Sparrow Alarm Calls to Stop nesting sparrows

[Bernie Nikolai]

Its a really tough job to try and stop sparrows from nesting in martin housing. I posted on a largely European bird forum recently, asking for any ideas that people have found that work to discourage sparrow nesting. I stressed I only wanted to stop the sparrows from nesting in native bird housing, and did not want to harm them (folks in Europe can be very passionate about protecting house sparrows).

The only interesting idea I received was from a fellow in England. He seemed to be very well versed in birds, and suggested recording a "sparrow in distress" or "sparrow alarm call", and playing this in the martin colony periodically. He says this method has been very successful in chasing away unwanted birds in England. He says he wasn't sure if it would work for sparrows, but he thought it probably would.

My problem is I don't even know if sparrows have a "distress call". If they do, perhaps we can record it, and see if this works to stop sparrows from nesting in purple martin colonies. I can't see it being played continually, but perhaps just a few minutes a day might be enough, assuming it doesn't disturb the martins.

I'm posting this in the very early experimental stages in the hopes that a few of us might be able to attempt to record sparrow distress calls (assuming they have them) and give this a try.

Somewhere, somehow there IS a way to stop sparrows from nesting in purple martin housing that goes beyond trapping and shooting, and stops them from even nesting. We just haven't found it yet...

[D. Doll MN]

I will be watching what others say, but I have never heard anything that may sound like a distress call come from a sparrow. If there is I never heard it and quite a few have been in distress around me. Maybe you could see if you could get a distress call from England.

[GeneP]

Hi Bernie,

I may be off base here but I read about this option before and it being used for other birds. It seems to me that it didn't work on the house sparrows.

I think what I read was about an outdoor eating area that had grackles and blackbirds of different types. They were using distress calls along with hawk sounds or something.

I don't remember the details very well but I do remember I was disappointed because it wouldn't help with martins.

[Carlton]

This is fascinating to me.

GOOD THINKING! Thanks for posting that Bernie. Somehow we have to find a solution to this HS problem.

[jonkertb]

Bernie.....you must have more time in the frozen north to think of these great ideas......I think you are on to something....now...to those who haven't heard a Hosp in distress you are welcome to listen when I remove them in a firm grip from my trap.....there is a REAL difference in the tone of their voice......kinda like....I'M GONNA DIE....AGHHHHHHHHH and when they say that in sparrow talk I never see any others hanging around :>)

[Guest]

If only I could get Walter B. to develop a species specific bioweapon. Hehee! Or, we could maybe feed them GM corn. Damn, no labels, can't tell which is which. Sorry I will stop now. No sarcasm just need coffee.

[John Miller]

I too have heard a distress call when clutching one in my hand -- would take some effort to record, but not impossible. I'd be concerned it might only be momentarily effective at scaring them off, but then again...

John M

[stan davison]

They do have a clear distress call . It Is a whistling sound and I have heard it during a coopers attack.

[GeneP]

Most of what I've read suggest that they get used to it pretty quick. Some say you need to move it around a lot and pause and start. As much as I don't like them, I have to admit, they're good at surviving.

Hey, I was just thinking. Forget about recording distress calls, instead, record me opening the window to take a shot or opening the door. Cause I gotta tell ya, that gets them off the rack in a heartbeat. (LOL)

[KathyF]

Somewhere, somehow there IS a way to stop sparrows from nesting in purple martin housing that goes beyond trapping and shooting, and stops them from even nesting. We just haven't found it yet...

Maybe. But I did an extensive Google search last year and found that a sparrow will only roam within a 2-4 mile radius of where they were born.

Meaning, if you are able to successfully scare them off your martin housing, they wouldn't go far (if they could find other suitable nesting), to raise new young'uns. Eventually, you would still have to deal them...or someone would - a bluebirder or other martin house that's not being monitored as closely....but in greater numbers. They're going to multiply...somewhere.

My neighbor put up a martin house 1 yr. before me. For the next 2 years, all he did was pull house sparrow nests. My first year, I only encountered 2 house sparrows at my site. My second year (his third year), I was overrun with house sparrows and last year was horrible - I ended up killing 37.

This year, so far, I've only had to deal with 2 males & 2 females and my neighbor now eliminates them by shooting & borrowing my trap.

I know that some people are not able to kill HOSP under certain circumstances, but they do still become "someone's" problem at some point, mostly our native cavity-nesting birds' problems.

I like the targeted poisoning they did of starlings a couple years ago....maybe there's something specific about HOSP that they can target.