Are you looking at me? Birds can tell if you are watching them - because they are watching you.

Wild Biology ^ | 4/30/08

[xone]

'I have tried shooting them with a BB gun

Use a scoped .22 w/hollowpoints.

[stanz]

I wasn’t aware African Grays were predatory. I thought they ate strictly seeds and fruit.

[Nathan Zachary]

If you are trying to protect a specific type of bird from them, you can try building nesting boxes that keep cowbirds out of their nests.

putting up bluebird nest boxes, with an 1.5 inch entrance hole, will prevent cowbirds from entering to deposit their egg.(they usually have only one) Also removing dead trees and branches where cowbirds like to sit and spy on other nesting birds. If they can't see them, they won't know when to add there eggs to the nest. Cow bird hatches depend on proper timing. the egg hatch a few days earlier than most other birds eggs, so they watch other nesting birds carefully so they know when to add their egg.

[stanz]

Cool photo!

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

But I'd probably blow holes in the deck where the feeders are.

Actually...now that I think about it, that is the right answer. It just the scale that is wrong.

You can buy rounds for a .22 that are loaded with very small pellets. 1 mm in size. Not sure of the choke you get on them....I imagine it would be very tight. But it would certainly increase you chances of a kill while reducing the damage to the environs....and the normal range of a .22 round.

I used some many years ago and they were rather effective when you had a fairly close target and didn't want a stray .22 round heading for G-d knows where. Very dangerous, that.

[JZelle]

Anchor Birdies! Build the wall now! ;)

[LuxMaker]

This article reminds me of a joke about a parrot and a burglar.

A idiotic burglar while invading a home looked at a parrot in a cage named Moses. The parrot then exclaimed, "Jesus is coming! Jesus is coming!" A moment later a 100 pound Rottweiler named Jesus came running out and jumped on the stupid burglar.

[RipSawyer]

Why was the cage named Moses?

[redhead]

"I wasn’t aware African Grays were predatory. I thought they ate strictly seeds and fruit."

I didn't say he was a predator. I said he is a "prey creature." In the wild, he would be preyed upon by just about anything.

[TASMANIANRED]

Starlings ....rats with wings.

[CDHart]

Many thanks to both of you for your suggestions. FReepers know everything - you just have to find the right ones! Thanks again!

Carolyn