How to Get Rid of Sparrows

Sparrows are common pest birds to encounter. They gather in supermarket parking lots, industrial buildings, factories, feed lots, and your own backyard.

Sparrows are also aggressive birds that cause a number of problems. They spread droppings all over the areas they flock in, which can cause a number of diseases including toxoplasmosis and chlamydiosis, as well as present a slip and fall risk. They are also known to dive-bomb humans if they feel their nest is threatened and can displace and attack other birds.

With that in mind, let's learn how to get rid of sparrows.

The first method to get rid of sparrows is the same as in almost all bird species: remove food sources and nesting grounds.

Sparrows gather around areas containing food. If you cut off their food supply, sparrows will have to find somewhere else to congregate. Sparrow food sources include bird feeders, open containers of trash, food left on the ground, seeds, and insects. They also need a source of water, like a bird bath or a stagnant pool of water.

Find whatever food source sparrows are eating and drinking from and cut that off.

The next step is to remove sparrow nesting grounds. Sparrows tend to nest in small holes and crevices, such as gaps in the side of buildings or underneath solar panels.

The best way to block off sparrow nesting grounds is with bird netting. Bird netting is applied onto small gaps where sparrows would make their nest and prevents sparrows and other bird species from nesting in that area.

Bird netting is our top bird control recommendation for most species, including sparrows. It blocks birds from making nests with approximately 100% effectiveness and is the most sure-fire way to get rid of sparrows.

Another option to block off sparrow nesting grounds is through a device like AviAngle or Bird Slope. These devices convert a horizontal ledge with a wall behind it into a diagonal surface. This stops birds from nesting or perching on ledges.

If sparrows are already nesting, we do not recommend attempting to move a live nest yourself. Sparrows can be territorial and may try to attack you to get you away from the nest. The birds are one of the three species not protected under the Migratory Bird Act Treaty of 1918, but they can spread diseases from their nests and the bird will likely fight back.

In the case that sparrows are already nesting and you need them gone, we recommend calling in a bird control company like AviAway. A bird control company can humanely coerce the birds to leave. They can also install bird exclusion and deterrence methods to prevent future bird infestations.

There are a couple other options for sparrow control. The first of these is electric shock tracks.

Electric shock tracks give off a small shock if a bird tries to land on it. This makes the bird uncomfortable and they fly away. Over time the birds stop landing on ledges treated with electric shock tracks.

We recommend electric shock tracks if birds have not already nested and are only perching, or, if they have already nested, in combination with bird netting. Bird netting is still the most important step in removing sparrows from an area in the long-term.

Another bird control option we use for sparrows are sound machines. Sound machines broadcast sparrow predator calls and sparrow distress calls. These machines work at programmable intervals, meaning you can adjust how often these sounds are played.

Sparrows avoid areas with the sounds of predators and sparrows in distress. Sound machines scare them away through this method.

Sound machines, again, work best for a minor sparrow problem. If sparrows have nested and are invested in the area, the most important step is to block off bird nesting grounds and prevent them from multiplying, which is accomplished with bird netting.

Summary: Sparrows are aggressive birds that cause problems for customers and property owners. They spread droppings and disease over areas they nest in.

The best way to get rid of sparrows is to remove sparrow food sources and block off sparrow nesting grounds. Our top recommendation for removing nesting grounds is bird netting.

If you have a live sparrow nest, we recommend calling in a bird control company to address the problem rather than attempting to remove the nest yourself.

Benefits of Getting Rid of Sparrows:

• Less Aggressive Birds

• Less Sparrow Droppings

• Cleaner Looking Property

• Lower Risk of Bird-Borne Disease

• Solutions Are Often Low-Visiblity

If you have a bird problem, we can help. AviAway professionally installs bird control solutions for all bird species. We have 30+ years of experience in bird control and have performed work for companies like Amazon, Rite Aid, and the U.S. Postal Service. Click here or call 844-247-3373 to request a free bird control quote.

We also offer free bird control consultations. Click here to set up a free consultation and talk with one of our bird control experts about solving your bird problem.