I'm having trouble with these flying rats! Any suggestions on how to remediate this problem?

[Thomas B]

Mount some Nine Inch Nails on the drone!!
Lol , ?

Heart Like a Hole!

 

[MA2 317]

Heart Like a Hole!

Black as your soul. ?

 

[dronerdave]

My buddy has a bright orange skin and mine is carbon fiber color but the birds don't seem to care. We both run strobes and both of us still get swarmed or harassed from some species of birds. I'm not saying colors or strobes don't work, just that either are not full proof against birds swooping down on our drones.

 

[marnat3]

How about Psycho Crows. Shot from my back yard. Notice the evil look in its eye. Happened over several days. Eventually, they used to patrol the house from morning till dusk, even pooped all over my car. Guess that's the crow equivalent of stay off my patch! Neither crows nor drones were injured in these encounters. Also, these are original and not zoomed photos.

That first shot is absolutely fantastic.

 

[LA 2020]

I'm having trouble with these ( Mod Removed Language)Remflying rats! Any suggestions on how to remediate this problem?

I stuck a "Moon Eyes" sticker on each battery so birds from above see big eyes on the drone. Seems to work for me as I used to have the problem but no strikes since then. Just Google "moon eyes sticker"

 

[StephanieRicherPhoto]

I had that problem recently with pigeons getting too close. Someone above said strobes and I think that is the best answer. I fly with my strobes (Firehouse Arc V) on usually, even during daylight hours, because it simplifies VLOS. If people hang pie tins around gardens to discourage birds, I have to think the strobes would do the same.

But now if someone could make a small device that broadcasts a train horn . . .

 

[GtoJon]

I put reflective tape on mine. Don't have any real proof, but I think it works. Birds don't like looking at reflective objects.
So .... you see a bird & you're supposed to land? Be nice guys! I am absolutely sure we can't put a ban on flying because birds are in the area

Starrey Flexible Reflective Tape White Silver 2 Inch X 15 Feet High Intensity Grade DOT-C2 Safety Tape Waterproof Conspicuity Trailer Reflector …: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

Starrey Flexible Reflective Tape White Silver 2 Inch X 15 Feet High Intensity Grade DOT-C2 Safety Tape Waterproof Conspicuity Trailer Reflector …: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

smile.amazon.com

Cheers, Jon

 

[sigi.stiemer]

I am not your deputy sheriff, but are you sure you comply with the current FAA rules in regard of distance to people? In addition, I believe the pigeons have the right of the way.

 

[Michael Ainsworth]

re·me·di·ate

/rəˈmēdēˌāt/


verb

provide a remedy for; redress or make right.

"the most serious flaws are easy to remediate"

restore by reversing or stopping environmental damage.

"use of plants to remediate soils contaminated with heavy metals"

Definitions from Oxford Languages


All I had to do to find this was enter Remediate in Google search, and the first thing that appeared was the definition.

Definition of remediate​

(Entry 1 of 2)
transitive verb
: to make (something) the target of remedial action : to provide a remedy for … the process of removing the spent fuel, draining the holding pool, remediating the site, and treating contaminated groundwater.

I concur, Merriam Webster dictionary. ?

 

[Michael Ainsworth]

We put long cable ties on our helmets when out cycling to keep Magpies from attacking us in nesting season.
Maybe a bit difficult with all the props on top of drone though.

 

[WithTheBirds]

How about Psycho Crows. Shot from my back yard. Notice the evil look in its eye. Happened over several days. Eventually, they used to patrol the house from morning till dusk, even pooped all over my car. Guess that's the crow equivalent of stay off my patch! Neither crows nor drones were injured in these encounters. Also, these are original and not zoomed photos.

Thought that looked like Staylya from the pics....

I have had a heap of crows around my joint recently with even more than the usual magpies- so many that test flights aren't an option.

 

[twoheadlines]

A definite solution to "pesky birds". I think it has some (untested) possibilities!
Depending on your model of UAV, good mounting points might need to be worked on. Flight times could also be pretty short on a single charge of a Lipo. Multi battery UAVs might achieve reasonable flight times if using this mod' though.




Jet Engine Png - Airplane Engine Png, Transparent Png , Transparent Png Image - PNGitem

Happy and safe flying ?????

