Birds

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Prairie State Wildlife receives calls each year from customers suffering from nuisance bird species.  Most calls for service involve of sparrows, starlings and pigeons.
 

Both residential and commercial customers can find all three species to be a small to large nuisance depending on the area involved.  
 

Most calls for service begin in early spring and last throughout summer as the nesting and egg laying season begins.  Customers discover sparrows nesting in cavities throughout the exterior of the home.  Sparrows will nest in gutters, hanging light fixtures and holes made by woodpeckers in cedar siding.  Starlings prefer to nest in cavities and are most often found nesting in oven and bathroom vents leading to the exterior of a residence.
 

Customer complaints regarding pigeons often involve their roosting activities and the droppings being deposited in undesirable areas. 
 

Control of bird damage includes the removal of nesting material, application of a pesticide to control any residual parasites in the nesting area and the sealing of the bird entry point into the residence.
 

Pigeon control is often more complicated and often involves the combination of trapping and habitat manipulation (application of spike strips etc.) to prevent future roosting activities.