %*&# GRACKLES!

[Vulcan Bill]

Consider yourself lucky if you don't know what a grackle is. That would mean you've never been woken up at 4:30 in the morning by a flock of them perched in the tree outside your window carrying on with there rauchous irritating screeching and fighting. It also means you don't have to hose the bird s#@t off everything outside your house every couple of days.
Seems a few months ago there were only 2 or 3. Now we have flocks of 20 hanging around all the time. It doesn't help that my neighbor is an invalid woman with no life whos high light of the day is throwing bird seed out in her front yard and filling the bird bath with water every morning. Okay, I can understand her compasion but the problem is you can't put up a sign that says "all birds welcome EXCEPT GRACKLES". It don't work that way.

Sooooo...I'm currently researching quiet pellet rifles. I figure I'll bait the little basterds into my back yard and take 'em out one at time. BTW..grackles are one of only four bird species that the federal government considers a pest and are not protected by migratory bird laws. (Even the friggen government wants 'em dead. That should tell you something!) The pellet gun isn't going to get the job done though. These little buggers are to smart. They'll catch on. They also reproduce to fast.

So. Anybody got any ideas? I'm in a residental area so loud cannons, firecrackers etc are out. I need to eliminate or run off these pests quietly.

[dshelly]

Maybe an Owl ? Just throwing that out there. We had them at our old house. They used to crap on the back side of our house as they flew over.

[Vulcan Bill]

This is where it gets a little weird. A few days ago we noticed our bird feeding neighbor had set up a plastic owl in the front yard. "Great!" we thought. "Shes tired of the birds and wants them to go away now!"
Not so fast my Grackle hating friend. We've seen her feeding them twice since then. The birds have already learned to ignore the owl.
I'm dieing to get a chance to ask her why the owl was put up in the first place.

[MarkG]

There were a couple of hotels in this area that had bird problems. As you say the noise was something beyond annoying. They tried everything with the owls, cannon, etc., and nothing worked. After months of fooling around strangely the tree(s) disappeared and there was new landscaping. No more birds.

[cactusjack]

Gamo makes a very quiet air rifle, although you could buy a 12 ga for what it costs. But then you can't really put a price on a good night's sleep.

http://www.gamousa.com/product.aspx?productID=234

[cnc]

Tin plates on strings or strips of old cassette tape might work. When they blow in the wind the movement might spoke them and keep them from landing. We had seagulls landing on our swim raft and crapping all over it till we strung tin plates along a line between two small posts, worked pretty good. Also a friend had Canadian geese invading Their beach till they strung the cassette tape on short wire driveway markers all around the beach. The geese went else where.

[Vulcan Bill]

Tin plates on strings or strips of old cassette tape might work. When they blow in the wind the movement might spoke them and keep them from landing. We had seagulls landing on our swim raft and crapping all over it till we strung tin plates along a line between two small posts, worked pretty good. Also a friend had Canadian geese invading Their beach till they strung the cassette tape on short wire driveway markers all around the beach. The geese went else where.

Good idea but I'm in a residental area with an HOA. I sure they're going to be unhappy about me stringing cassette tape all over the place. They probably wouldn't be happy to know I am killing tweetie birds in the back yard with a BB gun either but, hey, what they don't know won't hurt me.

[Vulcan Bill]

Gamo makes a very quiet air rifle, although you could buy a 12 ga for what it costs. But then you can't really put a price on a good night's sleep.

http://www.gamousa.com/product.aspx?productID=234

:D 12 Ga is Tempting. Might go after a few of those giant quail running around in the street too.

[kawboysix]

Have you tried talking to your neighbor about not feeding them? Does she realize that they are a nuesance? If you have a policy or procedure in your neighborhood, then feeding the birds or animals could fall into one of the catagories. It attracts nuisance animals.:???:

[cactusjack]

It's illegal to feed wild animals here (coyotes, javelinas, etc), but I doubt that applies to birds.

[Silent Sam]

I'd buy that "silenced" air rifle....toss out that popcorn you didnt eat cause I didnt post that oil sump damage story..that popcorn will draw the Grackles....sip that cold one..and lay in wait !

