Cockatoos are eating my new decking! - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 16, 2016, 07:56:51 am
content: Those bastards! Anyone have any ideas on how to stop Cockatoos eating my brand new merbau deck, that doesn't involve a projectile?Is there something I can spray that they absolutely hate? It seems they don't appreciate the taste of the stain/lacquer but it takes them a few bites to realise it. These birds are absolutely huge! As big as cats, I'll snap a photo if I can catch them next time.

author: MK14
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2016, 08:01:37 am
content: Build (repurpose) THIS electronics project, to solve the problem.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 16, 2016, 08:04:36 am
content: "Ranga piss bucket"I just lost it after that. Literally laughed out loud throughout! Thanks for posting.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 16, 2016, 08:34:18 am
content: Alright, I just had to post this, in response to MK14's post...I cannot stop smiling! You have made my day sir!

author: Muttley Snickers
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 16, 2016, 09:02:30 am
content: Head down to Bunnings and pick up two of their fake plastic hawk/ eagle looking things and whilst there grab two sample pots of paint, one black and one white, and a red marker for the eyes.Make a couple of beaks out of cardboard and stick them on the birds, paint them in magpie colours then plonk one either end of the decking up on the hand rails, all parrots are shit scared of magpies but they soon learn to ingore those plastic hawk/ eagle/ owl dummy thingo's.Guaranteed or your money back.**(dependent upon the paint job, and the beaks, read the invisible ink for full terms and conditions)

author: peter.mitchell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2016, 10:13:15 am
content: I came across those videos a year or two back, they're excellently hilarious.But yes, plastic snakes and fake magpies are 10/10 solution.

author: GK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2016, 01:20:05 pm
content: Just sprinkle a few kg of almonds around the deck. They'll eat those instead.

author: MrSlack
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2016, 02:29:17 pm
content: Then they'll tell all their mates: "hey skwarky, I know this dude who puts nuts out for us". Next thing you know you're going to be knee deep in bird crap.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 16, 2016, 02:47:29 pm
content: Quote from: MrSlack on March 16, 2016, 02:29:17 pmYeah - After the almonds, they'll have eaten his deck and he'll just be standing on the ground where their droppings have accumulated.

author: AlxDroidDev
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2016, 02:56:45 pm
content: Just a fun fact: cockatoos in Brazil are considered an exotic species and some  people have them as pet birds. Their prices can reach up to US$ 25,000 per bird. All birds have to be from authorized sources.My suggestion to get rid of them is to spray pepper (diluted witgh water) on the wood. Most birds (most animals, actually) usually hate the taste of pepper. Try different peppers (the hotter the better) and different concentrations.

author: hayatepilot
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2016, 03:32:54 pm
content: Quote from: AlxDroidDev on March 16, 2016, 02:56:45 pmThat won't work! Birds are actually immune to capsaicin (the chemical that makes chilis hot). To birds spray pepper isn't hot. This is advantageous for the chili plant as their seeds pass through birds unharmed in contrary to mamals.Humans are the only mamals crazy enough to eat chilis.More on wiki:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsaicin#Natural_functionAnd you couldn't walk on the deck with bare feet as it would irritate any bare skin. This feels like a sunburn.

author: MrSlack
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2016, 03:34:51 pm
content: Yep definitely immune. The buggers ate the three chilli's I grew a couple of years back.Apparently piperine does nothing as well.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2016, 04:54:37 pm
content: Richards cockatoo loves chillies, eating them green or red, even like the devil chillies. What does work is unfortunately not something you will like either, but a nice coat with creosote or Jeyes fluid does keep them away.If you want to stop them sitting on the rails simply put a thin layer of vaseline on the wood, the slippery feeling keeps them away. Works for the flying rats as well, stopped them entirely from roosting on the piping I put this on. Next time I will be painting window ledges, after somebody does a thorough cleaning, probably using a high pressure cleaner from above to remove the inches of poop.

