Homemade solution to scare birds. A cardboard silhouette of a hawk on top of a tall cane. And it works too...

Here it is on top of my MoscatelBranco fig tree. It moves slightly with the wind and imitates a hawk hovering over a prey.
I haven't lost a fig yet and the peach, pear and apple trees nearby are also untouched.

 

Last year i made one, even more crude, but it "flew" with the wind. No birds approach the area and unlike previous years i had a great crop of figs.

 
Meanwhile, my Preto de Torres Novas fig tree, 500 yards away, is a bird's heaven. They eat all the figs. I have to make another one and place it there.

For the not so handy, there are professional solutions. They are even used in public buildings to scare pigeons and other birds. No bird will risk facing a hawk.

Here's one:

Jaimie,
That's amazing. I've been netting my trees and this is a much better solution. How tall
is the post that you're using? If only there was an equally simple solution to ward off hornets,
wasps, and yellow jackets.

Ray

Great idea!  Looks inexpensive to build!

In the past I have used bird of prey kites to scare birds from wine grapes.  But the kite, line and post are expensive and last only a few seasons.

It's a natural cane about 5 meters, Ray. I have many around and this is a good use for them. Last year i tied it to a phone pole, but this year it's simply in the middle of the fig tree.

The insects you mentioned usually only target figs that were attacked first by birds. As for the other pests that i read about which eat figs over there, i have no solutions.
The worst i have around here besides insects and birds are rabbits. I have to protect most of my young tree trunks as they can do lots of damage chewing the tree bark. But they don't climb trees yet so most of my figs are safe :-)

yours looks great! The kite is also!

I have rabbits too and lost one of my best fig trees to one particular rabbit that ate
all of the bark off the tree. I've since purchased five animal traps that yield many
rabbits, raccoons, opossums and squirrels every year. I also have an air rifle that has
taken out 7 rabbits so far this year. It's a constant war, when you have an orchard.

I'm definitely going to try your simulated hawk next year. It may even help with the
flying insects too.   

Rayrose, If you concentrate on getting rid of the pests at the beginning of the season your
battle is only a pop up problem to keep them gone.

Worked a charm this year for me.
I haven't had one problem with pests all season.
I know I have picked 12 pounds of figs so far.
I weigh after each picking of figs.

It is nice to not worry about netting, pop up toys, cd's hanging from trees ect.

Doug

Doug,
It's isn't just a beginning of the season problem, because when you get rid of one, another
takes it's place. Do you use Jaimie's simulated hawk?

Ray

No, but we have a pair of hawks that fly over and nest in the woods behind our place.

They have been around for years.

Not sure they helped with the pests as much as the air rifle.

Doug

Thanks for the comments,

pino,
I only discovered the kite this year and although much more natural looking i have concern's about it's longevity specially because it must be taken down in high winds and sometimes we are not around to do that when needed.
My simulated hawk is inexpensive and if the wind blows it away (it happened in the end of last season with the "old" model but his job was done), i will simply replace it.

Doug,
I had a pair of eagles that nested in the woods near one of my old fig trees and the birds didn't eat any of those figs. And i saw no signs of rabbits in that area too.
That's what made me try the simulated hawk in the first place.

Ray,
I usually have problems with the rabbits and the young pear or apple trees. They never went for the young fig trees and i usually don't protect them only the other types of tree.
I bought an animal trap also, but never managed to trap a simple rabbit in them, even placing inside all the things they love to eat, like fallen peaches, apples, pears, etc. I have covered the trap, used gloves to mask my scent and so on, but never caught a single one.
I also have an air rifle but they are much to smart to come out in the open in day light. The same for the black birds. They are experts in moving at ground level and through the thick brush and they puncture all the fruits. No punctures in the fruits near my hawk.

I've finished the second simulated hawk and i'm going to place it near my Preto de Torres Novas tree. It will be the first year that i won't place a net over this tree. Without the net i have yet to pick a single mature fig - they have eaten them all until now, when they begin to change color.
Let's see what happens now.

