Happy June! This month brings sun, summer vacations, and juveniles. That’s right—the month whose name comes from the Latin juniores (young ones) is when younger birds make their presence known. That makes June a busy time for us at Meridian Bird Removal. Read on to find out why.
What are juveniles?
In North America, juveniles can appear as early as April. We define juveniles as birds that have fledged (grown their first full set of feathers) and left their home nests. But their plumage and flight muscles are still developing. A bird’s first set of feathers will differ in appearance from adult birds until they molt and grow out its first “real” feathers.
If juveniles are born near a building, they will be attracted to the security and shelter of the building. During June, we see a rise in birds flying inside—many of them juveniles who have just left the nest. This underscores the importance of managing exterior nests. Meridian can help you inspect the area around your building for nesting sites so you can stop juvenile bird incursions before they happen. If you ignore exterior and interior nests, you will have an entrenched problem on your hands.
Young and awkward
Just like human teenagers, juvenile birds are awkward, reckless, and prone to mistakes. That means trouble and headaches for you if they get inside your building. For one, juvenile birds are less experienced flyers. When they get inside your building, they’re less likely to find their way out on their own.
Juveniles are also harder to catch. Our capture system works best on birds flying through the free space between displays and roofing structures, but juvenile birds prefer the security of shelving and rafters. So please allow more time for bird captures in June.
Also, juveniles are not as experienced as fully grown birds. They are more likely to become trapped behind shelving or inside walls. As developing fliers, they tend to take shorter, less confident flights. They may hide and be less exposed for capture. Meridian Technicians will use bird calls to lure birds into the open, but we have found some juveniles haven’t yet learned what their species’ call sounds like. And, in a final, messy note, Meridian customers report more droppings in June. Nice.
The best strategy to deal with juvenile birds
As always, the best approach when you spot a juvenile bird is to call Meridian ASAP! We answer many calls in June, so the sooner you contact us for service, the sooner we’ll be at your location. Your employees can try to catch or flush birds outside on their own, but keep in mind these actions may startle juveniles and drive them into hiding. Even our Technicians sometimes need to make multiple visits when removing juvenile birds.
To prevent juveniles from entering in the first place, we advise stores to:
- Move food displays away from the doors.
- Keep exterior areas near and around entrances clean. Crumbs and spilled food left by customers are like magnets for insecure, hungry birds.
- Remove nests before juveniles hatch. Make sure to check with Meridian or local wildlife agencies first—depending on the species, touching nests may be against the law.
After more than a decade of capturing and removing birds, Meridian knows the best ways to deal with juvenile birds in June and any other month. Get on our schedule and let us put these young ‘uns in their place—outside and away from your building!