Luring sparrows with sparrow chick calls

C.C.Martins · Sun Jun 20, 2021 4:30 pm

so spent Father's day plotting against the sparrows. Iv declared war.
Since the sparrows are just now fledgling chicks, I wondered if a baby sparrow call would lure the males in, especially one certain hard to get male. You've seen the box traps with a sparrow recording, wondered if I could do it. Found a you tube video of a sparrow chick calling its head off, opened my garage door just a crack and got the pellet gun all set. Played the video on my phone, just outside the garage door. Sure as heck two males show up right off. Shot one (he got under the neighbors fence but won't be interested in nesting). I think the male I shot was one I tried to get yesterday, was right at a gourd entrance...missed. Played it again the second male came back but didn't come close enough. Tried a few more times but nothing.
I am wondering if there's anything out there besides a 1 minute 45 second recording? Its not something one can do all year, takes time. Traps are better but it sure was satisfying, something to add to my arsenal.

Martintown33 · Sun Jun 20, 2021 5:23 pm

Nice plan. Nice shot!

Whippy · Sun Jun 20, 2021 8:19 pm

Try to find a sparrow distress call. That might bring them in as well. If that works then you'll have a two pronged approach for those pesky little things.

Coolwhips

C.C.Martins · Sun Jun 20, 2021 9:18 pm

I'll try to find one whippy, good idea.

Have a blains repeating trap coming. Found a pinned egg in my neighbors gourd rack. From 5 chicks to one.

His wife won't let me shoot, they feed sparrows but when she's away.....to be fair we have 6 or 7 subbies raising cain. They follow birds with food, pester and suspect some of the chick losses are attributed to them.

Thomabear · Sun Jun 20, 2021 10:01 pm

I find white millet for bait is like sparrow candy. My repeating trap stays baited even when I leave for a couple days. When leaving I usually tie up the elevator so it wont catch native songbirds which we feed. When I return and set the trap the sparrows are accustomed to going in and out freely so the first catch is quick. The decoy bird then draws in others. Catching desirable native birds wont be a problem after the first catch and release because they become trap smart. Good luck getting em!

C.C.Martins · Mon Jun 21, 2021 10:21 am

Thank you. I'll do that.

flyin-lowe · Tue Jun 22, 2021 7:52 pm

The best day I ever had trapping sparrows was using a baby sparrow in the trap as bait. I found it fluttering in the yard as it fledged a day or two early. I put it in my repeating trap and it caught 11 that day. I baby sparrow in distress call would probably be great.

Robert Anderson · Mon Jun 28, 2021 7:39 pm

Another option to deal with sparrows who build nests in Martin housing is to let them keep the nest intact and collect their eggs and shake them vigorously so as to make them non-viable and they will not hatch. The sparrows will continue to sit on the eggs and think they are going to hatch until they finally give up but anyway it will keep them occupied on a nest of theirs and it will not increase the sparrow population.

Alternative to shaking the eggs you can take a pot of boiling water out to the nest box, pick up the eggs, place them in the boiling water long enough to neutralize the eggs make them sterile and then place that eggs back in the nest. You're an essence trying to fool the sparrows keep them occupied with sterile eggs but not increase the sparrow population.