Jaimie,
Rabbits won't go near baited traps, when there is plenty of natural food to eat.
But in the winter, when their natural food is gone, is a different story. Apples
usually work for me. Rabbits are usually easy to sneak up on, if you take your
time and use natural cover to hide behind. I shot one last last week, that has
been evading me for almost a month. I couldn't get within 50 yards of him without
him somehow sensing me. I have a telescopic scope on my rifle, and when I saw him
through my kitchen window, I decided to stay inside my garage so he couldn't sense
me at all. I hid behind the door and got him at 30 yards with one shot. That was one
smart rabbit.
My biggest problem is squirrels, but they can't resist sunflower seeds. I trap between
40 - 50 every year.  

How do you trap the squirrels?
I tried with several traps and none got in, I think we have too much free food around and they don't want to take a bait

Hi Jsacadura,
For rabbits you need to find their trails and put the trap there in the middle of the way.
They use some highways and that's were you've got to trap. If you find their burrows, you can trap there too.

Thanks for the tips, Ray and jdsfrance.

I will try to put them in practice to see if i am more lucky with rabbits.


Danny,

You are right. They do get accustomed to reflective ribbons and similar devices. They work for some time then they don't work anymore.

But with the hawk its another matter. They know that giving a chance to a hawk means quick death so they they don't even give it another look. I have seen birds make a U-turn in mid fly and go the way they came when they come when they see that familiar silhouette above them.

I don't think i mentioned that the cardboard silhouette is wrapped in black plastic (i staple and glue the plastic to the cardboard) to protect it from rain and to make it more believable. In the old model i also add a few strips of reflective material like tail feathers so they see it better from greater distances.

In the afternoon, i used to have flocks of birds in the trees near that area, making lots of noise and flying to the fruit trees to peck on the fruits. Now, my afternoons are much more quiet :-)

Hi Jaime.  Thanks for the extra info.  Do you have a close-up pic of the hawk?  Any particular silhouette that you used?

I use safeguard traps in various sizes from Blue Ridge outdoor supplies. For some
reason this site won't let me do a copy and paste.

To follow up on Danny's question - is the silhouette a simple two-dimensional cut-out or is it three-dimensional so that it looks realistic from the side too?  Any other tips on the construction?

Danny,

I don't have a close-up view, but i can try to take a photo later.

I inspired myself in the hovering hawk silhouettes i found online, like these:  Hawk1 , Hawk2

Steve,

It's two-dimensional. It doesn't seem to do matter cause the tip of the cane is quite flexible (that is essential to this approach) and when it moves with the wind it presents itself quite well from different sides.

I use a cardboard silhouette and 2 black plastic silhouettes glued together (with the cardboard inside). The cardboard silhouette is smaller than the plastic ones at in the wings and tail.
That allows for some movement of the tips of the wings and tail with the wind (so they can move with the wind, giving the shape a more 3D look when in use).

The center cardboard part is reinforced with a few wires (like an inner skeleton). One wire goes through the cardboard from head to tail. The two others go from one wing to the other but only at about half the length (only on the cardboard piece). They also help to secure the hawk to the cane.

 When i make another i will try to post some pictures.

http://s298.photobucket.com/user/Southbuck7/media/Hawk%20vs%20cat/3-20150206131200.mp4.html


I talk about our hawks, here was one lucky kitten



Doug

Great idea with the hawk, it can't hurt.

Hi Jaime. Thanks again for the info. Do you secure the hawk to the rod through metal wire used for the inner skeleton? Or is it tied off to a string? Is the rod light enough that it moves in slight breeze?

I think the hardest part for me is trying to find a long rod.

I was looking to order one for my yard, shipping to NY got steep. Too bad it cant be purchased local

Would this be too short or weak?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001H2YLTG/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER