How to get Sparrows out of Tree Swallows House

[Zip-in-Z]

Other than using a gun (live in town) with lots of neighbors, to keep the Male Sparrow from tormenting the Tree Swallows.

The Swallows were in the process of nesting, the Sparrow was inside their house this morning at 6:30 am, my sling shot hasn't deterred him.

Any tricks?

D.

[urban rednek]

The sparrow will never stop harassing the swallows, while it is alive. It will kill the swallows and their young.

[Zip-in-Z]

I gathered that, seen something on Y-Tube the Sparrows would kill the swallows young and then build their nest on top of them.

This Sparrow needs to die before he kills the Swallows or perhaps I block off the Swallows house entrance & they find another place to nest.

D

[FCLightning]

A good pellet gun will kill the sparrow. About the only way, but may be too late for your Swallow already. They are rather vicious. I live out of town, but this year for the first time am losing the battle against the sparrows even with the advantage of the 22 and 12 gauge.

[FCLightning]

I found 2 dead tree swallows on the nest when I cleaned out the boxes this spring so I obviously had some sparrows I missed last year and now they have multiplied.

[Pixel Shooter]

There is sparrow traps but not cheap and works better if u have one live one in trap. i have same issues. Only way is to eradicate honestly. My weinrauch has been busy this spring. In my purple Martin houses i now have a good colony going so they don’t put up with the swallows thankfully. tree swallows unfortunately are push overs. Get on it now before swallows start producing eggs, same goes with sparrows, man they multiply

[Trochu]

I thought the access hole for the swallow house's was smaller so the sparrows couldn't fit? Maybe just a general rule but the smaller sparrows will still have access?

[pittman]

They make covers for the hole to the bird house - it's wide and flat as opposed to round which seems to give the swallows some protection.

They just screw on to the front of the house and I'm sure you could make something similar. That might buy you enough time to kill the sparrows while the the swallow is nesting.

[Pixel Shooter]

That’s what they say but definitely not the case.

Originally Posted by Trochu

I thought the access hole for the swallow house's was smaller so the sparrows couldn't fit? Maybe just a general rule but the smaller sparrows will still have access?

[troutbug]

only way I could get rid of sparrows tormenting the swallows and other nice species was to break out the pellet gun and pick them off.

Could try and hit them with a good airsoft gun. Just setup inside a window and wait lol.

[sharpstick]

My grandfather had a sparrow trap when I was a kid, we caught them by the hundreds.
Im sure a google search or a trip to UFA/Peavy Mart etc should find you a trap.

[FCLightning]

Originally Posted by Trochu

I thought the access hole for the swallow house's was smaller so the sparrows couldn't fit? Maybe just a general rule but the smaller sparrows will still have access?

The standard for bluebird boxes used to be 1 5/8" hole - but then the starlings invaded. The bluebirds will still squeeze through a 1 9/16" hole and the starlings cannot get in the box. At 1 1/2" the bluebirds will not enter but Tree Swallows can still get in. House Sparrows will enter a 1 1/4" hole so it is not possible to exclude them.

[dodger]

I use a cheap air soft hand gun. Smacks them good and they don’t come back. They usually fall to the ground stunned for a little while then they fly away never to be seen again 👍

Dodger

[Zip-in-Z]

I live in a condo complex next to the Sylvan Golf Course my neighbors won't take kindly to me shooting from the house window/doors, as well there's just too many people on the course. My sling shot & marbles is keeping them away for now & the swallows moved back inside and were keeping the sparrow away, too.

Looked at a couple of live bird traps on the internet, PV Mart don't sell them, may have to look at a DIY trap.

Tks all for the info/replies ... the Sparrows will not win this battle.

D.

Home Sweet Home

[Big Lou]

Originally Posted by Zip-in-Z

I live in a condo complex next to the Sylvan Golf Course my neighbors won't take kindly to me shooting from the house window/doors, as well there's just too many people on the course. My sling shot & marbles is keeping them away for now & the swallows moved back inside and were keeping the sparrow away, too.

Looked at a couple of live bird traps on the internet, PV Mart don't sell them, may have to look at a DIY trap.

Tks all for the info/replies ... the Sparrows will not win this battle.

D.

Home Sweet Home

I’ve got a couple of the Uncle Blaine’s Repeating Sparrow Traps. They work well. I’ve got one out on loan to a fellow in Camrose but if you wanted to use my other one to make yourself a clone, I’d be happy to loan it as a template for you.

Making a nest box trap is pretty simple as well but needs monitoring as you’ll most likely catch the swallows also and need to release. It won’t deter them after they’ve attached to a site so no worries there. Absolute easiest and fool proof method to catch them is if the sparrows have claimed and are defending the box is to watch the box at dusk and once they’ve entered, sneak up after dark and plug the hole. In the morning just hold a bag over the entrance and remover the plug. They’ll fly right into the bag. Shot of ether or “cervical dislocation” etc at your leisure.

The oblong or crescent shaped entrances mentioned above are Starling resistant entry holes. Sparrows can still breach them with ease.

[nimrod]

Sounds like this sparrow traps hard to find, maybe someone can post where to find

[jef612]

I have had luck with the slotted house entrance. I bought my bluebird / treeswallow house from this company in Saskatoon.

https://saskatoon.wbu.com/

I don't see the houses on their website but I know they have a couple more in the store if you call them. The staff seem very knowledgeable - they should know what you are looking for.

Not necessarily sparrow proof - but it does make it very difficult for the sparrows to get in.

I have non-stop issues with sparrows wreaking havoc on my purple martin house. I trap/shoot 20+ every spring and there is a never ending supply of those little bastards.

[antlercarver]

You have to get the sparrows in the winter time, before the swallows get here.
Sparrows eat birdseeds or grains and will come to bait all year long and will still come now. After feeding them for a while to educate where there is food.
Once they are coming to feed and are sitting on areas where other birds do not sit, the perch can be treated with a product ranchers pour on to the backs of cattle to treat warble flies. This product is absorbed in their feet and you never see them again. Works on farms to keep them from roosting in machine sheds where they poop on everything.

[Zip-in-Z]

Originally Posted by Big Lou

I’ve got a couple of the Uncle Blaine’s Repeating Sparrow Traps. They work well. I’ve got one out on loan to a fellow in Camrose but if you wanted to use my other one to make yourself a clone, I’d be happy to loan it as a template for you.

Sent a P/M.

D.

[Zip-in-Z]

Originally Posted by antlercarver

You have to get the sparrows in the winter time, before the swallows get here.
Sparrows eat birdseeds or grains and will come to bait all year long and will still come now. After feeding them for a while to educate where there is food.
Once they are coming to feed and are sitting on areas where other birds do not sit, the perch can be treated with a product ranchers pour on to the backs of cattle to treat warble flies. This product is absorbed in their feet and you never see them again. Works on farms to keep them from roosting in machine sheds where they poop on everything.

Interesting product, unfortunately, we have a number of other Birdies ( Chickadees, Wood Peckers, Nut Hatch, House Finches, etc) that come to my feeders all winter.

It's been quiet at the Swallows House this morning, she's been going in & out with nesting material and staring out the hole with no Sparrows stressing them out. There was a Starling that landed on their roof, but both attacked it and it vamoosed.

D.

[antlercarver]

Make a bird house with a hole big enough for starlings,sparrows and have a guillotine over the hole, you operate the guillotine with a thin fishing line.