Generally speaking, birds hate strong smells, shiny objects, and predators, both birds of prey or larger animals or humans within their vicinity.
Primarily, birds dislike really strong smells because they find them quite irritating. These include peppermint oil, citronella, lemon, cayenne pepper, chili, garlic and vinegar. By using this information, we can apply these strong scents to areas that we want the birds to stay away from.
One of the best sounds to get birds to scatter (and perhaps not to return) are synthetic sounds such as high-frequency, ultrasonic sounds. If you add in a frightening visual object such as an owl statue or scarecrow with shimmering tassels, the strategy becomes all that much more effective.
Most birds are scared of humans. This is because of their natural instinct to flee from an unfamiliar presence. However, the degree of scaredness varies between bird species, individual birds, and different human exposure. Urbanized birds like pigeons are much less scared of humans than rural birds.
One color that the majority of birds avoid is white. A dull or bright white signals alarm and danger to birds, causing them to avoid those areas.
Foil can repel birds in another way, too. Hang strips of it (shiny party streamers work, too) from trees and other high points. Its flashiness in the sun bothers their eyes, and they won't want to come near. If woodpeckers are bothering you, try hanging an aluminum pie plate to the tree where the pests reside.
You can use garden spinners and scare tape, items specifically made for this purpose, or you can also repurpose a variety of household items for a more DIY approach. You can hang up old CDs, pie tins, shiny ribbons of aluminum foil, reflective tape, mylar balloons, pinwheels, and party streamers to get the job done.
Bird B Gone offers a number of highly effective and humane liquid bird repellent sprays designed to drive birds away and stave off the many problems caused by nuisance birds. Our non-toxic, easy-to-use bird repellents help resolve all different types of bird control issues.
Ventilated boxes lined with towels are actually best for birds, especially adult birds who have lived in the wild their whole lives. The dark calms them, and the enclosed space gives them a sense of protection against predators.
Vinegar has a harsh, unpleasant scent that can irritate a bird's sense of smell. It is also a humane way to repel birds from areas around your home.
Similar to scarecrows, fake owls are designed to trick rodents and birds away. An owl is a natural predator of many of these animals, so they're naturally hesitant to enter a home being guarded by an owl.
Keep Animals Away
The lubricant also works as a pigeon repellent on balconies and roofs, because the birds hate its smell.
Generally speaking, birds hate strong smells, shiny objects, and predators, both birds of prey or larger animals or humans within their vicinity. Let's take a look at some of the things that birds hate the most: Predators.
Other items said to help get rid of birds are shiny surfaces, as the reflections from these are said to disorientate the birds and make them wary of predators. This can mean small mirrors, shiny reflective gift wrap or old CDs can all be hung in the areas where the birds are a nuisance.
Keep Birds Out of the Garden
If wild birds are eating fruits and vegetables before you can harvest them, use shopping bags to scare them away. Cut the bags into long strips and tie the strips to plants or stakes. You can also run string between stakes so that you can tie strips along the string.
Any sudden movement will scare birds into flight as well. That's why so many people use streamers, plastic bags, and garden spinners to keep birds out of the garden.
Increased fear in birds, as in mammals, is associated with adrenal cortex activation (Davis et al., 2008; Tilgar et al., 2010). Neuroendocrine responses involve hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis activation and corticosterone secretion (Cockrem, 2007).
"[Bright light] has a strong effect on birds and their behavior." Scientists hypothesize that the luminescence leads to higher risks of fatal collisions, too.
The Dark
Just like when we were kids, some birds are afraid of the dark. Megan Hughes of Florida said that her entire flock is frightened of the dark, and each bird has a night light in their bird rooms.