..Ok here's a story...My uncle is 95 years old..Battle Of The Bulge Veteran, he's a old gun smith and avid shooter..lives in town and hates stray cats...so he built a gun, the uses a rifle cartridge primer to propel a pellet...he has a cot he lays on in his garage and a sniper hole in the wall... not many cats left in his part of town !

Aww dang Vulcan Bill..I supose you ate that popcorn, while reading this..and the Grackles will get a fresh batch !

[cnc]

Good idea but I'm in a residental area with an HOA. I sure they're going to be unhappy about me stringing cassette tape all over the place. They probably wouldn't be happy to know I am killing tweetie birds in the back yard with a BB gun either but, hey, what they don't know won't hurt me.

Maybe ask the hoa what to do about them, pointing out that their presence has multiplied from a couple to over 20 in a short span and if something isn't done quickly they will be everywhere in the neighbourhood and a bigger problem for everyone. Or forget all that and put out your own version of bird seed laced with rat poison.:shrug:

[mick56]

Or kill one and hang it, or nail it upside down in the tree they pitch in, that will put the shits up the others and they will probably go somewhere else. works with rooks over here. A dead cat works too, so you rid yourself of two pest,s at once ! :tup::cheers:

[NRiderUSA]

Report it to the EPA, its probably a health hazard..... although there is always the possibility they will make everyone move out of the neighborhood to save em too.

[dshelly]

Maybe use the 12ga. on that damn bird feeding neighbor of yours..... :lol:

[HwyRider]

Bring a hawk in to the area. They prey on small birds.

[Sin City Stan]

Or forget all that and put out your own version of bird seed laced with rat poison.:shrug:

This solution works around the clock if you're home or not but has to be done in a manner that limits its availability only to the offending birds. You don't want cats and dogs getting into it.

[sly]

Ok, but this has to be a secret :wtf: what do these birds eat? Buy some, find a friend who has nitro spray ( for angina pain ) and spray the food with it.... Birds eat, nitro will lower blood pressure, they fly and fall and break their necks. Old paramedic thing we did a long long time ago, when we had nothing to do..... :D

[puckoach]

There's a service company in our area that provides dogs to chase them away.

[JD Hog]

Checkout this link for a solution at the bottom of the page with links to the products.

http://www.pestproducts.com/grackles.htm

Grackles as Pests Grackle Control

The grackle is one of the most significant agricultural pest today causing millions of dollars of damage to the farming industry by destroying sprouting corn fields. They roost in large flocks that can overwhelm trees or buildings.
The buildup of their feces can lead to structural damage and the uric acid in their droppings can corrode stone, metal, masonry, and damage paint finishes. The nest of the grackle can spread the disease histoplasmosis, a human respiratory disease that can be fatal. These aggressive birds are constantly able to outwit most of the tools used to scare them off. In San Antonio people shot off fireworks in a metal trash can under a tree where they were roosting, only to have the grackle move to the next tree.

Only two bird control devices have shown any success in controlling pest Grackles or other black birds that are considered to be pests: the Super BirdXPeller PRO and the BroadBand Pro. These two bird repellers are similar in operation.
The Super BirdXPeller PRO emits combinations of different bird distress calls as well as bird predator sounds, both of which are designed to frighten pest birds. There are two different models of this unit; when ordering, make sure to choose the unit which is designed specifically for repelling crows, blackbirds, grackles and geese.
This particular unit for controlling different black birds has the designated item number "SBXP-PRO 2."
The BroadBand Pro has all of the distress and predator sounds of the Super BirdXPeller Pro but also has the same synthetic scare and distress bird sounds of the CritterBlaster Pro combined with the ultrasonic waves of the
Ultrason X outdoor units. This means any black birds in the area of the BroadBand Pro unit will be exposed to a rotating combination of synthesized sounds, distressed bird calls, the frightening predator sounds and ultrasonic noise.
Any time you are dealing with above average intelligent birds, changing the combination of sounds frequently will give you a better chance of success. Merely turning on the unit and never making any changes in its settings will probably result in temporary success but long term failure. Patience and persistence is the key. Also, do not solely rely on a single device as a cure-all. Removing a pest bird's food source or nesting materials (when possible) goes a long way when it comes to bird control.

