accustomed to firecrackers and ignore them. 



A great many growers have been using firearms. These give good results, if 

 used throughout the day, but most growers have insufficient time to patrol their 

 fruit plantings. Few can afford to hire men to do nothing but shoot at birds. 



Reflectors have been unsatisfactory. Some growers report success but the 

 majority consider them useless. 



Decoy hawks and owls were effective when first placed in a fruit planting 

 at the University of Massachusetts but after a few days birds become used to them, 



A study was conducted at the University of Massachusetts using a hawk 

 decoy and starlings to determine the length of time needed for habituation to 

 occur. However, it was recognized that this experiment under caged conditions 

 may not be indicative of bird behavior in the field. Individual starlings were 

 introduced into a cage containing two perches, on one of which was placed a 

 gosha^^?k decoy. All birds were tested in the cage without the decoy before the 

 experiment began. Testing time for each bird was ten minutes per trial. The 

 number of times each bird landed at a perch was counted and used to determine 

 when the bird became habituated to the decoy. 



For experimental purposes the birds were divided into two groups. Birds of 

 Group I were tested fifteen consecutive days while those of Group II were tested 

 eight consecutive days. Results showed initial fear of the decoy by all in- 

 dividual brids, but after repeated tests all eventually became acclimated to it. 

 All but two of the experimental birds became accustomed to the decoy after three 

 trials. Perhaps this is one reason that hawk decoys soon lose their effective- 

 ness when used as bird control devices. 



Various types of protective netting have been used by growers of small 

 fruit. The cost of better types of netting is high and many growers feel it is 

 too expensive. However, growers who have used netting of good quality have had 

 excellent results. 



Investigations at the University of Massachusetts last summer were directed 

 at learning the various aspects of bird population turnovers in fruit plantings. 

 It was suspected daily, weekly, or monthly turnover of individuals causing 

 depredations might well determine effectiveness of certain scare techniques. 

 Therefore, an effort was made during the summer to determine the composition of 

 bird population feeding in the fruit plantings. Japanese mist nets were erected 

 throughout the cultivated blueberry plantation at the University. One hundred 

 sixty-seven birds were netted, banded, and released. Of these one hundred 

 fifty-nine were robins, starlings, and Baltimore orioles. 



Pertinent data was obtained by the use of this netting. Only one of eighty- 

 one robins banded was recaptured. It was significant that as many robins were 

 caught the last day as the first day of netting. Seventy-three robins banded 

 were immature. Nine recaptures were made of forty-eight Baltimore orioles that 

 were banded. 



A similar banding program was carried out at the University vineyard. Two 

 hundred and twelve birds representing twenty-seven species were caught of which 



