Currawongs

[Jayburd]

I'm worried about the currawongs in the neighbourhood - having heard (and seen) many horror stories about curra's and finches, having a big mob (I counted 50 of them here yesterday in one tree) hanging around our house. The aviary will have a gable roof, and I'm thinking of putting trip wires horizontally along the length of the open - roofed section, at intervals of about 20cm. Pigeon spikes, like those used on city buildings, along the top ridge. At least they can't reach the aviary from the bushes. What have other people done to protect their birds?
klaxons? laser trip beams? floodlights? motion sensors? electric wires?

[jusdeb]

Yeh their long beaks are deadly .

[finchbreeder]

Fully covered roof and dog that is trained to bark at them. And planting close to the side that faces the vacant block over the back so they can't just swoop in. And lots of swearing at them when I find them on top of avairy trying to reach over the side.
The covered roof is the most important.
LML

[Jayburd]

I want the finches to be able to get the most natural stuff, growing plants, etc. and thought that ran coming through would be beneficial both to the birds and to the plants. I'm having a drip lie and a sprayer in the aviary, so the birds can be mist - sprayed in the summer, and the plants can be watered.
They were sitting on top of my quail cage yesterday, hilarious to see the dog stalking then rushing them, but itdoesn't keep them away...
GET THE H**L OFF MY QUAILS YOU DAMN BIRD!!!!!
sorry, that be me scaring away the 13th one this morning...

[finchbreeder]

My avairys started their lives with partly uncovered roofs for just the reasons you have given Jay. But decided that covered roofs to protect from predators and reticulating the avairy was easier in the long run. Others no doubt have done it differently.
LML

[E Orix]

I had preditors driving me mad as I live in a rural setting but today very little if no problems.
The major worrying time was early in the new year when the young Goshawks were suddenly on their own and were looking for an easy meal.
I got rid of my Yellow Turq's as they were like a red rag to a bull.
I purchased a roll of Horticultural shade cloth. This allows enough light etc in so the plants will still grow vertically and not try and face extra light.
It will also protect plants and birds from heavy rain and wind.
The best thing though was buying a live stock electrical discharge unit, no cats or possums on the aviary roof,Hawks and Owls ceased perching on the edge of aviary roof.
No more concern about day or night visiters

[CQDude]

Well I have 2 finches left out of 8 in less than 4 weeks, what a wate of time and money that was !! We have crows by the thousands, magpies, butcher birds, kite hawks, Wedge tails, some green backed snappin thing with a white belly, and probably a dozen other things I have forgotten about. I have thought of just puttin chooks in there then having said that the foxes got our chooks ( about a dozen ) a while back. I thought of building a cage around the aviary, but don't know if I can be bothered now, I am losing interest, due to spending most of my spare time chasing birds with a broom !! I have thought of sittin on the veranda on the weekends and picken em off one by one with the rifle, but with the huge numbers we have it would be a waste of time, and money. Maybe I should bait them with some 10/80, might get the several thousand feral cats while I'm at it ? It is great living in the outback, but this is one of the drawbacks, and somethin we didn't contemplate when building the aviary !

Maybe I should have gone for ringnecks as was the original plan. I'm not impressed that I spent all that money and now have an empty cage !! Chooks are lookin good !

[CQDude]

Oh did I mention kookaburras and tawny frogmouths ?

[jusdeb]

Sorry you feel dissilisioned ( oh crap I cant spell that word ) spose I should say dont give up $$$ to hard to come by to be feeding the predators . Do what makes you happy and if you do give the finches a miss you can always try again later .
Nothing wrong with the ringnecks mate , they are a gawjus bird .

[E Orix]

I live in a very rural area, the Murray River fills the Billabong which is my rear boundary. I do not have fully roofed aviaries.
We have foxes and feral cats comming onto our property. I have mentioned in an earlier post what steps I have taken what I did forget was I feed two families of Magpies.
There is the mob from the front of the house and the one from the back. The house roof ridge is their boundary.
They will hone in on anything that they think will limit their food source. Hawks,Currawongs and even the odd Eagle cop a mobbing.
The only down side is if I leave the back door open while organising their food they come in and sit on the kitchen bench. My wife does not see the funny side of it at all.
What I am trying to say is don't give up and take a few steps to protect your birds from peril.
The enjoyment will follow.