Butcherbird Attack

[Matt]

Came home today to find a butcherbird had snuck into my shed and had a feast. 3 St Helenas, 2 Gouldians, 1 Black Headed Nun & a Bengalese killed. One of the Gouldians was my favourite white breasted euro yellow that has just fledged 3 young ones. Hopefully the hen will keep feeding.

Butcherbirds are common here. I've caught them hanging off the wire on the outdoor aviary, but since all the breeding cabinets were moved well inside the shed, I haven't had a problem until now. I just hope the attack hasn't caused any nest desertion from the others. At the moment I've got 2pr sea greens, Lutino blue faced, painteds, st helenas, aus & euro yellow goulds all either on eggs or with young. It'd break my heart to see all those nests gone too.

[Page0044]

Hey Matt sorry to hear the bad news, i have a problem with butcherbirds as well, hope the others are sitting tight

[brad359]

hi mat sorry to hear i have a proble with hawks & butcher birds i treat them like cats.

[Diane]

Sorry to hear about your bad luck

[Matt]

Seems he had a little fun with my outdoor aviary too, though no deaths. One of my Tri Nuns has a few ruffled feathers and missing his leg ring. Found half the leg ring outside the aviary.

[jusdeb]

Seems to be an epidemic of predatory birds to match to the mouse plague....just got back from Cobar ( 3 hour drive ) which I do once a month and Ive never seen so many hawks and small eagles .
They were in there dozens close to the grain silos which is unusual usually they hunt in 2s maybe 3s.
Had a incident where 2 eagles were chasing a large flock of Quarrion , they turned and unfortuneatley we were bang in the middle doing 110ks.
Stopped and picked up the only one we could find ( died ) but i heard more hit the car than that.
Must have been a good breeding season coz they are prolific out here at the moment.

[gomer]

Sorry to hear that Matt,Makes it hard to be a total bird lover, when damn Butcher birds or Hawks are killing your birds.

[Page0044]

I had 3 crows eyeing of my birds today from the top of the aviary, had to chase them away

[southy]

Matt
sorry to hear about the butcher bird attack. The only sure way to stop them is with a slug gun...but that is not allowed.

Apart from that I have found that if you buy some of that black plastic bird netting.The stuff made to put over vege gardens etc from Bunnings etc"pretty cheap" this will deter them if you hang it down loosely about 100ml out from the wire it is a bit of a pain but after they get tangled in it a couple of times they get the message.

[Matt]

Yeah I think I might get some netting so they can't get through the door for the time being. I have new plans being put in place shortly for all my cabinets and aviaries and all will have 6mm wire. That'll stop em.
On a positive note, all the others are still on their nests.