Behavioural and ecological considerations for managing bird damage to cultivated fruit.

Abstract

Abstract The use of non-lethal approaches to bird-damage management based on concepts of optimal feeding behaviour is discussed. These approaches include the application of chemical repellent to the crop, reducing the quality of crop as a food source for birds through selective breeding and provision of alternative food sources. This is illustrated with the specific case of blueberry damage by cedar waxwings, Bombycilla cedrorum, in northern Florida, USA. Population reduction as a possible component of integrated bird-management strategies is then considered and potentially useful areas for future research are proposed.