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What Types of Birds Nest in Your Roof?

Posted on September 12, 2017
By Aussie Gutter Protection
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    Bird Nesting Season is Coming…

    Gutters are hard enough to keep clean as it is, all the fallen leaves and debris quickly clog gutters and can cause damage to the surrounding infrastructure. When bird nesting season comes along, matters are only made worse and your gutters are prone to extensive damage from a range of birds who see them as a great place to make a home. The three most common troublesome birds for gutters are pigeons, sparrows and starlings. You’ll most likely to find one of these birds making a haven out of your roof and gutters.

    Pigeons

    Pigeons are widely known as one of the most annoying birds and are a big burden on a range of homes and buildings. They are often found nesting along ledges on buildings, the underside of bridges, signage, air conditioning units and commonly roofs and gutters. Pigeons are easily identifiable; they are approximately 30cm long and vary in a range of shades from white to black. Many have a dark grey head, a light grey back and wings with two dark bands. The body is often round and chunky, with short legs, a short neck and a small head. Pigeons create their nests very loosely with a range of sticks, stems, leaves and other debris. Unlike other birds, pigeons prefer smooth, flat surfaces for nesting which is why they are a particular nuisance to roofs and the surrounding gutters. The debris from their nesting often gets caught in the gutters of residential and commercial buildings, easily causing a blockage which can cause extensive damage to the roof and gutters.

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    Sparrows

    Sparrows are another type of bird that are commonly found nesting on roofs and surrounding gutters. Sparrows are prolific throughout both rural and urban settings and can have a sizeable impact on infrastructure. Aggressive in nature, sparrows compete with native birds for nesting areas and food. They can also be a problem indoors as they are small and well known to enter buildings through several different avenues. Sparrows are relatively small, approximately 15cm long and their colouring varies depending on their gender. Females and young sparrows are light brown, with a white breast, whilst the males have a black patch under the beak, on each cheek ad on the rump. Sparrows prefer to build their nests in protected man-made infrastructure, such as building ledges, signage and guttering. Because of their small size, they can comfortably create a nest in gutters and roof cavities from straw, grass and feathers, which can cause extensive damage to your home if not quickly cleared.

    Common Starling

    Starlings are widely known as one of the world’s most invasive species and have had a hugely detrimental effect on Australia’s native bird populations since the late 1800’s. They seek out nesting areas in roof and ceiling cavities and can cause significant damage and mess to surrounding areas. Starlings can be identified by their metallic green, black and purple feathers and are approximately 20cm in length. Starlings are a highly adaptable bird and can live in a range of different habitats, both rural and urban settings. They are hugely aggressive when it comes to nesting and will take over and defence the hollow species they find for nesting, even if it means displacing less aggressive birds.

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    Common Myna’s

    They were originally introduced into Australia to control insects however it led to a disastrous change in native bird populations. Due to their aggressive behaviour, they chase out native birds and small marsupials that reside in trees such as the feather-tailed glider. Common Myna’s or Indian Myna’s are an introduced species to Australia that feed on almost anything. They are true scavengers that eat insects, vegetables, fruit, scraps, pet food and even baby sparrows. They are regarded as one of Australia’s most feral enemies due to their threat to native birds. They also pose many potential health risks to humans due to factors such as bird mites and faeces dust.

    Interestingly, they thrive wherever humans live and their numbers are ever increasing around waste disposals, commercial buildings, schools and homes. They are a familiar sight along Australia’s east coast from Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and increasingly further north. Myna’s often nest in house roofs, which causes damage, audible disturbances and significant health risks.

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    Health Risks Associated with Nesting Birds

    Aside from the annoying noise, these birds make while nesting in your home, these pesky birds carry over 60 diseases that can harm your family. While professional pest control services can temporarily rid your home of pests, this will not prevent birds raiding your home long term.

    These are often carried in their bird dropping and can contain worms and salmonella. Both of which can cause long term serious health issues.

    We want you to help you have peace of mind and stop you having to remove bird nest from your gutters if you’re looking for some DIY ways to try and keep the birds away check our this blog post we wrote here.

    An effective way to prevent these types of birds from getting into your gutters and ceiling cavities is by investing in gutter guards and bird proofing solutions. From gutter guards to bird spikes, Aussie Gutter Protection has your house covered.

    Speak to us about bird proofing your home.

    How To Stop Birds Nesting In Your Roof

    Birds inside your roof can be a major problem for both your health and your peace of mind. The only way to truly prevent birds from nesting in your roof is by forming a physical barrier so they cannot enter the roof. This is normally best done by using a mesh as it can seal the area between you guttering and your roof to deter birds from entering.

    This will be a long term solution to your bird infestation and prevent them from re-entering your roof cavity once they have been removed by a trained professional 

    Learn more about Bird Proofing

    Professionally installed bird proofing is all it takes to keep these problems from affecting your home or business. This small investment will save you a lot of money and save you the constant work of cleaning and maintaining your roof and gutters.

    Get yours today by contacting Aussie Gutter Protection, the specialists in gutter guard products for Australian conditions.

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