Best bird scarer (subtitle, do owls really work)

pampas said:
rotating type think it called "Gull Scare "brilliant and it works. Have two and not had a bird on board when in use except sparrows and finches only when moored near their habitat, on the mooring No Gulls or Ducks since fitting.
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Gullsweep. Yup, given up on CDs etc. only thing that works.
 
jwilson said:
Fine for flat-topped motor boats, nowhere to put them on most sailing boats. If you can use one they certainly work.
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Neighbouring yacht






Birdscarer.jpg
 
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I found a system that worked really well for starlings that tend to perch right along the backstay and sh** on the boat. I attached black bin-liners approximately every one or two meters along a length of rope (old spin halyard) which was approx 0.5m shorter than the measurement between the topping lift sheave and the back of the boom.

When docked I simply connected this new "bin-liner line" to the end of the topping lift and pulled it tight so the binliners were flopping about close to the backstay. No more problems with starlings including at the masthead!!!
 
On a sailboat, the only thing I have found to be 100% is c4in pea netting. Put a hem of material around the edge, to make things easy, and then attach it between/over the guardrail stanchions like an imaginary cover. I have one for the cockpit and one forward.

PITA to rig but they can't land on it and will not go under it.

A single length of fishing line rigged along the boom and around the mast keeps them off the main.
 
Most birds don't seem to like sailing boats as there is so much string, however if you are in a high fouling area, chances are it will be dropped in mid flight over your boat from a great height! I used to have a string of CD's from the mast to the back stay which did work, not sure if the birds enjoyed my choice of music but now I just put a taught piece of orange fishing line from the mast to the back stay about 1 foot up off the boom, my theory is that at that height they won't fly and sit under it and anything above and it acts like a trip wire! Mind you in our harbour, crows like to decimate mast head fittings and will also sit on the spreaders and do their will. If you are on board and a s..te hawk lands up above, a catapult with small gravel might do the trick, they will soon learn, however that is none too friendly in a busy marina as you never know where your little stones may fall and indeed someone may take exception to brutalising the local bird life!!
Is there not some sort of alarm around which sounds in higher decibels than the human ear can pick up, if so that might cause them a bit of grief.
 
I just wondered if a fake cat would work? Our live one certainly would.

Please don't use anything that makes a noise, many of us occasionally sleep on our boats....
 
Bird Scarer

Birds soon get wise to anything that is static. Unexpected flashing movement is what spooks them. I second Alahol's suggestion.
 
Birds have an innate fear of snakes. They arrive, recognise the shape and leave.
If they arrive again, they recognise the shape and leave. etc. etc.
 
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