Electric shock strips as bird deterrents: does experience count?

Abstract

Understanding how birds detect and react to deterrent methods which are employed to protect structures is important both for the effective control of property damage, and to ensure that human health and safety are not compromised. One such device is a shock strip that causes slight pain to birds when they use a perch. Our aims were to determine: (1) the efficacy of a shock strip to flocks of Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater), and Rock Pigeons (Columba livia); (2) the length of time to extinction of effect; (3) whether members of a flock show a behavioural response to treatment; and (4) whether the birds habituate to the treatment. When activated, shock strips were effective in displacing birds from treated areas. Birds had to experience the treatment; there was no discernible indication of flock members reacting to affected birds. When strips were deactivated after an initial period of activation, birds required more than 2 hours to return to treated areas. No habituation was observed. Because birds had to experience the shock, reduced coverage of a structure or use of sham devices to lower costs is considered inadvisable.

Keywords:

• Brown-headed Cowbird
• Columbidae
• Icterinae
• learned behaviour
• risk
• Rock Pigeon
• shock strip

Acknowledgements

We thank R.M. Puzak, Plum Brook Station, for providing access to the study site. M.L. Conger, D.E. Steyer, and L.A. Tyson provided field assistance. T.L. DeVault, J.A. Schmidt, P.M. Schmidt and B.E. Washburn provided editorial comments. Sponsorship and funds for this research were provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Mention of companies or commercial products does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) over others not mentioned. The USDA neither guarantees nor warrants the standard of any product mentioned. Product names are mentioned solely to report factually on available data and to provide specific information. All of our procedures with birds were approved by the USDA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC), Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee prior to the start of our study (QA-1561). Opinions expressed in these studies do not necessarily reflect current FAA policy decisions governing the control of wildlife on or near airports.