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2016, 11:11:32 pm
content: Quote from: Muttley Snickers on March 16, 2016, 09:02:30 amThat might work for a short length of time, until they realise it's not real and ignore it.

author: XOIIO
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2016, 12:21:18 am
content: Talk about a unique problem, Have any pictures of the damage? I'm curious what they can actually do lol.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 17, 2016, 02:57:19 am
content: Quote from: XOIIO on March 17, 2016, 12:21:18 amThere have been in the news before. They can be incredibly destructive. I can recall someone losing some timber siding off their home a few years back. Looked like half a dozen people went crazy slashing the side of the house with chainsaws.

author: jh15
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2016, 03:10:45 am
content: Put the fake magpies on a moving device, servo, turntable, clockwork timed or whatever. Maybe balanced carefully on a bile for wind to move them.

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2016, 07:53:59 am
content: We have a device at work that plays random carnivorous bird sounds throughout the day. The loudspeakers are mounted in places where birds tend to roost. That means fewer birds dropping bombs on products waiting to be picked up for customer delivery.

author: GK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2016, 08:28:19 am
content: The suggestions above are pretty stupid. All you have to do is mail order one of these.http://scareguns.com.au/shop/I honestly don't know what the problem is. You could even roll your own automated firing timer and post it here as an electronics project.

author: Muttley Snickers
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 17, 2016, 08:44:42 am
content: I can vouch for the scareguns, we have one up at the farm and so do all of the neighbouring properties, some days it's like the middle of a battlefield particularly this time of year when the cockatoos, corellas and galahs are all out on a search and destroy mission, certainly not suitable for a residential area unless you enjoy the SOG/ TOG knocking in your door.

author: GK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2016, 08:49:43 am
content: And you wouldn't even need to buy the gas bottle. Just get a $5 T-piece and plumb the scaregun to your barbecues bottle.

author: Moshly
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2016, 09:01:00 am
content: I have heard that cockatoos are a major problem with antenna installations, apparently they destroy the coax / feed lines. The fix was to add grit / sand into the outer jacket plastic. So maybe you need to render the deckotherwise, maybe try this NZ product ->

author: Mechanical Menace
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2016, 09:04:03 am
content: How about a cat? My garden is pleasantly quiet at dawn due to my furry feline fiend

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 17, 2016, 09:09:20 am
content: Quote from: Mechanical Menace on March 17, 2016, 09:04:03 amNO!

author: Mechanical Menace
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2016, 09:16:50 am
content: Quote from: Halcyon on March 17, 2016, 09:09:20 amJust out of interest personal dislike of them, local laws/culture prohibitive of them, something else, some mixture of the preceding?

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 17, 2016, 09:29:07 am
content: Quote from: Mechanical Menace on March 17, 2016, 09:16:50 amPersonally don't like them. Every cat I've met wants attention whentheirready to receive it, they pee on things (and they're good at being discreet about it), fur everywhere and those sharp claws when they stretch out on your lap...I'm a dog person. I have two standard Poodles and they are the most affectionate, friendly and the closest thing to humans a pet can be. They don't leave fur anywhere and people with allergies can literally bury their face in them and not have a reaction.That said, I back onto bush land and don't have a fence yet so I can't just let them outside to take care of the cockatoo problem. We've had a few red-bellied black snakes around the last few weeks and chances are the dogs will want to play.

author: AntiProtonBoy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2016, 09:34:49 am
content: Cats go batshit because they are not de-sexed and owners are being irresponsible.

author: Mechanical Menace
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2016, 10:19:37 am
content: Quote from: AntiProtonBoy on March 17, 2016, 09:34:49 amTotally agree. The only problem I've had out of what Halcyon mentioned was the fur. But TBH I'm also a dog person and Halcyon's chosen breed have a reputation of being bad with other breeds of dogs, cats, and people who aren't "their family" and I've never had that problem either.Bad/inexperienced owners (and in the case of some dogs unscrupulous breeders) are the cause of a lot of animals bad reputations. A lot of the time not due to malicious actions but just because they treat them like people instead of dogs or cats

