Barb, If you ask your question in the Bluebirding forum you will be given plenty of horrid pictures of bloody dead songbirds to help you make your decision. Nobody likes the euthanizing part. After all it is not the birds fault it is here and it is just doing what it thinks it needs to do to survive. It is very hard to kill something as sweet and innocent looking as a little bird, but go take a peek at some of the pictures of what they do and you will understand.
Lisa

Hi Lisa, thanks for your reply. Yes indeed I have already seen what House Sparrows do to, especially blue bird nest sitters and their offspring. It's truely gory.

Still, the whole subject seems to be taboo to talk about.

I also still don't think I'd be able to euthanize them with my hands (ie, snapping the neck or whatever) and I don't have the expertise to set up a C02 chamber.

I hope more people will chime in and let us know how they feel about the whole issue.

Thanks,

Barb
southern Ontario, CANADA

I don't have anything against trapping non-native species and euthanizing them, just as long as it is done humanely and painlessly... I, myself, could not do it, because as much as I DESPISE, ABHOR, HATE House Sparrows, like Lisa said, it's not their faults they were born here... Hey, unless you are Native American, YOU are a non-native, invasive species... The majority of us are non-native species. Anyway, the way I do my part is to discourage them (the Hosps, not the humans) by not putting out bird feeders, and having bird boxes with holes that are not the right size for the House Sparrows. They still come to my yard by the dozens. Damn varmin. Now let's talk about those damn stray cats that run all over the place, killing birds, and poopin' in my veggie garden...

Jenny

Jenny I TOTALLY agree with you about stray cats! We had a whole nest of baby birds and several frogs/toads killed and left under our deck by, I'm assuming, the stray cats in the neighbourhood. And it's not even accurate to call them "stray"... just as bad... they are people's cats from our street and the next one over... people who have "outdoor cats" and that really irks me. Cats are domesticated "pets" and they belong INDOORS. Geeze, if I let my dog roam the way all these people let their cats roam, I'd have angry neighbours knocking my door down to b*tch at me. I don't understand cat owners who do this. At any rate, yes, the cats are a nuissance at the feeders just like the HOSP's and E. Starlings.

I'm currently looking into a raptor rehab that might take live HOSP's, in which case I wouldn't have to deal with the euthanizing part.

Thanks for your reply,

Barb
southern Ontario, CANADA

1. I totally agree with the statement of trapping and destroying adults and eggs of HOSP

2.Yes, we have the responsibility

3. Yes

4. Euthanize

5. There are places out there that will come and euthanize these pests for you

I believe everything must start in one's own back yard. If I can get the count down in my yard, they aren't in my yard anymore and I'm doing my part, as best as I can. You simply cannot think of this as a whole picture in the big wide world, you have to think of your own little corner in your world. Just like ripping out the non native plant species and restoring your ecosystem by bringing in all native/indigenous plants. Yes, we Americans brought them here and one of the web sites I read, said that within 50 years or so, we knew we had made a terrible mistake. They aren't a part of native/natural nature in North America. I have a NWF certified backyard. I'm doing everything possible to bring in birds/bees/butterflies/moths etc. HOSP and starlings aren't welcome here.

Thanks for your reply Terry.

I am a native gardener as well and have just filed for NWF certification making it odd that you mention it.

I will also look into an agency or business that will do the euthanizing for me. Thanks for the tip.

Barb

Terry, Well said. It is a tough topic. I admire your honesty. No one likes it, but you are absolutely right. I'm sure you have all heard the starfish story......we can all make a difference for our own small space. When everyone takes this concept and runs with it, that is what we will call real progress.

Thanks you two. vonyon, Barb asked an honest question so it's only fair she gets an honest answer. I know all to well how unpleasant it is for people, but I just feel it's what needs to be done. I find it sad when people won't try because they feel they can't make a difference. I believe we can, one backyard at a time.

And Barb, when you get your sign, or even now if you know, please tell me how you plan to erect it. I still don't have mine out. It's just..so big. I believe 9x12? Something like that anyway. I'd like a picket fence on the side of the house, and that seems to be a good place to hang it.

I started out feeling like you do, Barb. I couldn't see myself killing an innocent bird. Then came the summer of the bluebird massacre. I lost 3 adults to house sparrows as they were building nests or sitting on eggs. Once the bluebird is inside the house, the sparrow comes in on top of him, and he can't get out or defend himself. And the last one, the male, wasn't dead. He had been pecked in the head until he was bloody and disabled, and I had to finish the job.

That's when I decided that if I was going to have bluebird and martin houses, it's my responsibility to keep the birds safe. I installed a sparrow trap in one of the martin house holes, and trapped many a housesparrow. I would then get them into a plastic bag (the ones the newspaper come in work great) and shoot the HOSP with a bb gun. The numbers of sparrows has diminished drastically, but they still show up on occasion, and I have to be diligent. It doesn't take them long to wreak havoc. This summer, I lost all the eggs in 3 purple martin nests in no time at all.

The thing that irks me, is they don't have to be so destructive. The martins would let them live in their house too, they don't have to kill everything in sight. And they don't even need to nest in a nestbox - they'll nest anywhere - even on the front of our Wal-mart store.

Texas Carol

Terry, It is interesting that this seems to be how we women deal with the horrible things that happen. It just feels better to know that we can all do our part......one yard at a time.