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Common Problems with Bird Deterrent Systems

Written by Semco Maritime | Sep 7, 2020 1:09:46 PM

1. No two birds are the same

It is possible for birds of the same species to act differently, depending on the country or region within. A specific sound might scare certain birds in one area while being ignored by the same species in another. When exposed to the same noise, seagulls on a skyscraper in the Middle East seem to react differently to seagulls on an offshore platform in the North Sea.

What to do?

Sonic bird repellents  allows for the rotation of sound files. New sounds will appear until one of them eventually scares off the birds. To find more effective noises, we can also change the library of sounds.

Example of Sonic bird repellent

2. Birds do not get scared

It can be extremely hard to scare off birds, especially if they are already nesting on a facility. In this case, the birds will try to remain close to their original nesting site. They probably ended up nesting there because no Bird Deterrent System was covering it.

What to do?

The best way to avoid this critical situation is by preventing your installation from becoming a nesting site in the first place. In order to do so, you have to make sure that the detection area covers the space needed to have a preventive effect. If you in the process discover ‘blind spots’, where birds can rest and nest peacefully, you need to extend your detection area.

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3. The birds act as a homogeneous group

The fewer birds you are fighting, the easier it is. Unfortunately, this won’t be the case for long. If one bird is present, prepare yourself for more.

As soon as multiple birds have settled down, the individual bird feels safer, making the flock harder to scare. It’s simply group dynamics for birds: If no one takes off, the rest will stay put – but as soon as some leave, the rest will do the same.

What to do?

No bird deterrent system can promise you 100 percent coverage. It is simply not possible. You might obtain a bird-free-facility, but rest assured that if your platform remains attractive to birds, they will be back after a few days. At first, it may just be one bird. A ‘scout’ that will reconnoite the surroundings – after which the flock will return.

One solution could be to put up even more cameras for extended video analysis accompanied by loudspeakers and amplifiers. In this way, you decrease the perimeter and move the Bird Deterrent System closer to each bird – thereby increasing the possibility of scaring them off.

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