Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Wildlife Management Birds

Can anybody tell me what type of bird makes a nest like this. They're a small bird like a martin but they sure make a mess of the dock. This is just one of the nests under the cover of the dock. All of the eves and anywhere else is just lined with nests. Also, how do I get rid of them?
Pavillion

Nests

cliff swallow, me thinks

ps; absolutely love the dock/pavillion...v nice

That is one of the nicest if not nicest dock/pavilion combinations I have seen on here!

Thanks guys! The guy I bought the place from had just had it built. We love it. Now if I could keep those birds from trashing it.

I think they're barn swallows.

Maybe next year offer them a better place to build. You should be able to find a web site with instructions for building small, simple shelters that will attract them and how to repel them.

If you keep tearing the best down they won't come back.. I had them on my front and back porch after I tear down te nest they stay away for a couple years

Also they can be very itimidating swooping down and flying at you at high speeds they won't touch you though

First off, love the Pavilion.

We get a bird in California that builds similar nests that is called a Gnat Catcher. An area of San Diego that I lived in years ago was plagued with them.

The only real way to control them was to destroy any nest as soon as the bird began building them.

I took a piece of PVC pipe about 4 feet long, put a fitting on one end that would attach to a hose and a fitting on the other end to which I could attach hose nozzles. I bought a hose nozzle that created a powerful stream. I'd hook my PVC rig to the hose an put the nozzle right near the nest and blast it down.

That was the only solution that seemed to work with any consistency.

Thanks guys, that's what I figured. I've been knocking the nests down for a couple of years now but they keep coming back. I just hate to keep doing it. I know they have to have a benefit of some sort other than my PITA!

I'm no expert, but every barn swallow nest I've ever seen has always been attached to the side of something with the opening at the top. Least that's what I've seen.

That picture is on the inside of the roof at the peak.

Exactly.....never seen a barn swallow nest from a roof.

Barn swallows don't make that cone shaped entrance either. Their nest is open like a robin nest.

They are pretty small birds. They skim the water picking up the water to make the mud nest. My pond is about 1 1/2 acre and I'll bet that 200 birds are nesting there. I'll keep nocking down the nests and washing off the surface like JHAP was doing and see what happens.

After reading this the other day I figured I'd check to see if mine were back.. And of course they are..

They make a product that comes in caulk tubes called birds away or something that we use on high-rise buildings for pidgeons but I don't think you want that smeared on your ceiling..

Barn swallows will make a cone entrance on a bottom/top mounted nest compared to a side wall mounted nest..

I use one of these on my gazebo and it seems to keep them away now. You might need a couple. The birds I had built similar nests out of mud but that were not totally enclosed....looked like a regular birds nest but just made out of mud.

http://www.birdbusters.com/bird_flight_diverter.html

Might try some old cd disks.