[HwyRider]

There's a service company in our area that provides dogs to chase them away.

My dogs chase birds. The birds fly to a high spot and look at the dogs knowing they can't get at them. The parents of one of my dogs was used to chase geese from the local golf courses. That was their job for the day.

[Silent Sam]

..Well I'd say you got a cunumberum to deal with...

If you put out "rat poison" (grain laced with 1080/stricnyne) they will eat it and die..the scavenger that eats the carcass will die also...as will the sacavenger that eat's that second carcass...We always called '1080" the poison that kills three times..And we were always very much against it's use in coyote poisoning, prairie dog control...etc.

On the other hand..a sound recording of birds in distress..will bring every predator in the country to your yard..Coyote's..Bob Cat's, Cougar's, and raptors....and more !

I'd consider hireing a couple kids to pellet gun the flock'en thing's !..bag'um and haul them away !

[Vulcan Bill]

:lmao:Lot of good ideas here, guys. Most are illegal but hell, just about anything that's fun or makes good sense is illegal these days.

[cnc]

How bout I send my neighbour down there, she scares everything!:lmao:

[dhuttonkc]

All of the above are certainly ideas you might consider, but you might try this to keep peace in the neighborhood at least.

I work for a company that was very much involved in wild bird seed blends. The company sold that division just a few months ago. But along the way we had intensive training on that product line.

A native food for the Grackle is Corn. Cracked, full kernel, ground corn whatever. Also great for attracting nuisance squirrels. A lot of CHEAP wild bird food mixes use Corn as a filler and the grackles will flock to this food source that is pushed aside from feeders by some desirable species.

If your neighbor is intent on attracting specific "friendlier" birds for song or simply bird watching she might consider learning which specific feed blends are formulated to attract which birds whether they be finches, cardinals, etc etc. Also important is specific type of feeder to attract certain birds. Specific blends WILL be more expensive on a pound for pound basis, but she will enjoy feeding and watching much more as she attracts only those varieties she is interested in seeing.

If the Grackle continue to be a problem or you find that they are foraging in your yard for dropped corn then you might be forced to try one of several bird repellants that might be available to consumers. The most successful of these contain methyl anthranilate or (MA), a natural derivative of concord grapes that leaves a nasty taste in the mouths of the foraging bird. I can't recommend brand names here.

THIS IS NOT a commercial advertisement! Global Harvest Foods (google it) purchased that feed business segment and has moved a lot of research, watching, feeding tips to their website. The Knowledge Center is here and contains information that might help your neighbor avoid bugging the entire neighborhood and she might enjoy the hobby much more. http://www.ghfoods.com/content/knowledge-center/knowledge-center.asp

Best of luck to you.

[OU812]

Tightly run fishing line back & forth from tree to tree & house to tree, zig-zaggin' it around "tightly". ( high enough ya can walk under :D ) Your neighbors can't see it & neither can the birds. It works. Safer than slingin' pellets of any kind through the neighborhood. :wave:

[ringadingh]

I like the pellet gun method myself, it may take a while but you know it works.

[cnc]

Ok, but this has to be a secret :wtf: what do these birds eat? Buy some, find a friend who has nitro spray ( for angina pain ) and spray the food with it.... Birds eat, nitro will lower blood pressure, they fly and fall and break their necks. Old paramedic thing we did a long long time ago, when we had nothing to do..... :D

How long did it take, was it quick enough to see the results?
Sitting around the swimming pool, we used to pour a small puddle of beer on ants as they went by. Instant drunk, they would run around in circles and be all screwed up.

[Eagle Eye]

Shoot em!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nx12w1DnFNA

[ponch]

There's a service company in our area that provides dogs to chase them away.

Cats might be better.

[duffy]

I want one of those pellet Gatlin guns..............

I would opt for the single shot pellet gun myself. I've got one that was relatively cheap and is fairly quiet. Nice 3x9 scope.............I use it to scare off cats. No, I don't shoot them, just "bark" them. Scare the birds often enough and they will go somewhere else.