 

[Bravo4000]

Mount some Nine Inch Nails on the drone!!
Lol , ?

If the Nails don't work maybe you could try some Korn. Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

 

[SpitFire]

Simple answer, find another place to fly. The birds will win out in the end if you fly around them long enough. Also, the area is to congested, people.
wires, trees, birds. Not a good situation, some thing will go wrong.

 

[monteolsen1]

Notwithstanding your choice of take off/landing site close to a built up area with vehicles and people in close proximity, perhaps you could enlighten me on the word "remediate" which is a new one on me that I can't find in my English language dictionary. Do you mean "remedy"? Or are you a "PhillyDroneLife" wannabe?

You need to get a new dictionary. Remediation is a commonly used term. Or are you just upset because he used a term you don't know.

 

[Earls Court]

Birds are curious. Pigeons are just dumb. They are basically just flying rats.
When I have a pigeon issue, I just hover for a few seconds. They'll usually circle a few times and move on.
Raptors on the other hand will not. The best thing to do there is elevate as fast as possible and leave the area.
I've also heard of people putting googley-eyes on their drones. That seems to help. I have no experience with that though.

Thanks Vic, this is in my opinion the most helpful and respectful response to a members request for advice. (“Any suggestions on how to remediate this problem?”) not glibly stating the obvious about flying in the open, but being creatively helpful. I detected a degree of arrogance in some of the replies. Yes CarltoNYC lives in and at times fly in the city, and I assume he knows it is not the ideal place to fly and he knows that it is tricky. He asked an innocent question and deserved a better answer than some obvious comment. I enjoy these very informative forums and will continue to make use of it in my endeavors to be a better pilot and photographer. Have a blessed new year!

 

[Vic Moss]

I am not your deputy sheriff, but are you sure you comply with the current FAA rules in regard of distance to people? In addition, I believe the pigeons have the right of the way.

There are no FAA rules for distance from people. Just rules about being directly over them. Not sure where you got that information.

As far as pigeons have the right of way, that's not a thing either. The only thing we need to give right of way too is manned aviation. All the rest (people, cars, etc.) would be ruled under reckless flight.

There is no requirement we yield right of way to any animal. Disturbing them is a different story, and would fall under other state or federal agencies.

 

[Eagle Jr]

If the Nails don't work maybe you could try some Korn. Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

Korn will repel almost any living creature.

 

[robwas]

Birds own the sky. Period. I've had a few close ones. The most recent was right over my house. Was doing some drone footage of the surrounding neighborhood and this one raven/crow (not sure what...just large black bird...was too high to be sure) was circling about 25-30ft above the drone. I call it a day and bought it down. No sense in taking a chance. Others are right though. The birds are just protecting their territory.

I only had my drone for a few days when a peregrine swooped it and I was only 50' up near my house! I was landing actually and even after the drone was down I could see the falcon looking agitated in a nearby tree, I really wish I had my 600mm lens on my wildlife camera ready to take some video but by the time I ran in and got it the falcon was gone. I see hawks, eagles and even osprey quite often but rarely falcons. I agree birds own the sky, it'd suck to lose a drone but I guess that's all part of the price we pay to have this privilege and see the world like a bird. I do wonder what attracts birds to drones and wonder if they have any clue what it even is.

 

[robwas]

Thanks Vic, this is in my opinion the most helpful and respectful response to a members request for advice. (“Any suggestions on how to remediate this problem?”) not glibly stating the obvious about flying in the open, but being creatively helpful. I detected a degree of arrogance in some of the replies. Yes CarltoNYC lives in and at times fly in the city, and I assume he knows it is not the ideal place to fly and he knows that it is tricky. He asked an innocent question and deserved a better answer than some obvious comment. I enjoy these very informative forums and will continue to make use of it in my endeavors to be a better pilot and photographer. Have a blessed new year!

I live in a suburb with both open spaces and congested areas and wanted to add to this that oftentimes if you like doing photography with your drone and not just flying in circles many times finding safe places to fly near stuff is a lot more exciting than an open field. I regularly find myself on google maps searching for potential launch areas where I can get great compositions, usually I just go straight up above my head and make minor adjustments rather than fly out over other property. As unlikely as it may be I'm still always concerned if my drone were to lose power and just drop out of the sky what might it fall on.