How To Repel Birds

These 5 Tips Will Help You Keep Birds Away!

By Richard Worden

While many enjoy having wildlife visit their homes and yards, sometimes there are animals you don't want to drop by. Many reasons, such as garden destruction and hazardous droppings, may lead you to wonder how to repel birds from your home. Thankfully, such deterrents exist; many are more straightforward than you might have thought.  

You can use visual deterrents to repel birds, including light flashes, noises, or statues of avian predators. You may also use strong scents like vinegar or peppermint to repel unwanted bird visitors. The goal is to discourage the birds from dropping by in the first place.

Please continue reading for suggestions on safely and harmlessly preventing these modern-day dinosaurs from deciding your home is theirs. Whether you need to reclaim your backyard porch or lovingly-tended garden—I have several solutions to your dilemma. Let’s explore how to repel birds from your garden or home.

1. Remove Any Bird Attractions

The first thing you can do when looking into solutions on how to repel birds is to remove any nearby attractions that might catch their attention. 

• Remove any fountains or water sources. A spot for a quick drink or bath is one of the best ways to attract birds. Therefore this is the exact opposite of what you want. If you have a pool, you'll want to string something like fishing wire over the top to prevent ducks from going for a swim.
• Be sure that no food is left out. Everything from crumbs from outdoor dinner parties to pet kibble is fair game to some bird species. If you set out food for a pet or neighborhood cat, take it back inside or cover it when it's not in use. 
• Keep trees, bushes, and grass trimmed and cut back. Many birds, especially smaller species, feel more comfortable in places that provide cover. You also want to fill any holes in your house or barn to prevent a bird from setting up a home inside those, even ones that you might think are too small. 

For attractions that you can't move, such as fruit-bearing bushes or trees, look into ways to prevent birds from being able to reach their goal. Covering your produce or garden with bird netting will keep your vegetation safe. However, you will want to check the mesh daily to ensure that no stubborn little avians have caught up in it. 

2. Add Avian Predators to Your Yard

Given that most of the birds visiting your house are prey species, you can dissuade them from your yard by making them think there's danger lurking nearby. Nobody wants to go someplace where they might get eaten, after all. There are three ways you can mimic avian predators such as owls, falcons, foxes, and cats.  

• Eyes: This may sound like an odd solution, but it's not as out there as you think. This tactic of placing or hanging circular objects with predator eye designs is similar to a trick some butterfly species use to avoid birds—make them believe a dangerous predator is staring back at them and not a tasty snack. For an example of how these eyespots can work, check out this article on Science. 
• Warning calls: If you are having issues with a particular species, you might want to try mimicking the bird's warning or other 'alert' calls. Use a recording from youtube if you can't physically replicate the chirps yourself. 
• Statues of avian predators: You will want to look for predators that live in your area—those are the ones birds will recognize and know to avoid—the more realistic, the better. However, statues only work for so long before the birds realize that the 'cat' in the garden never moves, so it's best to reposition your predators every few days.
  
  

3. Use Scent To Discourage Birds From Your Home

Although birds do not have a heightened sense of smell, evidence suggests that birds use olfaction in pairing and nest building. In an experiment with juncos, an evolutionary biologist found that scent was integral to many birds' behaviors. Specifically, preen oil from a bird's tail base communicates complex information such as breed and sex to other birds.

Studies show that pigeons' heart rate and respiration increase with even dilute concentrations of chemicals such as amyl acetate. More and more studies show avian olfaction's essential role in areas as diverse as directional clues and mate-seeking.

Bird B Gone recommends using strong-smelling substances to deter birds from unwanted areas. These deterrents include:

• Peppermint
• Vinegar
• Various strong-odored essential oils
• Chili pepper flakes
  
  

4. Reflect Sunlight Into the Birds’ Eyes

Many birds, such as bluejays and the American crow, have a reputation for collecting anything shiny, so the suggestion of using reflective devices to deter birds from your yard may seem counterintuitive. 

However, most birds will avoid areas with lots of shiny items around because the objects reflect the sunlight into the avians' eyes as they fly overhead. Birds will shy away from the source when the sun enters their eyes. 

Like all bird repellents, you want to know the species you're trying to shoo away, as some birds—like the two examples above—are attracted to flashes of light in their search for treasure. 

Stringing up lines of your old unwanted CDs is an excellent DIY option, or you can go the commercial route and try a holographic flash tape. There are many options for reflective items to add to your backyard—even aluminum foil can help—or you can opt for an Amazon product at the end of the article.  

Add a Source of Noise

Alongside reflective items to make birds pass over your home as a rest stop, adding a source of noise will increase the effectiveness of your repellents. Predator sounds, for example, will scare avians and encourage them to leave the area. Studies also show that high-frequency sounds between 15kHz and 25kHz are an effective way to deter birds.

5. Make the Area Uncomfortable for Birds

If there is only a specific area you don't want birds to land, such as your porch deck, consider a more small-scale deterrent. Shake out some baking soda on the ground or along a window sill, and avians won't want to land there, as the common kitchen ingredient doesn't feel pleasant under their feet. 

While you can buy a commercial-made bird-repellent mixture, there's also the option to make your own. Tips Bullet has three recipes to check out for a homemade spray avian will avoid. 

Finally, spikes are an excellent how to repel birds remedy. You may have seen this type of bird-repellent spikes lining a building's roof, and they work as you would think. The tips prevent birds from landing on an elevated area in the first place. A clear 'you are not welcome here' message.

What Not To Do When Trying To Repel Birds

When considering options for repelling birds, there are a few essential things to remember. 

• Don’t assume all birds are the same. Know what species your issue birds are. This knowledge will make it easier to narrow down the best deterrent and respect the laws protecting many bird species. The latter is especially true regarding entirely built or in-use nests. You may need to hire a professional to look into how to remove the avians from your yard. 
• Do not personally go after the birds. Modern-day dinosaurs are intelligent, and some birds, such as Crows and Magpies, have been shown to hold grudges. Outcomes can vary from the bird avoiding you to you being dive-bombed. 
• Do not let your household cat outside to hunt. Not only is being outside extremely dangerous for your cat, but most people don't realize how successful a hunter their typically lazy tabby might be. According to the American Bird Conservancy, house cats kill over 2.4 billion birds yearly and are a global threat to biodiversity. 
• Never use poison to eliminate birds. Avoid quick fixes that will destroy the birds and affect the ecosystem and the environment. Poisoning birds is a disastrous solution to the bird problem and is also inhumane.
  
  

Our Top Picks for Bird Deterrent Products

Luckily, you have a wealth of products that manufacturers have designed explicitly to eliminate your unwelcome avian guests. All of these products are available from Amazon.com.

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How To Repel Birds...Conclusion 

There are many ways you can safely and harmlessly repel birds from your property:

• Remove anything that could draw birds to your garden.
• Cover trees and bushes with bird netting.
• Add regularly moved statues of avian predators or play warning and alarm calls of the local species. 
• Keep your windows visible to birds.
• Use reflective devices to flash sunlight into the birds' eyes. 
• Have a source of noise near the area. 
• Add bird spikes to your roof or porch.

Choose the option(s) that work best for you, and you'll have an avian-free yard in no time.

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Hi! I'm Richard Worden, the author and founder of We Know Birds.

Over 20 years ago I developed a keen interest in birds and birdwatching, and it has been my passion ever since. I am committed to spreading useful knowledge about birds to others so we might all enjoy them to the fullest.

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