Bird barrier audio

[C.C.Martins]

Idle hands i guess. Got the bird barrier audio for Christmas, thought I'd try it today. Have seen one or two sparrows last few months so nothing really going on.
Set it in the back, on top of a woodpecker house. Not 20 minutes later, a pair of sparrows are checking it out! I mean....the male isn't checking anything out....forever.
Really works!
Tom

[cary-nw-fla]

What's the "bird barrier audio" ?

[C.C.Martins]

Bird barrier sells diffrent sparrow traps, the audio module is a AA battery powered module that emits intermittent sparrow calls-sounds like a male. Its about the size of a pack of cards, a little thicker though. Says it has 7 hours of life once switched on.
Its supposed to go on the sparrow trap also designed by bird barrier, the "sparrow call" recording calls them in, some food on the trap lures them in as well and catches them alive but not a big fan of the trap. It will catch one at a time but I think it will scare the others away.
The audio module can be bought alone, I'm planning on putting it in a PMCA nest box trap facing the martin gourds. And maybe ill put in the blains repeating ground trap from time to time.
I painted it black and put a holding bracket on the inside of the nest box so its out of sight of the sparrows and away from the elements. Just couldn't resist trying it.
Its pricy, about 60 bucks.
Tom

[Conrad Baker]

I am following this with interest. My first thought is why would I put up something to attract sparrows? I understand that if you can trap them when they are called in, then it's a great idea. However, being the skeptic that I am, sparrows seem to quickly learn of a threat, and will avoid the trap, but will continue to visit the site once they are attracted to it. I would think it would just create an attractive nuisance, and be a larger problem in the long run. With nothing to attract them other than the housing, I think you would get fewer sparrows coming in, and can hopefully control them by shooting or trapping alone. Just my .02, and worth about that much.

[C.C.Martins]

Conrad your absolutely right, why bring them in. If it can be avoided dont do it. My narrow minded thought process is this and I understand every site is diffrent:
I have a bunch of nest box traps up, most using van ert traps, two are larger PMCA nest box traps. My plan is trap more shoot less.
I want the sparrows to go to them, and be drawn in. In fact, I put in some fake craft eggs and some nesting material with feathers to make it look appealing. Added some dead grass to the outside, under the nest box, even put perches. Holes are the exact size of the spare o door.
The sound module is going to go in one of the larger PMCA traps. My hope is that these traps be the most appealing traps on this side of Corpus Christi. Thus the sound module.
I think of it like some landlords have...put up a Trio and fill it with traps...which we did at our satellite site. We aren't overrun out there but the potential is there. And I cannot shoot.
My drawbacks are: the traps are lower than the martin houses at our home site, sparrows may over look them and go where the martin activity is. Makes a trap null and ill shoot. If in fact I do draw in sparrows and these wary little baztar-ds avoid the traps plan b is shoot.
All in all, we had trouble last year so I want to kill them all.

But, off season I have have shot and trapped over 100 sparrows and 130 starlings, drawing them in with cheap birdseed, nd suet...I trust I can do it again.