adding decoys, + or -

[sldnk1]

Hello everyone,
so I bought some Martin decoys and have mixed reviews, do I leave them up in hopes they will help attract birds? also heard that they scare them away.
would they attract more hawks and owls? or give them time to duck in and escape the attack!


thanks in advance

[C.C.Martins]

Iv decoys up ar our satellite site, helped us attract last year. They are still up, considered taking them down today but they aren't scaring martins. They are useful. Its also fun to watch professional photographers take pictures of them.
Id keep them up. I don't use them here at home, unless the hawk predation is bad. I'm not sure how an owl will react.

[flyin-lowe]

My experience has been that occasionally you will have a martin that doesn't like the decoys, so I don't think they hurt things very often. I have seen live and in person a hawk swoop in and hit a decoy giving the martins time to escape. I have also came home many times finding my decoys knocked over after being struck.

I don't think one or two decoys is going to draw in hawks any ore than the birds that are already in your yard (martins or others). I am not sure how much impact they have on getting martins to stay at a new colony. I think they are more of a benefit for predators than attracting martins. Either way I feel the pluses out way the minuses.

[sldnk1]

thank you for all the great information! decoys are up and we will see what happens. hope everyone has a great season!

[brent]

I want to share my experience. The first time I used decoys the intent was to deflect a hawk attack. The martins were already here when I put the decoys up and boy did I learn that once they are home introducing the decoys was not a good idea. They squawked and fussed and dive bombed the decoys like they were a predator. I even called PMCA to find out what I was doing wrong. Of course I took the decoys down. Now I put them up before they return. Move them around and even made 2 super-martis (flying decoys which the hawks seem to prefer). I have witnessed several times hawks attacking the decoys giving the birds a chance to fly off and me a chance to sound my air horn. Just wanted to share.
Brent

[colliemom]

Mostly the martins will ignore martin decoys; sometimes they will sit on them if that's the spot on the
perch they want to sit. The decoys are good for fooling hawks; will only attract them to the extent
they are scoping out the site and think it is a real martin; will sometimes distract the hawk to allow
martins to escape. Owls ignore them too; not sure they even see them in the dark. Nite guard solar
lights (attach 4 lights to 4 inch square of lightweight aluminum attach approximate 2 foot rod/pole with a way to attach it to your rack/pole. The lights appear to flash intermittently in all directions all night and
keeps owls away. I have one on each of my racks. I forgot to put them up one year and had a GHO
attack. Martins raccoons, foxes, etc. ignore. Only bothers owls and maybe neighbors. I tried putting
the lights on the perimeter of my site first but didn't work so tried this.

[brent]

Colliemom, can you attach a picture of the lights you use? I'm interested. Thanks.
Brent

[deancamp]

I would add that the founding asy male of my colony was first seen sitting next to a decoy on a perch directly above my dawnsong player. I am a believer in decoys attracting martins as well as helping with predator attacks after your colony is up and running.