OVER the last two weeks, the Centre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) has experienced an influx of kingfisher birds covered in bird repellent gel.
CROW stressed the importance of finding alternative solutions to repel birds, as this method caused extreme harm and even death to the creatures.
“The theory behind these gels is that a bird lands on a surface coated with it, feels a foreign substance and flies away,” explained CROW’s Chandre de Bruyn. “Sadly, what happens in a lot of cases is that the gel, which is a glue type consistency, gets onto the bird’s wings, chest and tail feathers and causes them to stick together which in turn hinders their ability to fly properly.”
Chandre said the gel often covers the bird’s face, blocking their nasal passages. This leads to the bird eventually starving to death, as they are not able to fly or find food.
“It takes the CROW clinic nurses a couple of days, sometimes weeks, to remove these products from the birds. At times, the insides of the beaks are caked in the gel too, contributing to the birds’ starvation and battle to breathe. In various cases where birds have tried to pull themselves away from the gel, they dislocate their wings, damage their muscles or legs,” said Chandre.
The NSPCA recently shared some guidance on how to control birds with kindness:
- Contact Eagle Eye bird control for an effective but harmless bird control solution. This is an effective bird deterrent device which harmlessly relocates birds. Birds are irritated by reflected light beams that flash at various angles from the rotating light beam unit.
- Use exclusion methods – such as netting and making areas inaccessible.
- Make an area available for birds to rest, drawing them away from areas where they are not wanted.
- Do not leave feed out or feed birds, this attracts more birds.
- Remove eggs from the areas to prevent breeding from taking place, if you do not wish to have annual visits by the feathery creatures. Only do this after you have checked with your local SPCA and nature conservation authorities regarding legality as the birds may be a protected species.
- Place strands of light wire across the perching areas, parallel with each other and not too widely apart, which will prevent the birds from perching.
- Never use any poisons, glue or any kind of gels as these cause flight problems and or painful and secondary poisoning.
- Hunting or shooting birds does not solve the problem as others will come to feed and perch. A humane all-encompassing preventative programme must be put in place.
Contact CROW on 031-462-1127 for more information.
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