az-je
39 posts
Jan 21, 2009
8:51 AM
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Are the owl decoys effective in keeping the BOP from sitting on top of the lofts and kit boxes when they think I'm not looking? Will the Rollers be freaked out by an owl decoy?
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PR_rollers
GOLD MEMBER
2363 posts
Jan 21, 2009
8:58 AM
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I use that one time to keep my rollers from landing early and you know what they landed anyway..I don't have BOP ever sitting on my property.but if you going to try it use the one that move's the head in different direction..good luck,..
----------P.S. if you don't want to spook your rollers remove it when they flying..
Ralph
Last Edited by on Jan 21, 2009 9:00 AM
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wafer kits
110 posts
Jan 21, 2009
11:56 AM
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Janet;
Owl decoys may be effective for a short time but you will have to move them after a few days. Once BOP's become acclimated to them, they will not be afraid of them anymore. Al
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toronto15
12 posts
Jan 21, 2009
1:39 PM
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What about keeping a real Owl on the property far enough from the lofts,or would it spook the pigeons?
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az-je
40 posts
Jan 21, 2009
1:51 PM
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That's what I was thinking too, the decoy owl will have to be moved around and then removed completely when the rollers are out flying. The "real" owl comes around sometimes late in the night so the BOP never see it during the day.
Where's a good place to buy the decoy? I've never shopped for an owl before :)
Janet
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Windjammer Loft
669 posts
Jan 21, 2009
2:18 PM
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Janet.....I use them with a good results. I put them (2) on the corners of my loft, my loft is 21'X18'. I have them out all the time so my young birds are use to seeing the owl all the time. I got mine from a store that sells garden supplys,like a Home Depot. Their are several different ones to choose from..Good luck with them..
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Fly High and Roll On
Paul
Last Edited by on Jan 22, 2009 6:16 AM
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0221
5 posts
Jan 21, 2009
3:46 PM
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If you cut a hole in the side of it and fill it with water, feed or grit, you'll get the best use out of it. I've seen pigeon's even use it to roost on.
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PR_rollers
GOLD MEMBER
2364 posts
Jan 21, 2009
3:49 PM
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Janet you can get one in Home Depot too..
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Ralph
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az-je
41 posts
Jan 22, 2009
9:14 AM
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Thanks for the info guys. I'm going to try it as an anti-BOP device though and not a bird feeder...hahaha
Janet
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maxspin
341 posts
Jan 22, 2009
9:37 AM
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I have read an article where the flier only puts the Owl decoys up when he is flying his birds. That way the hawks do not get used to it.
Never tried it myself.
Keith
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sundance
1027 posts
Jan 22, 2009
7:18 PM
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Toronto.
I dont think its legal to try to keep a real Owl.
You would have to do a mountain of paperwork to get the permits to keep a raptor.
I looked into this here in Indiana several years ago.
I spent hours just reading all the info to apply. I gave the idea up.
Buy a decoy and move it around a lot.
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Butch @
Sundance Roller Lofts
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0221
8 posts
Jan 23, 2009
7:32 AM
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It's my understanding that a pigeon is just as scared of a owl as he is a hawk. how can it help? people put those decoys on there house to scare away pigeons. It doesnt work. seems to Me like its just a waste of money.
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toronto15
14 posts
Jan 23, 2009
9:45 PM
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Thanks Sundance,I have a friend that runs a wildlife anmimal rescue centre,I,ll ask for info.I knew a racer who used to be into falconry,30+years ago,top racer.I think it had to do with territory.
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Shaun
883 posts
Jan 24, 2009
12:32 AM
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I recently bought a decoy owl and it seems to have had the desired effect, which was to deter sparrowhawk attacks, which are common in the UK. The first thing I found was that despite the blurb on the company's website, other birds, including pigeons, appear unbothered by it. I certainly don't have to take it down when I fly my rollers. So anyone buying a decoy owl to scare pigeons, crows, etc, is likely to be disappointed
To begin with, I moved the owl around but even despite it being full of stones to give it weight, it kept blowing over in the wind. So I took some advice and stuck the owl on a pole. It has a hole in the base, so the pole effectively goes all the way up to the head. I was then told the best bet is to have the owl on a spring so it bobs about, the way owls apparently do when roosting. I could't find a big enough spring (to fit over the pole), so I just left it as it was. Anyway, the owl does bob about in the wind, as the pole isn't a tight fit. Also, the owl turns around and faces in all different directions as the days go by.
I used to be tormented by sparrowhawks during winter and usually lock down for months on end. With this decoy in place, I've flown throughout this winter and haven't seen the hawk at all.
I admit to being cautious as to being sure that the decoy is the reason, but I back onto ideal hawk environment - these aren't ones that pass through, but ones which live there. They have quite a territory and I believe mine have just moved along a bit, away from the big staring eyes of the owl.
Shaun
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fhtfire
1779 posts
Jan 24, 2009
5:44 PM
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Shaun,
A good sprint that may work is the kind that you get for house gates to make them swing shut...they are pretty big springs and I think a pole would slide right through and they are stiff enough to just move a little....I dont know if they have Home Depot in UK...lOL...but you do have gates...LOL...so check it out...rock and ROLL
Paul
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