Hi Brudenell,
Feisty little critters, aren't they?
What you are dealing with are fiercely territorial birds defending
their nest site. Somehow your car and their nest have ended up
together within the sparrows' territory and every time they fly past
your mirrors, they are seeing THE ENEMY.
==============
THE PROBLEM
==============
"The House sparrow is the number two urban pest birds.. They nest in
urban structures, eat scraps and have a large breeding capacity is
some of their traits…
… Damage -- House Sparrows are often a nuisance in urban areas like
manufacturing and food processing plants. Gutters and drainage pipes
clogged with sparrow nests can backup and cause extensive water damage
and fires have been attributed to electrical shorts caused by
machinery housing sparrow nests. Lastly, feces buildup can lead to
structural damage from the uric acid in droppings, plus the bacteria,
fungal agents and parasites in the feces also pose a health risk.
…House Sparrows are aggressive birds and will often force out other
birds from their territories. They are flocking birds and will gather
in the thousands to take over feeding and roosting areas."
SPARROW FACTS
http://www.pestcontrol-products.com/sparrow.htm
"House Sparrows aggressively protect a small territory just around
their nesting site. This is believed to be strictly a protection of
the nest site, and not of any feeding areas. Sparrows have been
observed to threaten, and if necessary, attack 70 species of birds
that have come into their nesting territory. These attacks seem to be
intrasexual, males attack males and females attack only females."
ANIMAL DIVERSITY - SPARROWS
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/passer/p._domesticus$narrative.html
"Once a pair of sparrows has secured territory by force, then both
male and female will vigorously defend it against martins; the
sparrows are establishing site tenacity. These sparrows may become
highly aggressive and attack martins that are looking for nests and
often make sneak attacks on established martins that are nesting
adjacent to or above the sparrows’ nest. …. as the sparrow’s nesting
cycle progresses, the sparrow’s aggressive behavior increases.
Sparrows with young are indeed ferocious defenders of their nest; they
are excellent parents."
SPARROW VS. MARTIN
http://www.troycable.net/~w/sparrow-vs-martin.html
===================
THE SOLUTION
===================
First of all, trapping and relocation will not work. At this time of
year you would be trapping and moving parents of live nestlings which
would not be right to do. Besides, they will just return and lay a new
clutch if you move them.
One solution is to wait them out, but this may be a long (and
impractical) process. Breeding season for the sparrow varies depending
on species and location, but in general they seem to lay several
clutches throughout the summer, from April through August.
" THE SONG SPARROW - Breeding Season: The breeding season begins in
April and ends in August (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). This species
sometimes has 3 broods, with lost clutches replaced (Baicicich and
Harrison, 1997)"
THE SONG SPARROW
http://kalan.freeyellow.com/page57.html
Or, another solution would be to move the car out of the bird's
territory. This would mean identifying the location of the nest, and
then moving the car well-clear of that spot for the summer. My reading
suggests that the sparrow's territory is not all that large, so you
may not have to move the car far. On the other hand, there may be more
than one pair of sparrows nesting in your vicinity.
If neither of those ideas is practical, then the next thing to do is
either hide the mirrors or place something frightening near the mirror
to scare off the sparrows.
Watch the birds and notice where they are flying from when they go for
the mirror. They may have particular perch that they sit on when they
notice their reflection. Maybe that perch can be removed or blocked.
Also, rearrange the mirrors themselves. Do they fold in? If so, just
push them in as far as they go. If they are electric, it may work to
tilt them downward so a flying bird can't catch a glimpse of itself.
Or, you might try backing the car in, so the mirrors face the other
way.
Keep in mind that the mirrors may not be the only problem. Your car
windows may be attracting the birds as well. Closely watching their
behavior will help you to identify the trigger.
Here are some ideas for blocking the mirrors or windows ---
"…Placing sheer cloth or netting in front of the window breaks the
reflection and the open-flight-path appearance but retains much use of
the window. Taping crinkled plastic wrap onto the glass has a similar
function. Another approach is to hang cloth or aluminum foil strips in
front of the window, or to plant shrubs. Placing hawk or owl
silhouettes in the window to frighten birds has only limited
effectiveness. Remove the covering when the bird changes behavior and
is no longer a problem. "
Backyard Wildlife - Tips for Success
http://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/Wildlife/g1332.HTM
-----------------------
SPARROW SPOOKER
http://members.tripod.com/~herper/mbahospdeter
-------------------
This is more for your interest rather than a practical solution since
it would be against the law for you to actually destroy the sparrows.
(Songbirds are protected by law). But it does serve to illustrate the
tenacity of these little beasts.
"… simple nest removal will NOT cause a male sparrow to abandon his
territory; it just eventually made him meaner and "vindictive". The
only effective solutions to house sparrow control were trapping and,
when possible, shooting. The sparrows, particularly the males, must be
permanently eliminated… male sparrows tenaciously hold on to their
territory. They do not give up easily."
HOUSE SPARROW REVENGE SYNDROME
http://forum.purplemartin.org/ArchivedPosts/HSrevenge.htm
When the breeding season is over, if practical you should eliminate
all access to areas where the sparrows are currently nesting… (Unless
of course it is a tree!)
"The best way to control sparrow problems is by exclusion. Replace or
cover broken windows in upper stories with wire mesh, plastic, wood or
sheet metal. Screen poultry houses and feeders to completely exclude
sparrows. Seal all openings larger than 2 cm (0.75 in.). Warehouses,
garages and farm buildings can effectively be blocked to sparrows by
hanging plastic strips the full-length of open doorways."
SPARROWS
http://www.wildlifemanagement.info/publications/sparrows_2.htm
==============================================================
COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS RECOMMENDED FOR REPELLING SPARROWS
==============================================================
TanglefootŪ Tangle Guard Repeller Ribbon - Visual deterrent for birds
http://www.pestcontrol-products.com/birdcontrol_repellents_ribbon.htm
Hot Foot Repellent Gel
http://www.pestcontrol-products.com/birdcontrol_repellents_hotfoot.htm
PEST CONTROL SOLUTIONS
http://www.pestcontrol-products.com/
So that should provide you with a better understanding of sparrow
behavior and a variety of methods for controlling them. If anything
I've said isn't clear, or if any of the links don't work, let me know
and I'll clarify for you.
Thanks for your question and good luck with your feathered nemeses!
-K~
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