Best bait for sparrows?

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Bulldog1
Posts: 700
Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2011 8:33 am
Location: Mississippi/Hamilton

White bread, cracked corn, sunflower seeds?
PMCA member
2015 - 18 Gourds offered - 12 active nests, 62 eggs, 51 fledged
2014 - 18 gourds offered - 12 active nests, 52 eggs, 48 fledged
2013 - 12 gourds offered - 9 pairs, 56 eggs, 52 hatched, 49 fledged
2012 - 12 gourds offered -4 pairs, 20 eggs, 19 fledged
2011 - 6 gourds offered -1 pair, 5 eggs, 5 hatched, 5 fledged !!!!
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tonyg
Posts: 1520
Joined: Fri Feb 27, 2009 4:16 pm
Location: Olpe, KS
Martin Colony History: 22 year landlord, 14 at current residence..offering 9 racks and a homemade T-8 for 166 total cavities. 160 Pair in 2018 Racks consist of a Deluxe 12, AAA 16, Starburst 16, 2 K-18 Series, Super 24, 2 Gemini, Multi-purpose/two trio’s/4gourds and a T-8..Great hobby to be involved in..

Yes Bulldog, all those and milo works also..
22 year landlord..9 Rack Systems for 2018 and my home built T-8 for a total of 166 cavities..160 pair in 2018 ..SUPER COLONY!!! Love You Bev... Fan of those St. Louis Cardinals!!!!!
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~Ray~Gingerich
Posts: 2122
Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2004 10:24 pm
Location: Delaware/Dover

During the nesting season .. feathers and long thin dried out weeds.
~Ray~ Gingerich
1999 1pair, 2006 2 pair, 2008 2 pair,
2009 23 pair, 2010 39 pair, 2011 67 pair,
2012 115 pair, 2013 160 pair,
2014 152 pair, 2015 174 pair, 2016 178 pair
2017 187 pair, 2018 200 pair, 2019 171pair
2020 233 pair
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JL Murray

A female Sparrow!
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Carolyn C
Posts: 172
Joined: Thu Feb 10, 2011 9:45 am
Location: Georgetown, TX

I put my sparrow trap out this morning. I hate doing this but 2 have already investigated the house.
Carolyn
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Tommie D
Posts: 33
Joined: Fri Jul 08, 2011 2:10 pm
Location: Kansas/Wichita

I use the really cheap bird feed mixed with bread crumbs. Draws the sparrows and starlings in like a magnet.
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DornCounty
Posts: 2169
Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2012 3:58 pm
Location: Rural SE Kansas
Martin Colony History: .
.
Trio-Jedi

put up a trio.. they come running. couldn't believe how many sparrows were out today doing the mating dance. Yuck.
2017 - Home & Public Colonies - 300 Cavities
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John Miller
Posts: 4863
Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:11 pm
Location: St. Louis, MO

Strips of white tissue paper work well too in nest building season if you don't have feathers.
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Siberman
Posts: 262
Joined: Thu Mar 18, 2010 1:03 pm
Location: Titus County , TX

I use only sunflower seed in my seed feeders as I don't want milo, etc. sprouting in my flowerbeds. Used it in my repeating sparrow trap and it worked a bit too well. I've trapped 20 or so English Sparrows thus far but also 4 Cardinals and a Goldfinch . Luckily the sparrows had pushed the water jar against the opening or the Goldfinch could have entered the main trap .

I'm using only bread right now and will be switching to milo as soon as I buy some. The Cardinals and Finches don't seem much interested in it.
2010: 5 pair - raptor attack .
2011 : nada .
2012 : 1 pair - 5 eggs / 5 fledged .
2013: zero
2014: Lots of visitors
2015 : several visitors . Seriously considering purchasing a drone to scare off raptors .
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KathyF
Posts: 3522
Joined: Thu May 24, 2007 1:57 pm
Location: Missouri/Licking
Martin Colony History: Colony started - 2007 with one pair
As of 2018 - 84 cavities offered, max # of pairs hosted - 82.

It all depends on the time of year - mating season, I agree with JL and Dorn - put up a nest box, trap a female, then put her (or a male will do also) in the repeating trap. Put a small amount of milo in the feeder tray and watch them march like lemmings into the trap. Sometimes, I don't even bother with food in the feeder tray, as it attracts cardinals, cowbirds, etc.

I have a neighbor with a barn full of HOSP, so I made a makeshift bluebird box with a Trio trap door as the front of it. Mounted it on a T-post between his barn and my other nest boxes. I trapped the female, then her little man, put them both in the repeating trap.

The trick to trapping in the repeater trap without a 'bait' bird is proper placement - in front of a bush where they hang out, up on a platform. Make sure you have a porch in front of the entrance. For some reason, that seems to help. I use milo in these instances, but be prepared to catch other species also. ;)
"Sometimes", said Pooh, "the smallest things take up the most room in your heart."
2023 - 82 pair
2022 - 80 pair
2021 - 75 pair
2020 - 78 pair
2019 - 80 pair
http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com
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tcg
Posts: 110
Joined: Tue Mar 09, 2010 4:25 pm
Location: Alabama/Hartselle

~Ray~Gingerich wrote:During the nesting season .. feathers and long thin dried out weeds.
By the way, if you don't have white feathers just lying around, you can go to Hobby Lobby and buy a white feather boa for nearly nothing. My wife picked one up for me a while back and I just occasionally pluck a few feathers off and hot glue them down to a piece of cardboard.
Chris
PMCA Member

2010 -- 0
2011 -- 0
2012 -- 1st pair, 5 eggs, 4 fledged
2013 -- 1 pair, 4 eggs, 3 fledged
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John Miller
Posts: 4863
Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:11 pm
Location: St. Louis, MO

TCG...but you won't look as good at Mardi Gras this year.

John Miller
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tcg
Posts: 110
Joined: Tue Mar 09, 2010 4:25 pm
Location: Alabama/Hartselle

John Miller wrote:TCG...but you won't look as good at Mardi Gras this year.
Well, there IS that!
Chris
PMCA Member

2010 -- 0
2011 -- 0
2012 -- 1st pair, 5 eggs, 4 fledged
2013 -- 1 pair, 4 eggs, 3 fledged
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