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 17, 2016, 10:35:22 am
content: Quote from: Mechanical Menace on March 17, 2016, 10:19:37 amSpot on. We have a huge off-leash dog park near here where the locals gather with their dogs. On weekends there can be anywhere up to 15-20 dogs running around chasing each other and chewing on sticks. We've let the Poodles go wild and they love it. Really sociable and never a problem. That being said, we socialised them from a young age with both people and other dogs.I've seen some bad example of Poodles too that haven't had that exposure and they are difficult to handle. They are a smart breed, sometimes too smart and they need discipline and respect rank.

author: Monittosan
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2016, 11:15:10 am
content: Maine Coons are really awesome cats thay are as loyal as a dog! They are also the size of a small dog

author: mikerj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2016, 11:49:39 am
content: Quote from: Monittosan on March 17, 2016, 11:15:10 amThey are awesome beastsI've had a few cats and our current Main Coon is the most un-cat-like of all them, he's more like a dog. They are very friendly and love being around people, he listens out for my car every evening and is ready to greet me by the door.

author: XOIIO
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2016, 04:16:57 pm
content: Quote from: Moshly on March 17, 2016, 09:01:00 amAh god I forgot about that one.

author: Rick Law
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 25, 2016, 12:05:44 am
content: The video is funny, but I have mixed feelings. I love cats.I too have a motion sensor deploy to detect cats but for entirely different reasons.Some years back, during my daily walk and about half a mile from my house, I noticed the same black cat resting by a particular storm drain everyday. I stopped to say hello whenever I walked by. At one time, the neighbor noticed I was talking to the cat and she told me "one day, they moved (pointing at a door), and they left the cat behind." So, every day, I talk to that cat whenever I see him.A year or so later, after a very cold week, I saw the same black cat looking for something to eat near my house. Since then, I have put cat food outside. This black cat is not my only customer. One cat probably 3 years old now was lost as a kitten, she appears to depend on me.After a particular snow storm, I wanted to know if the cats are okay. Rather than something elebrate, I made something quick and dirty to photo whoever comes for dinner; with just the things I have laying around: I have a laptop with a USB-cam taking timelaspe photo. The laptop is connected to an Ardunio with a PIR. If the PIR is un-triggered, the laptop gets rid of the photos taken. If PIR is triggered, it moves the photo to a "for-review folder". The Arduino also beeps an alarm and turns on the light for the camera.I know all my four cats survived the last winter. Oh, the original black cat that started all this: it ends very well for him. Last few times he was photographed, he was wearing a collar - that means someone adopted him. Now that he has a home, he is not around as much but he still drops by to see what I was serving for dinner.

author: MK14
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 25, 2016, 12:37:02 am
content: Quote from: Rick Law on March 25, 2016, 12:05:44 amYou should have added image recognition and a (normally closed) motorized lid opening food container.Program it with images of your favourite cat(s), then just leave it to automatically feed the right one(s).

author: Rick Law
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 25, 2016, 01:00:37 am
content: Quote from: MK14 on March 25, 2016, 12:37:02 amYeah, I thought about doing something more elborate but just doesn't get around to it. All I want to know is that the cats makes it through a hard winter. My simple solution does the job. Too many faults positive but does the job adequately well.

author: Rick Law
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 25, 2016, 01:08:34 am
content: Quote from: Rick Law on March 25, 2016, 12:05:44 amI just want to clarify some. I am not implying there is anything wrong with spraying cats with water. In fact, I too used water to discipline my own cat. That was not my "mixed feelings".I was reminded of my first cat: killed by the hands of my neightbor. The cat was around 12 years old. Too old to run away fast enough away from danger. It was not mere guessing. I saw him tried the same on my second cat. Having observed what he was attempting, I then I realized how come my first cat died in such strange situation. My second cat never left the house again until after I moved.That was a long time ago. My second cat died of cancer in old age. While it was a long time ago, but I can still picture that night when I caught him in the act.

