Controlling house sparrow population

[BayBuzzard]

Do you catch other species?

...and how do you differentiate between a song sparrow and house sparrow at night? I release as many birds as I catch each day the trap is open.

I can see this being an issue for me. As I get songs sparrows cardinals junco titmouse and even Carolina wrens get in to my cage traps.

Think I will stick with what I got

Culled 4 males yest, excellent news.

 

[MGG]

absolute genius, lumber / hardware store run tomorrow

thanks for sharing.

No problem! I hope it helps!

Do you catch other species?

Not really, no. Just one chipping sparrow, but we caught him and let him go.

...and how do you differentiate between a song sparrow and house sparrow at night? I release as many birds as I catch each day the trap is open.

I can see this being an issue for me. As I get songs sparrows cardinals junco titmouse and even Carolina wrens get in to my cage traps.

Think I will stick with what I got

Culled 4 males yest, excellent news.

You don't have to kill them at night, it's honestly probably harder. But we like to wait until we're sure no more will go on for the day, which is after dark. We always leave two or three in there too, to act as live decoys.
If you make the gaps just the right size most of those other birds won't fit, or will be able to fit back out.

 

[BayBuzzard]

No problem! I hope it helps!

Not really, no. Just one chipping sparrow, but we caught him and let him go.

You don't have to kill them at night, it's honestly probably harder. But we like to wait until we're sure no more will go on for the day, which is after dark. We always leave two or three in there too, to act as live decoys.
If you make the gaps just the right size most of those other birds won't fit, or will be able to fit back out.

Well thought out, and thanks for sharing. I use the decoy/bait sop.

 

[BayBuzzard]

Swallows protecting box, sparrows persistent. Will open trap today.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Good to see the bio security being advocated here. Wild birds do bring a lot of nasty stuff to a flock. The simple answer to eliminating the wild bird problem though is to stop feeding them. Metal barrels to store the bulk feed, a proper treadle feeder with a narrow and distant treadle and a spring loaded door, do that and rarely do you need to trap or poison, they just leave and find food elsewhere.

 

[BayBuzzard]

Good to see the bio security being advocated here. Wild birds do bring a lot of nasty stuff to a flock. The simple answer to eliminating the wild bird problem though is to stop feeding them. Metal barrels to store the bulk feed, a proper treadle feeder with a narrow and distant treadle and a spring loaded door, do that and rarely do you need to trap or poison, they just leave and find food elsewhere.

Good points all around. problem is, you cannot control what others in the neighborhood are doing. Vacant/open barns, overgrown hedges, among other things may keep the sparrows going, no matter how many I kill.



Oh, and neighbors feeding cheap crappy birdseed doesnt help either. it's like these birds are on performance enhancers :O

I did cull two males the other night, so that's something.

We've got some bluebird eggs, so it's on like donkey kong.

 

[BayBuzzard]

Two males yesterday and three in the trap right now. Shoot one jumped in right after I came home and found two in there. Let’s hope 3 more jump in before dark.

Juncos titmice cards and other kind birdies have moved on, making it easier to maintain traps. Meaning, I don’t have to check very often now. I feel lucky to be getting as many as I am. Must be past 30 by now.

This is an arduous journey, especially early in the game. Still can’t budge the two pairs raiding the tree swallow grove. Gonna have to go to the mist net.

Stay tuned for mist net madness