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LASERS AS NONLETHAL AVIAN REPELLENTS: PRELIMINARY EXPERIMENTS

Bradley F. Blackwell,Glen E. Bernhardt-2000-01-01-Insecta mundi

TL;DRAbstract

Laser technology has recently been demonstrated as a potentially effective avian repellent; however, controlled studies have not been reported. We conducted 2-choice cage tests to quantify the effectiveness of low-power (10−60-mW) 633−650-nm lasers in preventing Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater), European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), and Rock Doves (Columbia livia) from perching and Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) and Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) from use of grass plots. In 3 experiments with stationary and moving laser beams “defending” a randomly selected perch, brown-headed cowbirds were not repelled, nor did they exhibit behaviors indicating perception of the beam. Similarly, a moving beam did not repel European Starlings from treated perches. Rock Doves exhibited avoidance behavior only during the first 5 minutes of 6, 80-minute sessions involving a moving beam. Notably, 6 groups of geese (4 birds/group) exhibited marked repellency to a moving beam in 20-minute sessions (n

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Laser technology has recently been demonstrated as a potentially effective avian repellent; however, controlled studies have not been reported. We conducted 2-choice cage tests to quantify the effectiveness of low-power (10−60-mW) 633−650-nm lasers in preventing Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater), European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), and Rock Doves (Columbia livia) from perching and Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) and Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) from use of grass plots. In 3 experiments with stationary and moving laser beams “defending” a randomly selected perch, brown-headed cowbirds were not repelled, nor did they exhibit behaviors indicating perception of the beam. Similarly, a moving beam did not repel European Starlings from treated perches. Rock Doves exhibited avoidance behavior only during the first 5 minutes of 6, 80-minute sessions involving a moving beam. Notably, 6 groups of geese (4 birds/group) exhibited marked repellency to a moving beam in 20-minute sessions (n

Keywords

Biology

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