Bird Control in Vineyards

A guide on options and recommendations for best practice

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 Current Solutions

Bird Netting 6 - 7 Gas Guns 8 Sound Deterrents 9

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 Current Solutions

Pyrotechnics 10 Predator Kites 11 Visual Scares 12

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 New Solutions

Birdzout Auto Lasers 13 Birdzout Hand- Birdzout Bioacoustics 15

held Lasers 14
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 Common Bird Species

Starlings 17 Silvereyes 19
Sparrows 18 Blackbirds 20

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 Bird Netting
Advantages:
Effective in most situations: Quality bird nets installed correctly, can be an effective bird
deterrent. They provide a physical barrier between the birds and the fruit, mostly preventing
bird access and the resulting damage.
A guarantee (of a sort): Once bird netting is installed, it significantly lowers the risk of bird
damage in the vineyard until later in the season when the nets are removed.

Disadvantages:
Cost: Aside from the cost of the bird nets themselves, the number of man hours required per
hectare of vineyard, largely contributes to the high cost of bird netting. With labour costs
increasing and in some areas a vast shortage of labour, netting an entire vineyard comes with a
substantial cost to the grower.
On average, netting a vineyard costs approximately $1250.00 per hectare per year, this
includes the cost of the netting over a 10 year life span (although some nets only last for 3 - 5
years) along with the cost of labour to install and remove the nets, each season.

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 Bird Netting
Disadvantages:
Timing: Bird netting takes time to install and remove. Also, in some areas as vineyard labour is in high demand and short supply,
growers have to book this weeks or even months in advance. Inconveniences, that restrict both movements in the vineyard and the
ability to harvest at the optimum time.
Canopy restrictions: Bird netting restricts canopy access and management. It also reduces the ability for late spray applications and
management of diseases.
Storage: Netting is bulky and takes up space in storage for most of the year, when not in use.
Recycling: Little, if any, bird netting can be effectively recycled once it is decommissioned by a vineyard, contributing to the
environmental damage caused by waste plastics.
Not completely effective: Bird netting often does not provide complete protection for grapes. Especially as the netting ages and has
tears and holes that allow bird access. Hungry birds will take advantage of the smallest of holes that allow access to the grapes. With
over-row net, particularly those covering multiple rows, if birds find a point of access it can become (as one grower put it) a large bird
aviary. Large flocks of birds can also perch on and weigh down, side net, giving them access to the fruit. Light colour netting
particularly, makes it easy for birds to see the contrasting grapes behind, if they can find a way through, they'll find it!
Harvest time: Prior to harvest bird nets have to be removed, exposing the grapes at the time when they are the most attractive to the
birds!

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 Purivox Gas Guns
Advantages:
• Effective deterrent for most bird species.
• All time delay settings are randomized to help prevent bird habituation.
• Simple controls – easy to set and use – new android app for timer control.
• Can cover large areas from a central point.
• Efficient and cost effective.

Disadvantages:
• Not always effective long term, especially with long seasons of 8 – 10
weeks in vineyards.
• Loud – not neighbour friendly. With urban sprawl, more houses are
encroaching on vineyards. Council restrictions limiting volume and
number of shots per hour.

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 Bird-x Sound Deterrents
Advantages:
• Effective targeting of specific bird species.
• Large range of custom sounds available.
• Interchangeable sound cards.
• Simple controls and plug in speakers for ease of use.
• More neighbour friendly than gas guns.

Disadvantages:
• Coverage limitations – especially in large areas.
• Sounds need to be changed manually to prevent
habituation.
• Not always effective long term if used on their own.

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 Pyrotechnics
Advantages:
• Effective, great for deterring most bird species.
• Great way to supplement other bird deterrents.
• Portable, fits in a small carry case.
• Safer than shooting.
• No gun licence required (users must be 18 or over).

Disadvantages:
• Noisy, not very neighbour friendly.
• Labour intensive.

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 Predator Kites
Advantages:
• Realistic, these kites fly like a real predator bird – in a light breeze.
• Can fly in winds up to 50 k/h gusts.
• Effective way to add to other bird deterrents, especially sound and
bioacoustic units. Birds will associate the predator sounds on the
unit with the kite, creating a realistic deterrent situation.
• Easy to use and install or move between blocks, as required.
• Range of options and packages complete with telescopic pole and
mounting bracket.

Disadvantages:
• Not very effective long term, when used on their own.
• Can be damaged in high winds (strengthening is possible though).

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 Visual Scares
Advantages:
• Good way to backup and add effect to other deterrents.
• Cost effective and simple to install.

Disadvantages:
• Not effective on their own
• Coverage limitations
• Can be damaged in high winds.

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 Birdzout Auto Lasers
Advantages:
• Highly effective in deterring most bird species.
• Silent - neighbour friendly.
• Can cover large areas from a central point
• Easy to setup and install in most situations.
• Cost effective and reduces labour time.

Disadvantages:
• Safety considerations within NOHD (Nominal Ocular Hazard Distance).
• Cannot not always be relied on as a single deterrent in all situations,
especially where there is high bird pressure.

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 Birdzout Hand-held Lasers
Advantages:
• Highly effective in deterring most bird species.
• Silent - neighbour friendly.
• Can cover large areas from a central point.
• Portable – fits in a small carry case for quick and easy deployment.

