Sparrows have moved in at your house or on the balcony and you want to drive away the chirping animals? Be careful, you have to pay attention to a few things! Because sparrows are under protection. Find out below why there are reasons to put up with the flying guests and how you can ensure that the birds look for another nesting place in an animal-friendly manner.

If you have a sparrow's nest at home, you don't have to react immediately in panic

Table of Contents

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  1. The future of sparrows
  2. Caution: animal welfare!
  3. When and how can sparrows be driven away?
  4. keep sparrows away
  5. Measures against sparrows not recommended
  6. Help sparrows instead of driving them away: provide food
  7. frequently asked Questions

    8. Short:

    • Sparrows and their nesting sites are protected and under no circumstances should they be driven away once they have established themselves.
    • The sparrow population has dropped by over 50%. Sparrows should therefore be offered a nesting place.
    • Measures must not be taken during the breeding season from March to August.
    • Fake birds, bird calls, spirals or CDs are ways to keep sparrows away without harming them.

    The future of sparrows

    You may have noticed it yourself, but the house sparrow, in Latin Passer domesticus, is becoming increasingly rare. Thousands of sparrows once lived in German gardens; in the last few decades, the population has at least halved in many places. In Germany it is therefore on the Early warning list for the Red List. The decline is not limited to Germany; House sparrow populations are declining around the world. In Great Britain it is already on the Red List.
    The reasons for the decline can be summarized quickly:

    • high building density
    • increasingly perfect roofs without loose tiles (popular nesting place) and plastered facades without niches (also popular nesting place)
    • Food shortages due to insect decline
    • unnatural environment with fewer and fewer native plants
    • Feeding garbage to young birds

    In 2010, March 20 was declared World Sparrow Day to draw attention to the worrying decline in sparrow numbers.

    Caution: animal welfare!

    Sparrows and their nests and brood are under protection

    Sparrows, like all other wild animals, are protected. This means that they must not be injured or even killed under any circumstances. But not only that: their nesting sites are also protected. Sparrows are brood-loyal birds and return to the same breeding grounds every year. Destroying them is strictly prohibited! It is also forbidden to scare the birds away during the breeding season. Violations can result in hefty fines. Accordingly, it is also forbidden to set up dummies, ultrasonic devices or other repellent methods during the breeding season.

    (1) It is forbidden to 1. pursue wild animals of specially protected species, catch, injure or kill them or remove, damage or destroy their developmental forms from nature (Act on Nature Conservation and Landscape Conservation (Federal Nature Conservation Act - BNatSchG) § 44 regulations for specially protected and certain other animal and plant species)

    digression

    Sparrows as vermin exterminators

    If you call a vegetable garden your own, you should be happy about the presence of sparrows in the house: Sparrows like to feed their offspring vermin such as lice, flies, mosquitoes and caterpillars, which are rich in proteins. So you're lucky if a pair of sparrows settle in with you.

    When and how can sparrows be driven away?

    You should no longer drive away sparrows that have already settled in your home and started building their nests. Anyone who destroys a breeding ground for sparrows can expect a fine of up to 50,000 euros. The fines depend on the state. You can therefore only prevent sparrows from nesting in your home outside of the breeding season. Sparrows breed several times a year from March to August. Therefore, it makes sense to take preventive measures in late winter. Of course, it would be even nicer if you could bring yourself to give sparrows a home.

    digression

    “Spice up” nest sites

    The sparrows nest on the facade, damage it and make dirt? Then simply redesign the area to be sparrow-friendly and to protect the facade: put a sufficiently large board against the wall with an advance. This protects the facade, gives the sparrows even more space to build their nests and prevents their excrement from soiling the house wall and the floor below.

    keep sparrows away

    Outside the breeding season and before the birds have settled in you, it is legitimate to gently convince sparrows that this is not a good nesting site.
    There are different methods for this:

    • bird dummies
    • CDs
    • spirals
    • bird voices

    Bird dummy against sparrows

    Mock ravens keep sparrows, pigeons and other birds away

    If the space is occupied by an enemy, the little sparrows quickly run away. However, due to the lack of nesting space, they are motivated to take a close look and possibly take on smaller rivals. Therefore, the dummy should look as real as possible and represent a bird of prey. Archenemies of sparrows are ravens. Therefore, dummy ravens achieve a good effect. But also falcons, owls, sparrowhawks and magpies cause sparrows to flee. work particularly well dummies moving in the wind, So be hung up or have movable parts that move when there is a draft. It also makes sense to move the dummy slightly every few days to prevent a habituation effect.

    tips

    You can find more ideas for creative and functional scarecrows for the balcony here.