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 25, 2016, 04:24:27 am
content: I had a friend several years ago who had a salmon crested cockatiel named Sophie. She was really smart, really affectionate, and spoke things which made sense in context. I house-sat for her a few times and Sophie was so much fun that since then I have always thought it would be fun to have one.Much more fun than cats.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 25, 2016, 05:09:26 am
content: Quote from: cdev on March 25, 2016, 04:24:27 amSome birds (specially your parrots etc...) are bloody smart. Sometimes too smart. Just got to watch what you say around them if you don't want it repeated ;-)Quote from: cdev on March 25, 2016, 04:24:27 amAlso true.

author: Mechanical Menace
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 25, 2016, 05:24:29 am
content: Quote from: Halcyon on March 25, 2016, 05:09:26 amActually parrots aren't that smart with the exception of a couple of highly trained individuals. They're not even natural mimics, that takes training too. Your corvids on the other hand would give some people a run for their money. They don't only make and use tools without training, they use multiple tools to solve some problems.EDIT: Autocorrect changed corvids to cormorants. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 25, 2016, 07:39:40 am
content: Crows, along with starlings, are pretty smart birds. Indian Mynahs as well are pretty smart, you do not see many young ones as road kill, though you see many other birds as that. All 3 are declared pests here, along with ring neck parrots. All 3 regularly come visit the garden though, though the crows have learned to go to the local KFC and scrounge through the garbage bins for food. They also live at Bisasar road dumpsite where they, along with the Sacred Ibis, have a good feed off garbage, with the hawks keeping patrol for the rats and unsuspecting pigeons.

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 25, 2016, 09:45:39 am
content: Have you considered eating the cockatoos?You have bait (your decking), all you need is some kind of trap, like a net.

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 26, 2016, 04:37:49 am
content: Good thing you're not a Kiwi, otherwise the cockatoos would be eating your d*ck!

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 26, 2016, 05:27:50 am
content: Quote from: Stonent on March 26, 2016, 04:37:49 amNot around my place they won't, not unless they like eating high velocity lead.

author: sleemanj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 26, 2016, 10:15:57 am
content: Quote from: Mechanical Menace on March 25, 2016, 05:24:29 amThe Kea would like a word with you. He'd also quite like to dismantle your car, but anyway.https://youtu.be/oAhzmULgoqI?t=5m57s

author: Mechanical Menace
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 26, 2016, 10:31:37 am
content: Quote from: sleemanj on March 26, 2016, 10:15:57 amIn my defence I'll say I've never had any experience but with Keas. In general what I said holds true and I'll admit that makes the Kea even more impressive in some ways. This comparison is even more impressive seeing as they aren't natural tool users where crows are:https://youtu.be/uLjZS-cWzmkThanks for the introduction to a fascinating animal.

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2016, 08:21:38 am
content: Quote from: tautech on March 26, 2016, 05:27:50 amAh, NZ'ers are still a free people, I see.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2016, 08:23:42 am
content: Quote from: Stonent on March 27, 2016, 08:21:38 am

author: Mechanical Menace
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2016, 08:38:52 am
content: Quote from: Stonent on March 27, 2016, 08:21:38 amGun owner myself but I've got to say I don't see how owning one makes me free and not owning one would mean I'm not

author: CatalinaWOW
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2016, 04:11:45 pm
content: Quote from: Mechanical Menace on March 27, 2016, 08:38:52 amThe difference does not lie in ownership. It lies in the ability to decide to own. That decision is gone in many countries.

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 15, 2020, 07:24:36 pm
content: I used to have a friend who used to have me take care of her apartment, to feed and check up on Sophie, her salmon crested cockatiel when she was out of town. She was a really smart and special bird. Almost human. She always would be curious about what I was doing and she was very playful. I suppose I can imagine sort of what its like to have intelligent birds around (because we have crows, corvids) but parrots are so gregarious and smart.What I would do is try to mimic animals that are scary for them. Fake snakes might help. Also smells from other predatory animals. Some animals dont like human smell so a bag of hair clippings and sprinkling the hair clippings around keeps them away. Another thing that might help is a PIR set to be sensitive enough to trigger on parrots (their body temperature is as high or even higher than ours is) connected to trigger a xenon flash tube.Quote from: Halcyon on March 16, 2016, 07:56:51 am

author: Gregg
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 15, 2020, 07:38:38 pm
content: Green laser pointer with a pattern lens works well on ducks and geese after sunset when they tend to settle on my boat dock. I don't know if it would work in daylight but would be inexpensive to find out.

author: themadhippy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 15, 2020, 07:43:03 pm
content: Knew a girl who hated corvids,but liked a Cockatoo.

