A Look at Birds in Hawaii

Hawaii has no shortage of beautiful birds. Its lush environment and geographic isolation provide the perfect home for unique avian creatures that delight human viewers. Unfortunately, some species can be real troublemakers. When birds become pests, Sandwich Isle Pest Solutions is here to help.

Common Pest Birds

When people think of pests, they usually imagine creatures like insects and rodents. However, birds can damage your property and peace of mind. If you want to protect your commercial property or home, you need to know which birds to look out for. Some of the species most likely to cause pest problems in Hawaii are sparrows, pigeons, mynah birds, finches, and doves.

House Sparrows

Sparrows aren’t Hawaii natives; they arrived from New Zealand in the 1800s. As an invasive species, they often harm the islands’ native birds by killing them to steal their nests. If sparrows fail to kill other birds, they might still succeed in scaring them away, which harms the local ecosystem.

These birds also create messes for humans: They damage crops, contaminate food sources with their droppings, and can carry dozens of viruses and parasites. Since they prefer to make nests in covered areas, they’re prone to nesting in manmade structures like warehouses. Sparrows can easily start fires when they get into electrical wiring. It’s no wonder so many people dealing with sparrows seek out pest control specialists.

Pigeons

Anyone who lives in a city has probably seen pigeons begging for food, but these birds go far beyond urban areas. This invasive species causes problems ranging from disease risk to property damage.

Pigeons prefer nesting in nooks and crannies, which means you’ll often find them in air conditioning units and pipes. They also enjoy making homes on ledges and windowsills. Their proximity to humans can expose people to numerous parasites and viruses, especially since pigeons leave droppings everywhere.

Mynah Birds

This invasive species arrived in Hawaii via India in the 1800s; people brought it to the islands to control armyworms. Unfortunately, mynahs have created more problems than they’ve solved. They push other birds away from nesting spots and are greedy with food.

Mynahs can carry many diseases, but two are particularly harmful to humans: salmonella and avian malaria. They also have mites that can set off asthma attacks and dermatitis. These concerns are serious, considering that mynahs like to nest in buildings. To make things worse, this species damages crops and creates noise pollution.

Finches

Though most birds can be noisy, finches are famous for their constant chirping. The chorus of chirps can be almost deafening since these animals travel in huge flocks. They also create abnormally large nests, often in chimneys or other parts of a structure. Bird netting is a great method for keeping finches out of buildings.

Finches adore fruit, so they can quickly destroy gardens and damage crops. They carry a variety of diseases and parasites that are often present in droppings.

Doves

Zebra doves and spotted doves are the most common types in Hawaii. Their flocks are enormous, and they usually take off all at once. There are documented cases of dove flocks damaging aircraft.

Though doves make a relatively soft cooing noise, the sound can reach surprising levels since they travel in groups. Doves’ habit of sticking in groups also means they leave tons of droppings wherever they go.

Need Help With Bird Control?

If nuisance birds are all over your Hawaiian property, you might need help from professionals with years of bird control experience. Keeping harmful wildlife away without creating problems for other animals can be challenging.

Though there are a few simple things anyone can do themselves, like making sure food for humans isn’t left outside their home or business, some DIY methods are a waste of time. Truly effective solutions require experts. Get in touch with us today to create an efficient, cost-effective plan for keeping pest birds away.