Hi, has anyone got any suggestions on how to deter butcher birds from harrassing the budgies in an outdoor aviary?

Tks Alan :bluebudgie:

Alan if you are having trouble with Butcher Birds you will have to put up double wire on the aviary. Space it abour 25mm between the layers. The Butchers can pull the smaller budgies through the wire or at least try to. As to deter them ... I don't know. :bluebudgie:

:bluebudgie: Sorry Everybody, what exactly are "butcher" birds, are they some sort of raptor or a crow/starling type of bird? Thanks. :parrot:

About the size of a tiel, and related to magpies ( i think). They eat meat and have a sharp hook on the end of their beak.

http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/breen/fobc/birds8.jpg

 

I would think if they are around now start to chase them away when you can to make them scared of your place. That's all i can think of.

:bluebudgie: Thanks Nerwen, now I can envision it. There are magpies hundreds of miles from here but they are not native to the area but we had a resident one at the wildlife shelter for years (unreleasible) and she loved it when I brought her FrootLoops for treats. Guess they have the tenacity of crows to bug everybody and pillage to no end. Learning something new everyday. :ausb:

Thanks for the tips everyone. Double wire looks like the only answer. I have been been wondering why all of a sudden there are so many hanging about and this afternoon I noticed the chap who lives behind my home was throwing bits of meat in the air and he had six butcher birds flying all over the place and catching the pieces in mid air. He was very amused with himself but I am not too happy about it. Don't want to start a neighbourhood feud, maybe he will get sick of it in a few days.

Thanks Alan

....well with the cost of meat these days!!! I do hope you sort it out, I'm sure your neighbour wouldn't want any of your pets to be hurt as a result of his amusement...

Yes, i agree!

 

Id write him a letter, and plop it in his mailbox one day. Just stating your going to be getting an aviary, and these birds can kill your budgies. And if it is all possible, would he be able to stop luering them into the nighbourhood! If i were you, id also write letters for all the other neighbours (maybe the 1st 5 houses to the right, and left opf yours, and the nighbours behind your house) stating that your going to have an aviary full of budgies in your backyard, just to let them know, since i know lots of people hate noisy birds!....

 

Kirby

....well with the cost of meat these days!!!

Mmm whos up for a lil Butcher bird pie?

Those butcher birds can be quite vicious. I was swooped by one once. Was taking a walking one day and something hit the top of my head quite hard. I looked up and noticed a butcher bird in a tree glaring down at me.

I lost a budgie once to a butcher bird. It was the result of a toy/wheel on the side of the wire, the budgie got stuck & the butcher bird took his opportunity to tear a hole in the budgie & eat some of his insides.

We saw a butcher bird on top of Boris' cage on the back verandah last week. Scared the daylights out of us as the bird really had to want to get onto the verandah to even see Boris (could hear her a mile away (Laughing out loud)).

I have found that the more we encourage magpies (they have no interest in our birds), rosella's, king parrots, lorikeets etc the less we see of the butcher birds.

Don't honestly know why but it is true of our situation, it might not work for everyone though.

Hi, has anyone got any suggestions on how to deter butcher birds from harrassing the budgies in an outdoor aviary?

Tks Alan

 

My sister hangs old CD's around her Aviary and verandah, strung on fishing line and she does not get any stray birds near her place now. I have not tried it yet, been going to but just haven't gotr around to it.

It might just prevent wild birds spreading the virus, if it really works

Cindy

Yeah i have heard and seen of people doing this also, and it looks rather pretty too with the discs shining from the trees but the birds seem to not like it one little bit (apparently)

Thanks everyone for your input. Have been watching proceedings closely and have noticed when magpies are around the butcher birds don't come as close. I have heard people hanging cd's in their trees to deter flying foxes and apparently it works so might give that a whirl.

 

Thanks again,

Alan :sad:

Our problem is the Noisy Minors - they swoop and divebomb the cage when it's outdoors. Thankfully they are not able to get close (they are not as brave as they pretend to be) but they are terribly annoying and they drive all the other birds out of the area

It sounds like you live in Jurassic park with all the killer birds etc

we only have Birds of prey here to contend with and the ocasional magpie, seagull

 

its just the bloody weather thats bad here (Laughing out loud)

 

jason

Alan, if you find something that works, let us know. More people will have this problem, and it would be good to know the answer for them

I was out in the aviary yesterday and this bird on the outside couldn't see me, He was sitting in the trees staling the budgies flying about in the aviary At one stage he landed on the aviary wire right above me (stupid bird) ...

Anyway I have absolutely no idea what kind of bird he was, he was all Black and the same shape and size of a Butcher Bird but he didn't have a hook on the end of his long pointy beak and also his tail seemed to sorta fan out a little ..Anyone have any ideas what he might have been?

Cheers :beer:

Una