Covered in Cowbirds

[Sanders Woodworking]

We have been decended upon by a flock of cowbirds. There are hundreds of them. They've been here for about two weeks already. They are eating the dog food that we have on the carport for our old Great Dane. They are pretty messy, lots of deposits on the concrete and cars. We had crows this spring but they were not as aggressive, but louder and stayed in the trees. The cowbirds come into the carport in groups of 8-15 and continuously exchange places from dawn to dusk.

Anybody know how long they will stay?

[JimmyC]

Originally Posted by Sanders Woodworking

Anybody know how long they will stay?

Probably until you stop feeding them. Seriusly, I have no idea, but good luck.

Jimmy

[Mark Anderson]

try a big rubber snake...make sure you tell the wife what you are doing

[Alan in Little Washington]

How about one of those plastic owls or hawks? Other sources say use balloons and streamers. Buy a cat

[bluthart]

If they are in the lawn they may be eating grubs. They should turn to Japenese Beetles soon, and then you will want the birds to eat them.

[jeff...]

A couple strategically placed loud booms will wake them up and send them packing for quieter places - just be careful with your boom stick

[ebarr]

OK I give, what is a cowbird????

[DaveO]

Originally Posted by ebarr

OK I give, what is a cowbird????

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown-headed_Cowbird


Dave

[bluthart]

A cowbird is a medium sized bird mostly black in color and sometimes bearing a brownish colored cap. These birds feed on insects, including the large numbers that may be stirred up by cattle. In order for the birds to remain mobile and stay with the herd, they have adapted by laying their eggs in other birds' nests. The cowbird will watch for when its host lays eggs, and when the nest is left unattended, the female will come in and lay its own eggs.
The cowbird eggs do not look much different from the hosts' eggs, and the host will normally incubate the eggs. The cowbird chicks grow quickly, and may consume most of the food the host brings. If starvation does not kill the other birds, in some species the cowbird will use its large size to push the other chicks out of the nest.