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2020, 02:38:36 am
content: Back in the day, white cockatoos would appear in thousands in the tropical North of Western Australia, & sit on the Boab trees,(the trees are the same species as the African Baobab,) making them look like they were in flower.That was harmless, but their favourite "party trick" was to cluster in huge groups on the pole route (phonelandline) South of Wyndham WA.They would swing back forth, until they managed to entangle the wires.This would cause feedback on the carrier telephone system.The incoming & outgoing channels were on separate frequencies, but get enough coupling & it would overwhelm the filtering, so the whole system would go into oscillation.This always happened just when atmospheric conditions were at their worst for the backup HF Radio system.Back in the present, my major problem is Ibises stomping around on my roof.I'm too old to climb up on the roof & yell at them, throw stuff, or shoot at them (even if that was legal, I'd probably miss the Ibis & pot a TV antenna installer in the next street).

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2020, 02:44:09 am
content: Quote from: Brumby on March 17, 2016, 02:57:19 amhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sulphur-crested_Cockatoos_damaging_a_shopping_centre_facade_4.jpg

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2020, 02:03:57 pm
content: What is in that stuff - why do they eat it?Quote from: amyk on July 16, 2020, 02:44:09 am

author: Cyberdragon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2020, 06:09:34 pm
content: Quote from: cdev on July 16, 2020, 02:03:57 pmParrots like to chew on stuff (like dogs), not sure why but when you have them as pets you have to give them chew toys (usually wood is what I've seen, one Youtuber even had a whole untreated wood plank under the desk for the bird and you could hear CRUNCH CRUNCH CRUCNCH) or they'll start nomming on stuff.

author: dbctronic
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 17, 2020, 01:06:02 am
content: I was a self employed handyman for years. One day, I went to a customer's house to set up a work list. Among the items was a chair arm clawed up by their gray cockatoo. The customer left me to pick up a phone call, leaving me to inspect the chair with the cockatoo watching nearby, raising and lowering its crest (sign of nervousness)."Whatcha lookin' at?" it said.Without looking up, I calmly said "I'm looking at what you did"."Uh oh," it said, and turned its back on me. The owner told me that it was worried I would scold it, which it hated.You will find it difficult indeed to fool these birds for long, with any ruse. Animal behaviorists rate them about as intelligent as five year old children. Make the deck undesirable to them (creosote?? Yeesh!!!) or offer a dire threat of some kind (fireworks, flying lead, pet hawk, Mr. Creosote).

author: jogri
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 17, 2020, 08:49:11 am
content: I've had some success using bile soap against magpies that just wouldn't stop eating window seals

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 20, 2020, 10:39:48 pm
content: Somebody on Youtube shows off a vending machine for crows where if they put (real) money in the slot they get a bunch of peanuts. And then he shows them using it. They figured it out pretty quickly.This actually seems kind of scary to me.

author: jh15
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2020, 03:33:07 am
content: hmnn, would be interesting to see if they could put quarters in my pinballs, and instead of the knocker for a free game, some food.Oh never mind. "No prizes, no wagering" is on my machines.

author: dbctronic
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2020, 06:29:03 pm
content: Crows are also super smart. In a recent experiment, researchers got wild crows to come to them to trade seeds from the area for tasty bread crumbs. On an appointed day, one researcher took the seed from the crow, then ate the bread crumb as well. The crow cussed her out and left. Within a few days, none of the crows would trade with her. Somehow the crows, at a distance from the trading area, were able to talk about the event and identify her specifically.Out here in the countryside, where I live, crows understand guns very well. Because they're a threat, not a ruse.

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2020, 07:05:34 pm
content: This story is so cool. This girl has been feeding crows and they give her "art objects" in return.The objects they see as special do to me really do seem kind of special.https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-31604026Imagine a warrld where different species looked out for one another.