Managing Pest Birds in Sports Facilities
Peter McCarthy & Dr Sali Jayne Bache
Pest birds of a wide variety of species can have a significant impact on sports facilities. Examples to be
discussed include damage to the sports turf playing surface, physical damage to equipment, defacing
stadium grand stands, nuisance to and direct hits on players and spectators, slip and fall hazards and
noise to name just a few.
Integral parts of a management strategy include identification, problem assessment, proven strategies,
products available and installation.
Topics to be discussed include:

Bird identification

Bird biology & behaviour

Understanding bird pressure

Bird damage and disease, and human safety

Permanent, non-lethal products to solve any bird problem

Product selection and site evaluation

New products, tools & techniques
Birds are intelligent creatures and can overwhelm a prevention system if it is not used in the correct
application. Many bird management installations fail simply because the installer does not understand
the pest bird they are managing or because the wrong product/strategy is chosen or incorrectly
installed. Simply put, there is a lot more to bird management than using just one product to solve every
problem or installing and walking away forever. It should also be noted, that the public is no longer
willing to endorse the killing of pest birds; they are looking for humane solutions to their problems.
Pest Birds: Damage and Disease
Many facilities struggle with the impact of birds on their stadiums, parks/gardens, buildings and
maintenance sheds. Pest birds can affect such sites through physical damage, food contamination,
spread of disease, respiratory problems and other illnesses and finally damage to buildings, vehicles,
machinery and ultimately the playing surface. Most people fail to realise that bird droppings and nests
are not only an annoyance, they also damage buildings, machinery, paint finishes and even neon signs.
Significant also to sporting facilities is the nuisance factor caused by birds, which leads to complaints
and ultimately lower attendance and use of the facility. Given the heavy influence of business in sport,
sponsorship of a field has and can become an issue.
There's more to a thorough clean-up than just washing bird faeces and debris with a hose. Pest and turf
managers need to remain up to date with site sterilising to ensure the area is clean, but also safe to
enter, work in or watch sporting fixtures. Birds and their droppings can spread more than 60 serious
diseases to humans and pets (for example see Kielstien et al 2000) including Salmonella,
Histoplasmosis, Encephalitis, Viral Meningitis and Newcastle Disease. Those involved with working with
pest birds need to be aware of the dangers of working within areas infested by birds, particularly in
confined spaces. These include bird related diseases, as well as the need to take precautions to minimise
or ideally prevent the disturbance and inhalation of fine particles of dry bird dropping. Other safety
issues to be aware of include those that relate to working at heights as is required in many bird jobs.
Common Pest Bird Species
Dominant bird pest species in Australia include pigeons, starlings, mynahs and sparrows. However, there
are a large variety of native and exotic species that cause pest related problems in sports facilities.
Feral Pigeon
(Columba livia)
Sparrow
(Passer domesticus)
Swallow
(Hiruno rustica & neoxena)
Starling
(Sturnus vulgaris)
Australian White Ibis
(Threskiornis molucca)
Autralian Magpie
(Gymnorhina tibicen)
Silver Gull
(Larus novaehollandiae)
Rainbow Lorikeet
(Trichoglossus haematodus)
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
(Cacatua galerita)
Indian Myna
(Acridotheres tristis)
Australian Raven
(Corvus coronoides)
Torresian Crow
(Corvus orru)
Other species where some form of management strategy is required include:

Australian Cattle
Egret

Little Crow

Musk Lorikeet

Black-Cockatoo:
Red- & Yellow-tailed

Little Corella

Noisy Miner

Long-billed Corella

Pied Currawong

Spotted Turtle Dove

Galah

Mallard and water
fowls
Bird biology and behaviour
There are a number of simple concepts that must be recognised in order to manage bird populations.
These relate to the behavioural characteristic of individual and flocking pest birds. “Bird pressure” is a
methodology by which the behaviour and commitment of birds to a site can be understood. The level of
pressure on a site is classified and appropriate mitigation techniques applied. Techniques that can be
used to manage populations include physical exclusion devices and deterrents to minimise or eliminate
the interaction of pest birds, the facility and people.
Bird Pressure
The differences in structures, species and problems that are encountered between sites means that
there is a great need for a structured methodology to approaching the problem of pest bird
management. Without such a methodology there is a risk that mistakes and flawed approaches will be
repeated, that valuable commodities will be lost, and that adequate management of potential disease
will not occur.
“Bird pressure” is an extensively applied and proven methodology in the urban setting. It is also
adaptable to sports facilities and the rural environment. This approach is successful in both problem
identification and the presentation of mitigation options in most cases. The basis of bird pressure relies
firstly on the observation of bird behaviour. The best approach to mitigating pest bird problems is then
determined based heavily upon the level of commitment that the individual, small group or flock of birds
have to the site. The level of commitment to a site is of such importance because it is largely this factor
that will determine the bird’s ability and desire to reclaim their former territory once a management
system has been put in place. Bird pressure is a classification of the site, and in most cases a site with
food, water, shelter and confined spaces for nesting offers high bird pressure. Open spaces with limited
shelter from exposure to rain and full sun represent the lower end of the bird pressure scale.
Classic situations of high bird pressure include:

Building/s that offer overnight shelter – turf maintenance, storage and machinery sheds;

Building/s with relatively easy access to birds during some or all day and night;

Beam type structures with platforms, struts and channels for birds to nest and roost –
stadium roof areas, shelters, annexes, loading and receiving docks;

Abundant food and water sources that are difficult to eliminate, clean or control – dams,
golf courses, parks and gardens;

Machinery and other structures that offer warmth throughout cold evenings in urban,
industrial and rural locations;

Building roof tops and silos where birds can congregate to gain warmth from the sun in
both early mornings and late afternoon when emerging or heading to roosting sites
respectively;



Elevated and protected areas to congregate waiting for food opportunities to be presented;
Areas that are regularly irrigated during times of drought – turf farms, golf courses and
intensive horticultural crops; and
Seeding or oversewing new sports turf areas.
When a facility offers a population of birds all the basic needs required such as food, water and shelter,
the flock size can grow rapidly. If left unchecked in a suitable climate, a pair of birds of a highly fecund
species such as sparrows can multiply to 2000 within the space of 12 to 18 months.
Once the bird pressure has been determined there are a host of control methods that can be applied.
These include one or combinations of exclusion, physical deterrents, acoustic, ultrasonic and scare
devices. Other approaches include population reduction methods such as trapping, shooting, poisoning
(Avicides), irritants and taste deterrents. No single method alone is able to offer a suitable result,
particularly when the problem exists in an open space such as a sports field, bowling green or golf
course. When used in combination, however, a series of methods may form a highly successful
management program. For example, physical devices with a scare disturbance program. Such a program
is likely to incorporate requirements for facility operators to increase housekeeping regimes, make
alterations so that there is reduced bird access to food, make regular observation of bird population’s
size and behaviour, and remain constantly vigil (McCarthy, 2003).
Products
There are significant differences between turf facility, rural, commercial, industrial and urban situations,
including the nature of the physical structures involved, facility size, specific pest bird species involved
and damage caused. It is these factors that determine the most appropriate mitigation methods.
Whereas in the urban setting, bird management is focused around domestic homes, retail centres, major
buildings, factories and food processing and manufacturing facilities. In the sporting area structures
requiring attention include club house and stadium facilities, sports equipment, vehicles, machinery and
open fields.
For turf facilities specific strategies include:

Stadium Annex – Professional netting and cable system to roof canopy and walls

Sports turf playing surfaced – taste deterrents, disturbance programs, scare devices &
Eagle Eye used in combination. Recently, several bowling clubs and golf courses have used
Eagle Eye to remove Cockatoos that were chewing and causing significant damage to sports
turf surfaces.

Dams and water ways – Australian White Ibis nesting rookeries can be moved on by
Eagle Eye.

Ducks and water fowl – Problems exist from ducks both eating the turf of the
putting/bowling green the droppings deteriorating the playing surface

Seeding new areas – Exotic species such as sparrows as well as native species eat both
the seed and emerging turf. Geotextile fabrics in combination with a scare disturbance
program is successful

Swooping and aggressive birds – Magpies and masked Lapwings (Plovers) harassing
patrons duging the nesting season. There are no professional alternatives to offer other than
for golfers keeping a driver up above their head.

Thieving balls – Ravens and Crows steeling golf balls can be a difficult task. As with
aggressive birds, trying all the old “wives tales” is worthy of consideration. Scare devices
such as Eagle Eye will deviate birds in flight, but covering an entire golf course has not been
attempted as yet.

Race Courses – Sea gulls, water fowl and various pest species congregate around the
turf and water courses in and around horse race courses. Apart from the mess of debris,
faeces and feathers, danger to both horses and jockeys is a major concern. A regular
disturbance program with a combination of devices is suitable. Light reflecting systems such
as Eagle Eye surprisingly have no effect on horses, but are effective of removing birds from
open spaces.