[Silent Sam]

...Wow..I want a BB Gatling Gun...(I'd install an electric motor..I wonder how I could make 'tracer's"...it would be a mini-mini gun)

[dale55]

Maybe use the airgun to shoot the neighbor? Then no more bird feedings. :)

[Vulcan Bill]

Heres an update. I had a conversation with the neighbor and shes all for running off the grackles and pigeons but still wants to feed the small birds. I explained to her that if she got a bird feeder instead of just throwing the seed on the ground it would go along ways towards running off the larger birds. Told her I would help her install it. She thought that was a good idea so that's the plan.
Also...The grackles were nesting in two large palm trees in my front yard. These trees were in need of pruning so I had my yard service people trim them up and skin the trunks. When they were done I removed all the now abandon nests. It seems the grackle population around here is thinning out now. Not nearly as many as there used to be...and my trees look a lot nicer too!
A few days ago I dug out my old Gamo Cadet Delta .177 pellet rifle. This is a beginners gun made for a kid, only about 450 FPM and I gave up using it on birds along time ago because it doesn't make a clean , humane kill on large or tough skinned birds. My back yard is private enough that I can shoot it back there and theres a large tree that the grackles like to land in. I popped a few of them and I guess the word got cause there not coming back there anymore either.
I set up some targets and found I was having such a good time target shooting that I've decided to buy an adult air rifle and build a permanent ricochet proof target backdrop. Did some shopping and found I can get a Hansan Striker .177 pellet rifle (1000 FPS) from Amazon for under $100. These rifles are getting great reviews and they even come with a scope (and look really cool!).

Thanks for all your suggestions. I'm glad I was able to resolve this with out resorting to poisons, gatling guns or shooting the neighbor lady http://www.vulcanbagger.com/forums/images/icons/ornwink.gif Should these birds become a problem again I'll have a real pellet rifle on hand to persuade them to go else wheres.

[duffy]

Good news Bill............nothing drastic required.

[Vulcan Bill]

Good news Bill............nothing drastic required.

Yep...and it persuaded me to get some much needed yard work done too (tree trim & skin). :tup:

[Silent Sam]

..Now a word of caution from out here in "La La Land"

When the "authorities" get the wrong address..and send the swat team to your house...
No matter how it turn's out (and we can only hope for the best these day's)....

When the _ewz Media arrives they will lay your -two- BB gun's on your drive way and video them..and while the lying bunch broadcast's the evening new's they will show your BB Gun's and say...."And The Authorities found this ARSENAL Of Weapon's in the suspects home" ..Seem's unbelievable ..but I'v seen it done repeatedly -Out Here !

..dont let the neighbors see you with your "bird control"... Have Fun !

[Vulcan Bill]

^^^
In todays world that wouldn't surprise me a bit. The newz talking heads will refer to my arsenal as automatic assault weapons and the fact that I have a big black motorcycle in the garage will be all they need to inform the public that a motorcycle gang lives here.

[Pretzel]

Cats might be better.

Dunno about that. Our Jack Russel has been good for controlling the pest birds. European Starling (sky rats, we call 'em) and Grackle. So far, she hasn't brought down a single song bird, but those two varieties... quite often! And, unlike a cat, she leaves 'em on the porch instead of trying to bring them in the house.

[Vulcan Bill]

We've been kicking around the idea of getting a dog. Might as well get a 'bird' dog like yours.:yep:

[Silent Sam]

..Jack Russel's and BB gun's .... Now classed as a threat to national security !

[Silent Sam]

I'v had several dog's over the years..and they all were great dog's.and good friends.
But the best dog I'v had and the only dog I'd consider in the future is "The Aussie Cattle Dog" ..aka: Queensland Heeler, ...or his smaller brother "The Blue Heeler"

These dogs are smarter than some folks can -keep up with, and very "energetic" so require a fairly constant amount of attention (go to youtube and search for "Skidboot" for an example of these dogs talents !)

[nomad ryder]

When I had a sailboat it was a constant battle against birds that like to sit in the rigging and lay splats on deck. One of the best remedies is the shape of a snake and a dead bird cut from black construction paper or anything similar laid down where they can see it. A dead brother and predator scares away even the herons.