End bird droppngs

[Reach]

A neighbor's elegant solution to swallows on the lifelines ~ seems to work:

[stevesailor]

one of the best tricks to deter birds in a way that isn't harmful is hanging mylar balloons. birds hate their erratic movements, and the light reflecting off of them is unnerving to them.

the cornell lab of orinithology recommends this tried and true method over and over. you can visit their website if you want to read it from them.
Your online guide to birds and bird watching

-another bird lover

[Roy M]

Sound Bird Deterrents | Bird Chase Super Sonic | Goose B Gone Super Sonic

I set one up in the parking lot to see how well it worked, programmed for sea gulls. The sound generated was like a seagull being disembowelled. It completely freaked all the birds in a quarter mile radius. It shut down, automatically for a few minutes. The birds gradually calmed down and began to settle, when suddenly, the noise began all over again. Same scenarios, birds screeching, looking in vain for their threatened feathered friend. Then, again, the sound ended suddenly and they, again, began to settle down. The third time was the charm. They realized that this was a nasty neighborhood and headed off to the next marina across the water where things were nicer. We are now going to set this system up on the roof of the yacht club, with the speakers pointing skyward. I'll let you know how successful it is in a couple weeks.

[Reach]

Originally Posted by Roy M

Sound Bird Deterrents | Bird Chase Super Sonic | Goose B Gone Super Sonic

I set one up in the parking lot to see how well it worked, programmed for sea gulls. The sound generated was like a seagull being disembowelled. It completely freaked all the birds in a quarter mile radius.

Funny trip down memory lane. We had one of these installed at work on a large site overlooking the waterfront off of the Long Island Sound in CT to scare off the nesting seagulls... it was effective (& freaked out a few humans too)

[delmarrey]

Here in the PNW we have starlings that like to eat the blackberries in the fall, and then they'll not only land on the masthead but also grab the fore and aft stays to poop all over ones boat. There's nothing like a bunch of purple spots all over your deck, but at least they sun bleach out in time.

I found that slapping two 2 x 4's together is the biggest deterrent, if you can see them. I've tried the standing and flying owls, no good. And the shinny streamers, still no good. It seems noise and natural/local predators are the only solution. If I could only get more eagles to fly around the boat I'd have it made.

[smaarch]

here in the outer boroughs of nyc, i've seen waterfront restaurants which use lines of cable/rope tied parallel and maybe two feet apart above.
the problem is usually seagulls.

on the boat i carry a roll of surveyors tape (colored nylon about 3/4" wide) and a piece from headstay to mast and to stern pulpit above the deck. seasgulls wont cross this line to land on decks. i usually tie the main halyard off to the stern and the jib halyard to the bow leaving them loss enough to vibrate. this seems to take care of the spreaders. either its working or i'm just lucky.

[Capt.Fred]

Originally Posted by RTB

In the Bahamas, the marinas run fishing line (monofilament) from the top of each piling to the next. No birds crapping on the boats there. Ralph
| sailing away with R & B

Now that sounds like a good one. I will test it on the forward section first. Thanks, Ralph

[pcjrusso]

I use used car lot flags from WM. I put them up Sunday when leaving and take them down Friday. They seem to keep the birds off of the life lines. But here in the great lakes we are dealing with small birds.

[zeehag]

oooooooooooh, small birds..bubbas favorite flavor....very effective here.

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by Capt.Fred

How about a low voltage electric fence set up through all the rigging, not to hurt, but only a discouraging tingle. Any suggestions, besides forcing me to walk the plank?

THE OWLS DO NOT WORK, ARE A WASTE OF MONEY.

There are a couple of things that work, though for cormorants, the fish line works a treat: you put it so that it interferes with their landing, and as mentioned above, it has to be tight enough to trip them.

For many birds, a pair of feather dusters, feathers up, hoisted at spreader height seems to work. I don't understand why it might, but know someone who swears by the method, even for cockatoos.

Rubber snakes do work agains some kinds of birds.

Some swallows can be deterred by The monofil method, but you have to figure out how to mount it about 1/2" above the lifeliines, because, again, it's the tripping factor that makes that method work.

Finally there's a wind-powered sweeper that circulates it has two wire arms with tiny sails at each end that tack as it goes through the eye of the wind, and sweeps about 4 ft. diameter circles. Seagulls stay away. I guess they don't want to be hopping up and down all the time.

Hire someone to come aboard once a day and clean up all the poop. Their ongoing presence may discourage the birds, and at least the boat's clean when you get there.

Good luck with it.

Ann

[Celestialsailor]

While I was in the California Delta, the birds would come when the berry bushes were in season. Some boaters used Mylar ribbon hung all over the boat 4 feet apart. The birds hated it. The boat that never saw their owners didn't have it and the birds roosted there.

[Jim Cate]

Re rubber snakes:

One friend in the Pittwater area (NSW) tried them. Kept the gulls off for a while, but the Kookaburras stole them! Had to tie them down onto the deck... kinda like locking up your bike.

A vexing problem for sure, and it isn't just poop. A friend in La Paz with a big old schooner had the resident Osprey perching on the truck of his mainmast to eat the fish that he caught nearby. Ospreys, it turns out, are messy diners! Yuck...

Jim

[Stu Jackson]

BoatUS – Boat Insurance, Boat Towing, Boat Lettering, Boating Apps has been collecting ideas about this subject for decades. Good luck.

[BoomBrake]

I believe this is the link you were looking for: http://www.boatus.com/seaworthy/birds/

[carstenb]

Hanging a couple of old CD up in some thread works just fine. The CD swing around in the wind and the sun casts reflections off the bright surface. Drives the birds nuts and they go away.

Easy and cheap too