    Drive away sparrows with CDs

    The reflective surface of the CDs deters the sparrows. Hang the CDs in the exact spot you want the sparrows to avoid and make sure the CDs are free to move and spin. A windy location where the CDs are regularly moved is best.

    tips

    If you are artistically talented, you can also make a beautiful wind chime from the CDs: paint the blanks colorfully and you already have a work of art hanging in front of your window or on the balcony.

    Spirals against sparrows

    Bird deterrent coils are mostly made of stainless steel and are commonly used for gutters. Sparrows see the obstacle when approaching and turn away. If the birds try to land, the wire bends so the bird is not injured. The movement, however, puts him to flight. Alternatively, you can simply close the gutter with a cover. If the defense spirals are not installed correctly, the animals may be injured. Therefore, make sure you install it correctly or use other defense methods.

    bird voices

    Where someone already lives, there is no more room for sparrows. Especially when birds of prey such as buzzards, ravens or falcons are singing, the sparrows prefer to flee. However, sparrows are not stupid and - as already mentioned - desperate in their search for an apartment. Therefore, they can often not be kept away permanently with this measure. It is therefore advisable to combine this acoustic method with a visual one: if the birds see and hear their enemies, they are more likely to be convinced that this is not a good place to breed.

    Measures against sparrows not recommended

    You can get a variety of equipment and ideas on how to drive away sparrows in stores and online. Unfortunately, you can also find them among them Measures that can harm sparrows and other animals. Here is an overview of the methods to stay away from:

    method damage alternative
    spikes Can seriously injure sparrows and other birds spirals
    ultrasonic devices Not only disturbs sparrows but also other animals such as bats or even pets bird calls or wind chimes
    bird nets Birds can get caught in it and die in agony CDs or moving dummy birds

    digression

    Offer sparrows alternative places

    Sparrows need breeding grounds - help them!

    Would you like to support the sparrows in their search for a home, but prevent them from breeding in certain places? Buy nest boxes for the sparrows and place them where the sparrows won't bother you! These nesting sites are particularly popular with sparrows:
    • Niches and crevices in buildings
    • roof tiles
    • Caves, also tree cavities
    • Nest boxes with a large entrance hole
    • Rare trees and bushes

    So if you want to offer the sparrow an alternative place, hang nesting boxes suitable for sparrows on trees and house walls. Pay attention to the correct orientation so that the sparrows also accept the boxes.

    Help sparrows instead of driving them away: provide food

    Just a few years ago, year-round feeding was discouraged because the birds found enough to eat themselves and should not be made dependent on humans. Sadly, however, the Year-round feeding recommended. The natural food supply is no longer sufficient to feed sparrows and other birds, especially during the breeding season. With a bird feeder, ensure that sparrows and other birds can get a wholesome diet all year round. Sparrows like to eat:

    • peanuts
    • sunflower seeds
    • Oat, wheat and barley grains
    • seeds of grasses and herbs
    • walnuts


    Adult sparrows are vegetarian, while sparrow babies are carnivores.

    frequently asked Questions

    What don't sparrows like?

    Sparrows want to breed calmly and safely. Therefore, they do not feel comfortable in places where there is a lot of movement or where enemies live. Hanging CDs, wind chimes or moving dummy birds keep sparrows away.

    How do I get rid of sparrows under roof tiles?

    Sparrows like to nest under roof tiles

    If the sparrows are already breeding under your roof tiles, you have to wait until the offspring have hatched. To be on the safe side, you should wait until the end of August. Then you can hang up CDs or dummy birds or simply close the niche.

    Which bird drives away sparrows?

    Birds of prey such as buzzards, hawks, owls or crows eat sparrows and are therefore enemies of the lively birds. To keep sparrows away, you can choose a dummy of these bird species and additionally record bird calls of these birds.

Category:

Animals in the garden