BUTCHER BIRDS

[Tiaris]

Evil or just hungry?
I think Butcherbirds are really nice birds in their own right. Murderous to finches and other small birds but very confiding and melodious birds to have around the paddock. We have a very tame couple here which jump down literally to our feet whenever we dig the ground to catch worms,etc.
Ensuring they don't wipe out your finches is all down to thoughtful aviary design. My birds aren't the slightest bit phased by them as they know they can't get to them. Much better than times in the past when I've had to resort to waging war on them with aviaries designed to expose birds to wild predators. Now I can appreciate Butcherbirds (& other birds of prey) here for all the right reasons.

[jusdeb]

Not just finches .. They can and have killed in my aviaries a scarlet , Purple crowns , red rumps and cant remember what else , all over a 3 day period . They were teaching there 3 babies how to best utilise the smorgasboard that is my parrots .

I lost in 3 days $600 worth of birds and was drained emotionally .

I don't do " nice " anymore .

But yeah a gawjus bird , love their music and their looks just not around here .

[Pictorella]

I used to have issues with both Pied and Grey Butcherbirds (Grey being the more cunning of the two) but since getting 6mm wire and a resident pair of Magpie Lark the finches just fly to the sheltered end of the aviary and calmly wait for the invader to be escorted off the premises.

[Rosco]

This will be an issue for me too. I feed the buggers along with the magpies every second day or so. Extraordinarily athletic and trusting. True spitfires and their soft sultry mimicry is superb. Mainly sing quietly to themselves when there is some drizzle about in an almost inaudible tone. Murderous thugs, but I wont be without them.

Yet to build my aviaries and have been wondering about the best way to exclude the butchies. Like to do it so that I can see my birds clearly without squinting through 2 layers and getting that moire effect. Thinking a covered walkway/race to access the flights with 2 layers on the flights rooves and three solid covered sides will be the go.

[finchbreeder]

Thinking a covered walkway/race to access the flights with 2 layers on the flights rooves and three solid covered sides will be the go.
That should do the job. And interestingly if you can plant under a big tree of the type that does not generally break in strong winds, but has the branches blowwing close to the rooves.
I find my big tree is great summer shade and the moving branches allow the "pest" birds to perch, but disturb them from settling on the avairys. So I get visitors without deaths. My tree is a lilac.
LML

[vettepilot_6]

I use vermin proof wire, and paint it black....aviary covered on all 3 sides including roof.. only front open...

[Budgie_Smugglers]

anyone know how do deal with them in a nice way?

Someone told me to use MIRRORS...

[holtz]

I put up one of those plastic owls a couple weeks ago and it seems to be working,also having trouble with the blue faced honey eater,mouse wire on perimeter but still scare the hell out of them.Holtz

[longtails]

hi you can try shade cloth i got it on my avairys 50% shade so the sun still can get in