Alfresco dining areas – clubs in most climates have moved dining outdoors to enjoy the
alfresco atmosphere. Birds in these situations create a significant nuisance to diners and
“plate theft” can be alarming for diners, particularly with larger birds such as ibis, ravens and
gulls. Combinations of physical devices as well as Eagle Eye have been successful to date.
The most commonly used physical devices include bird spikes, professional netting systems, electric
shock systems, bird coil and more which are ideal for physical structure. Open spaces requires the use of
combinations of acoustic systems (distress calls, gas cannons, etc), visual scarers (Eagle Eye, light
diodes and inflatable units), untrasonic systems (a specific frequency of sound outside of human
hearing), movement scares and a variety of others. One system incorporates the use of radar to launch
a number of scare devices to explode into action with sound, movement and light as birds enter an open
space. The advantage of this system (Bird Deter) is that it overcomes the issue of birds becoming
accustomed to devices over time.
Shooting, trapping and poisoning birds is also an option for exotic species. Many bird management
installations require not only products to deter birds from the site but also use allied support techniques
to reduce bird pressure. Depending on the situation, customer preference and legislative issues, these
may include trapping, shooting or poisoning of pest birds. However, this group of population reduction
strategies only offer very short-term results on their own. Generally speaking, these options are best
used to support a long-term physical/scare device program by eliminating or removing stubborn nesting
birds.
Optical systems have also recently emerged as an option for pest bird management in Australia. One
such optical deterrent is the Eagle Eye™ bird management system that is now in use on several hundred
facilities Australia-wide. This is an effective bird deterrent device that harmlessly relocates birds. Birds
are disoriented and irritated by reflected light beams that flash at various angles from a rotating Eagle
Eye™ unit. The Eagle Eye™ is complementary to and often used in conjunction with other elements from
the range of existing products and techniques available to relocate birds from infested areas. Correct
placement and installation is relatively easy, but requires a full day accreditation program to become a
certified installer. The Eagle Eye™ optical device has proven to be effective in the control and
management of birds in a variety of applications. This is particularly the case in regard to protected
species where lethal means of control is inappropriate and illegal without permitted permission.
Eagle Eye offers pest managers an efficient bird deterrent for use where physical barriers may be
unsuitable. Examples of situations include:
TM

Open areas around outdoor dining, school, retail, industrial, turf, commercial and domestic
areas

Areas with open entrances or rooftops such as warehouses, loading docks, maintenance
sheds, stadiums, hangars and industrial facilities

Large open structures such as waste disposal, refineries and electrical sub-stations

Ibis rookeries around parks, gardens and waste disposal areas

Agricultural and horticultural areas such as vineyards, orchards and fields

Landfill waste disposal areas, refineries and other large commercial facilities
The field of bird management is a growing area and a range of new products have emerged in recent
years, for example the introduction of a third size of (extra wide) spikes ideal for certain scenarios. In
2004, Bird Barrier introduced its latest product to Australia, Bird-Shock Flex-Track which has been used
on a large number of commercial facilities in Australia and several sports stadiums including Suncorp
Stadium in Brisbane. The track comes in 15m rolls, four different colours and has become the company’s
most successful product launch ever. Introducing 9,500 volts (at low amperage) is a very good
motivator to ensure birds move off and stay off an area. Building owners prefer it’s almost invisible
qualities and the professional installer community has found that they can install the system for less
money due to the fact that it installs quickly and saves on both labour and materials costs.
Additional considerations:

Interacting with protected and endangered species

Federal, State and Local legislation

Safe work practices

Working at heights

Damage to sports turf surfaces by heavy access equipment

Liaising with bird management professionals to discuss a range of appropriate products
and stratergies
Web sites to visit:
www.pestIT.com.au Assistance and advice with Australian bird management systems and solutions.
www.EagleEyeBird.com.au The Australian home of Eagle Eye. Review product specifications and
testimonials.
www.birdbarrier.com.au A range of professional bird management product and on-line training options.
References

(DAFF), Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, National Consultative
Committee on Animal Welfare, Position Statement: Bird Control, (1997); from
http://www.affa.gov.au/content/print.cfm?objectid=D2C48F86-BA1A-11A1A2200060B0A00797&showdocs=all).

anon, "Urban Pest Birds (Extract from Bennett, G., Owens, J. and Corrigan, R., "Truman's
Guide to Pest Management Operations (ed.6)")" (2004) March Pest Control Magazine 11-13.

Cassey, P., "Life History and Ecology Influences Establishment Success of Introduced
Land Birds" (2002)

Duncan, R., Bomford, M., Forsyth, D. and Conibear, L., "High Predictability in
Introduced Outcomes and the Geographical Range Size of Introduced Australian Birds: A Role
for Climate" (2001) 70 Journal of Animal Ecology 621-632.

Fernandez-Juricic, E., "Bird Community Composition Patterns in Urban Parks of Madrid:
The Role of Age, Size and Isolation" (2000) 15 Ecological Research 373-383.

Kielstein, P., Hotzel, H., Schumalreck, A., Khaschabi, D. and Glawischnig, W.,
"Occurrence of Cyrptococcus spp. in Excretra of Pigeons and Pet Birds" (2000) 43 Mycoses 715.

McCarthy, P., "Bird Management in Grain Storage Facilities", paper presented at
Australian Postharvest Technical Conference (CSIRO and GRDC, Canberra, 2003).
Pest IT Pty Ltd,
Unit 5/74 – 76 Oak Road Kirrawee NSW 2232 AUSTRALIA
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