Disadvantages:
• Safety considerations within NOHD (Nominal Ocular Hazard
Distance).
• Requires an elevated point to be effective.
• Labour intensive – requires man power.

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 Birdzout Bioacoustics
Advantages:
• Effective targeting of specific bird species.
• Wide range of custom sounds available.
• Unit can hold a large number of sounds. These sounds can change
automatically every few days to prevent bird habituation.
• Simple digital controls with a range of timer and time delay options.
• Easy to install. Plug in speakers for ease of use.
• More neighbour friendly than gas guns.
• Larger coverage area with duplex speakers.
• Ideal for combination with a birdzout auto laser.

Disadvantages:
• Cannot not always be relied on as a single deterrent in all situations,
especially where there is high bird pressure.

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 Accessories
Birdzout accessory range
includes:
• Solar power packages
• Timer options
• Tripods and mounts
• Laser safety glasses

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 Starlings
Key Traits
• Introduced species.
• Prolific breeders.
• Move together, often in large flocks.
• Easier to deter than many other bird species.
• Have high metabolic rate, which means they need to eat regularly for energy.
Harassing them regularly can force them to move on to easier feeding grounds.
• Eat whole grapes, both flesh and juice.
• Can land in any part of the crop so wide area control is important.

Solutions
• Bird Netting – in high bird pressure areas.
• Laser or sound deterrents in low bird pressure areas.
• Combination of laser and sound deterrents in medium to high bird pressure areas.
• Use of visual deterrents to backup other options.

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 Sparrows
Key Traits
• Introduced species.
• Stubborn resilient little birds that quickly adapt
• Used to human presence
• Move together in flocks.
• Mostly grain and seed eating birds, but can cause damage in some vineyards.

Solutions
• Bird netting
• Combination of laser and sound deterrents.
• Predator kites and visual deterrents to back up other options.

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 Silvereyes - Waxeyes
Key Traits
• Possibly native but not endemic.
• Move together, often in large flocks.
• Usually live and feed in the same area – only travel short distances to feed.
• Mostly attack a crop from the edges, so important to protect the edges well
• Have a fear of aerial predators, so often fly low and short distances at a time.
• Peck and suck the juice out of grapes rather than eating the whole berry. This
often leads to rot and disease getting into the fruit.

Solutions
• Bird netting in high bird pressure areas, particularly the outer rows.
• Sound deterrents, focussed near edges or where birds are living.
• Laser deterrents – generally more effective than sound deterrents for silvereyes.
Combine with sound deterrents for use in medium to high bird pressure situations.
• Predator kites to backup other deterrents.
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 Blackbirds & Thrush
Key Traits
• Introduced species.
• Live and move together in pairs or small families.
• Often living / nesting nearby and feeding young (especially in late spring to early
summer.
• Tend to freeze or hide when they get a fright rather than fleeing the area.
• Difficult to deter but cause limited damage due to small numbers.

Solutions
• Bird netting
• Combination of laser and sound deterrents, with focus near areas birds live.
• Visual deterrents to back up other options.

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 Bird Pressure
High Bird Pressure Medium Bird Pressure Low Bird Pressure
• Large numbers of birds. • Small number of birds living in • Few or no birds living in
• Birds living / nesting in or near the the area. the area or areas nearby.
area. • Some trees or areas where • Few or no trees, rivers or
• Number of trees or shelterbelts or birds live or are attracted to. sources attraction for the
other nesting spots. • Birds coming in – in flocks from birds (aside from the fruit).
• Nearby rivers or water sources other areas. • Bird pressure mainly
that increase bird presence. • Bird netting maybe required on comes from occasional
• Bird netting maybe required outer rows. flocks of birds coming
particular on outer rows. • Combination of deterrents to from a distance.
• Multiple deterrent options will cover the main of the crop, • Areas can often be
likely be necessary. particularly areas of higher bird protected with one main
• Important to get deterrents in pressure. deterrent backed up with
place prior to any bird damage. another option.

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 Grape Varieties
Red varieties
• Easier for the birds to see and are often more attractive to the birds.
• May require more protection than white varieties.
• Can have bird damage earlier in the season than white varieties.

White varieties
• More difficult for the birds to see and are often less attractive to the birds.
• Are often easier to protect than red varieties.

Sweet varieties
• Sweet varieties (both red and white) are more attractive to birds and can be
more difficult to protect, especially near to harvest.

• Canopy style, structure and row width can also make a difference on the
best deterrent options to use and the number of deterrents required.

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 The importance of synergy
Synergy
noun
The interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other
agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.

Why this is important in bird control

Multiple bird deterrents work together having an effect on birds that is far greater than
using just one deterrent or another.
Using deterrents that target more than one of the birds senses (sight, hearing, taste
smell) is more effective.
Birds navigate by sight and communicate with sound. Disrupting both (e.g. use of laser
and bioacoustic deterrents together), causes them to feel more threatened than
targeting just their sight or hearing.

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 Example – Laser & Bioacoustic Setup

This setup utilises 2 x

Birdzout BZAL-500 auto
lasers and 2 x 8S Octi
Bioacoustic units to cover
2 blocks of approx. 6
hectares each.

When looking at the best

deterrents for a block,
the size and dimensions
are important as well as
the contour of the land.
Any obstacles like trees
or shelter belts will need
to be considered.
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