What I used *
Where I live there is a huge migration every Spring and Fall of Red-winged Blackbirds. Though pretty, they can be horribly aggressive in protecting their nesting territory - your entire yard becomes a war zone. They will dive-bomb squirrels, dogs, and definitely people. And if they feel particularly threatened they will band together and attack as a group. As a gardener this creates a yearly problem when trying to tend the lawn.
An interesting thing about the Red-winged blackbirds is that, as aggressive as they can be, it turns out they are total cowards! They will not attack an animal or person face-on - only from behind. And when you would least expect it. My neighbors share in the same problem each year and suggested I try their solution .... wearing sunglasses on top of the head because the birds see them as a pair of eyes. I tried it and it did seem to work, but wasn't practical for someone as active as I am in the garden.
So, this is when I said, "There has to be another way." I knew that a lot of bird deterrents are colored red, so I purchased some blank red baseball caps to start with. Also, I wanted to put eyes on it to face forward and backward. I purchased some fabric paints and googly eyes, and voilà, a Redwing Deterrent Cap... and it works like a charm!
Click for gallery.
It's no fashion statement, but the birds truly don't know what to make of the eyes.
What I used *
Some interesting articles about Red-winged Blackbirds:
* The materials for this project can be found in most art and craft stores. They are also available through the Amazon links listed above. If you make a purchase through them, I may receive a small commission that helps upkeep the site.
Where I live there is a huge migration every Spring and Fall of Red-winged Blackbirds. Though pretty, they can be horribly aggressive in protecting their nesting territory - your entire yard becomes a war zone. They will dive-bomb squirrels, dogs, and definitely people. And if they feel particularly threatened they will band together and attack as a group. As a gardener this creates a yearly problem when trying to tend the lawn.
An interesting thing about the Red-winged blackbirds is that, as aggressive as they can be, it turns out they are total cowards! They will not attack an animal or person face-on - only from behind. And when you would least expect it. My neighbors share in the same problem each year and suggested I try their solution .... wearing sunglasses on top of the head because the birds see them as a pair of eyes. I tried it and it did seem to work, but wasn't practical for someone as active as I am in the garden.
So, this is when I said, "There has to be another way." I knew that a lot of bird deterrents are colored red, so I purchased some blank red baseball caps to start with. Also, I wanted to put eyes on it to face forward and backward. I purchased some fabric paints and googly eyes, and voilà, a Redwing Deterrent Cap... and it works like a charm!
Click for gallery.
It's no fashion statement, but the birds truly don't know what to make of the eyes.
What I used *
Some interesting articles about Red-winged Blackbirds:
* The materials for this project can be found in most art and craft stores. They are also available through the Amazon links listed above. If you make a purchase through them, I may receive a small commission that helps with the upkeep of the site.