CA1228480A

CA1228480A - Bird scarer

Info

Publication number: CA1228480A
Application number: CA000414492A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Ulrich Waterman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-10-29
Filing date: 1982-10-29
Publication date: 1987-10-27

Abstract

A B S T R A C T

Apparatus for scaring gulls makes use of the fact that gulls become particularly scared by seeing another gull in a troubled state, and accordingly employs a real or fake dead gull suspended by a line with a motor for rotating the line about a vertical axis. The gull and the line are each one of a pair depending from respective arms projecting laterally in opposite directions from the top of a vertical post, which is rotated by the motor.

Description

The present invention relates to apparatus for scaring birds, and is useful in particular for scaring gulls. However, the invention is also useful for scaring other types of birds, for example crows and blackbirds.
The presence of birds on or in the vicinity of airports and air bases has for many years presented a danger to aircraft. To reduce the hazards of birds strikes on aircraft, it has previously been proposed to bird-proof aircraft, to employ on-board devices on aircraft to clear birds from an aircraft's flight path, to provide warnings during high risk seasons of bird migration and to reduce the number of birds at airports and air bases. The latter has been found to be the most practical of these alternatives and, in this connection, various methods have been provided for scaring away birds.
These methods include pyrotechnics, the use of captors and the use of radio controlled model aircraft. However, all these methods are relatively labor intensive and expensive, as are also various methods employed for bird capture and for the killing of birds Birds also create mess at public gathering places, such as amusement parks, they foul water reservoirs, they disturb garbage dumps and, in increasing numbers, they have become agricultural pests.
The problem has been worsened in recent years in Canada as the Canadian Wildlife Service has increased the number of bird breeding areas, which has had the unfortunate result of increasing the number of birds which tend to congregate at airports and air bases.
Also, in the past various mechanical devices have been suggester for scaring away birds.
For example, United States Patent 4,074,653 discloses a bird scarer which comprises a vertical pole, cross-arms extending from the pole, streamers or pennants depending from the cross-arms and means for rotating the vertical pole.
United States Patent 3,799,105 discloses a rather more complicated device for rotating sound-producing weights, which ore secured by lines which are unwound as the device is operated to increase the speed of rotation of the weights.
United States Patent 3,292,319 discloses a sea gull guard having a rotating center post, cross-arms and flat metal plate member suspended from the cross-arms, the flat metal plate members being replaceable by movable vane members.
The present invention, however, is based on an appreciation of the tact that birds can be scared more effectively than is possible with such prior art mechanical devices if they can be fooled into thinking that they are in the vicinity of a bird which has been injured or which is behaving in a strange and abnormal manner.
More particularly, the present invention makes use of a real or fake dead bird, or a plurality of such birds, rotated about a vertical axis.
Trials carried out at airports have proved that such an arrangement is particularly effective if the birds which are to be scared are gulls, and if the dead bird or birds is a gull or I
gulls. However, other species of birds can be effectively scared away by employing the same species of birds in the apparatus of the present invention.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the apparatus comprises a vertical post and a pair of arms extending laterally from opposite sides of the upper end of the post, with flexible suspension lines suspending respective real or fake dead birds from the arms at the spacing from the post.
The post may be mounted on a ground support structure, on which ma also be mounted an electric motor or an internal combustion engine for rotating the vertical post.
The invention will be more readily understood from the hollowing description of a preferred embodiment thereof given, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, which shows a view in perspective of a bird scaring apparatus.
The apparatus shown in the accompanying drawing and indicated generally by reference numeral 10 has a horizontal support frame indicated generally by reference numeral 11, which rests on the ground for supporting a post 14 in the form of a galvanized pipe in a vertical position.
An internal combustion engine indicated generally by reference numeral 16 drives a gear box 17, through a speed reduction transmission comprising belts 18 and pulleys 19. The gear box 17 supports the vertical post 14 and rotates the post 14 about the longitudinal axis post.
At the upper end of the post 14, a pair of arms 21 of galvanized pipe extend laterally from opposite sides of the top ~221~
of the post 14, and a pair of dead gulls 22 are supported by suitably strong string, cord or rope suspension lines 23 from the three ends of the arms 21.
The gulls 22 may be real dead gulls, in which case they are preferably stuffed gulls so as to be usable for a longer period of time than would be unstuffed dead gulls.
Alternatively, the gulls 22 may be fake dead gulls made, for example, of wood or Styrofoam The invention is not, however, restricted to the use of real or fake dead gulls, since, for example, stuffed crows could be used for scaring crows, etc.
In the present embodiment of the invention, the post 14 has a height of 2.5 meters, and the arms are each 1.8 meters long. However, the dimensions of the apparatus can be varied to adapt to various situations, and a greater number of arms may be provided on the post 14 to allow for more than two birds to be suspended.
Preferably, the birds 22 are suspended from the arms 21 in an orientation which is abnormal for gulls in flight, in order to increase the scare effect of the apparatus.
More particularly, as the post 14 and therewith the arms 21 and the birds 22 are rotated, the birds move in an unnatural random manner and it has been found that such movement is frightening to live birds in the vicinity of the scarer.
The apparatus may be employed in combination with a loud hailer system for broadcasting bird distress calls and, if intended to be used at night, may be provided with a flood light I

to make the birds visible at night time.
While the apparatus illustrated in the drawing is intended to be portable, the present invention is not restricted to portable apparatuses but may be embodied, for example, in apparatuses permanently mounted on buildings or elsewhere.
Alternatively, if the apparatus is required to be utilized at several spaced locations at relatively short intervals of time, then the apparatus may be mounted on a trailer or a truck for fast transportation.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY
OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A gull scaring apparatus comprising:
a real or fake dead gull;
a flexible suspension line suspending said gull; and means for rotating said suspension line about a vertical axis.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said birds comprise stuffed gulls.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a vertical post and ground engaging means for supporting said vertical post in an upright position on the ground, an arm extending laterally from said post, said suspension line being secured to said arm at a spacing from said post and said suspension line rotating means being mounted on said ground engagement means for rotating said post about the longitudinal axis of said post.

4. A gull scaring apparatus comprising;
a vertical post member;
means for rotating said post member about the longitudinal axis thereof;
a pair of arms extending laterally from opposite sides of the upper end of said post member;
a pair of flexible suspension lines depending from respective ones of said arms; and a pair of gulls, each one of said gulls being either a real or fake dead gull suspended by respective ones of said suspension lines from said arms.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, further comprising means for supporting said vertical post member on the ground, said rotating means comprising a prime mover mounted on said supporting means.