Comparative Effectiveness of Avitrol, Exploders, and Hawk-Kites in Reducing Blackbird Damage to Corn

Conover, Michael R.

doi:10.2307/3808458

Cited by 31 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Conventional bird-frightening techniques, such as propane exploders, hawk kites, shooting, reflective ribbons, and the chemical 4-aminopyridine, can all be of assistance in reducing Red-winged Blackbird damage to corn (Dolbeer 1980, Conover 1984. T h e deployment of these devices when the corn is most vulnerable to damage, as discussed above, is critical to their success.…”

Section: Bird Frightening Techniques To Reduce Damagementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Their effectiveness should also be enhanced when used in fields of resistant cultivars. One caveat in the use of frightening techniques is that labour and material costs for their proper deployment are often relatively high, and careful assessment of expected benefits in relation to these costs is needed before deployment (Dolbeer 1981, Conover 1984.…”

Section: Bird Frightening Techniques To Reduce Damagementioning

confidence: 99%

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Ornithology and integrated pest management: Red‐winged BlackbirdsAgelaius phoeniceusand corn

Dolbeer¹

1990

Ibis

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Red‐winged Blackbirds Agelaius phoeniceus, the most abundant bird in North America, annually destroy over 360 000 tonnes of field corn and substantial amounts of sweet corn. This loss, representing <1% of North American corn production, is localized within 8 km of wetlands where Red‐winged Blackbirds roost in late summer. Red‐winged Blackbirds are often initially attracted to corn fields to feed on insect pests during the 2–3 week period between silking and kernel development. An ideal resolution of the conflict between corn farmers and Red‐winged Blackbirds is to couple the birds' beneficial feeding habits in silking‐stage corn with management techniques to reduce subsequent damage to kernels. Once birds switch from feeding on insects to feeding on corn, protective measures to reduce damage are more critical in the early (milk) stages of kernel development than later because the damage potential is much higher at this time. Birds must eat three times more kernels at 20 days after silking than at 40 days in order to receive the same corn biomass. The use of bird‐resistant cultivars of corn, the deployment of frightening devices during the critical damage period, and the provision of alternative feeding sites are important components of an integrated management programme. The goal is to accommodate Red‐winged Blackbirds as a part of the wetland‐agricultural complex in North America.

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Section: Bird Frightening Techniques To Reduce Damagementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Bird Frightening Techniques To Reduce Damagementioning

confidence: 99%

Ornithology and integrated pest management: Red‐winged BlackbirdsAgelaius phoeniceusand corn

Dolbeer¹

1990

Ibis

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“…Hawk-kites were also successful and cost-effective in reducing blackbird damage to field corn (Conover 1984b). The kites were the most successful technique evaluated in reducing bird damage in their immediate vicinity, reducing damage by 83 percent.…”

Section: Modelsmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…Dolbeer (1981) reviewed blackbird damage to corn In five states and Ontario, and In most instances less than I percent of the crop was lost. Conover (1984b) similarly reported that Avitrol was not generally cost effective.…”

Section: Scarecrowsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Fach exploder fully protects 4 ha, but actually benefits a much larger area (Mitchell and Linehan 1967). Conover (1984b) concluded that of the three methods being evaluated for reducing blackbird damage to field corn (Avitrol*, hawk-kites, and exploders), exploders were the most cost-effective, and they reduced damage by 72 percent. They required little labor, and a single exploder was sufficient to protect an area exceeding 100 m. See the following section on pyrotechnics for the problems and hazards associated with using explosive noises to disperse birds.…”

Section: Acousticsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Birds in Human Modified Environments and Bird Damage Control: Social, Economic, and Health Implications

Krzysik¹

1989

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Avian Repellants

Avery¹

2002

Encyclopedia of Agrochemicals

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Although there are numerous potential applications for avian repellants, such compounds are not the answer to every crop damage situation. Understanding the specifics of bird‐crop interaction is essential to successful use of chemical bird repellants. However, even the most successful repellant will not eliminate bird damage. The only way to accomplish this is to employ netting or some other means of exclusion. Repellants are tools or methods that are best viewed as components of integrated management plans, rather than as solutions by themselves.

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Comparative Effectiveness of Avitrol, Exploders, and Hawk-Kites in Reducing Blackbird Damage to Corn

Cited by 31 publications

References 6 publications

Ornithology and integrated pest management: Red‐winged BlackbirdsAgelaius phoeniceusand corn

Ornithology and integrated pest management: Red‐winged BlackbirdsAgelaius phoeniceusand corn

Birds in Human Modified Environments and Bird Damage Control: Social, Economic, and Health Implications

Avian Repellants

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