Aussie Finch Forum

Ive used a high pressure hose on them they keep coming back. Ive got mouse proof wire on the aviary i bought from bunnings and now will make covers for the cage fronts used as feeding doors. When one comes and starts calling i find a whole heap turn up.

escapin wrote:anyone have a solution for butcher birds and mynas that keeps them at bay? something other than brutal force?

I've been working them over with chicken pellets in a sling shot. Doesnt hit them, just scares them as crap flies everywhere.

Building aviaries which make it impossible for them to get to your birds is the only permanent answer to this. Before I built my current aviaries, I waged war with Butcher Birds for many years with neither side winning. Now I appreciate them as a confiding, intelligent bird with a beautiful song who I am happy to have around home periodically - quite a contrast to most of the comments here "evil, horrid, mongrels, devils, etc," My birds now know they are safe from them so don't panic when they are in the area as previously occurred - win:win.

At first the ones here were attacking my avairys. Then they discovered another food source on the property and left the birds alone in preference for the easier food source. Now they have vanished. No I did not poison them, genuinely do not know why they left. We live surrounded by bush, and supply water for all the wildlife, desirable and otherwise. The Butcher birds discovered an endless supply of easily preyed on insects. And I also love their song and apart from their tendancy to attack the avairys, frog and fish ponds. They have an inquisitive and dare I say, mildly endearaing personality.
LML

Tiaris wrote: Building aviaries which make it impossible for them to get to your birds is the only permanent answer to this. Before I built my current aviaries, I waged war with Butcher Birds for many years with neither side winning. Now I appreciate them as a confiding, intelligent bird with a beautiful song who I am happy to have around home periodically - quite a contrast to most of the comments here "evil, horrid, mongrels, devils, etc," My birds now know they are safe from them so don't panic when they are in the area as previously occurred - win:win.

Agree even the noisy minors don't look twice at my aviaries unless there is new species with different calls placed there....Butcher birds occasionly come down for a look but don't bother anything now...they prefer to hunt in our shrubs etc... although I did see one snatch a Doublebar off the feeding table...but I guess thats nature....

sounds good tiaris
butcher birds here come and beg for food so I find it hard to be mean to them, except when they are trying to eat my finches.

my current aviary bird is with 6mm wire so I think i'm on a similar page

Are you all talking about the same species of Butcher Bird.
The one in the picture is the Grey Butcher Bird, gram for gram there is little that could compete with it.
The other type further north and here where I live is the Pied Butcher Bird quite an attractive bird, very pleasant song
bigger body size but more importantly a lot less aggressive.

We have both Grey & Pied here. Greys tend to be far tamer - ours do at least. Pieds have a better song.

Pieds only tend to be a hassle when teaching young to hunt, looking for an easy meal, the rest of the year they are no trouble, greys on the other hand are a pain 24/7

I found a Gouldian cock on the floor late last year, little bit of blood. On closer inspection the poor bugger had an entire wing missing, I had to euthanise. The goulds love sitting up near the wire to catch the sun, Butcher bird was the only answer. Only spotted one in my yard for the first time a few weeks ago, right in front of the aviary of course.

Goulds and quite a few other finches love to sit in the sun. So place perching there, but at least 15cms from the outside wire. This is a win win situation. The finches get their sun and the Butcher birds can not reach them.
LML