How to Get Rid of Mockingbirds | 7 Effective Methods

Do you love birds? Do you love to hear them singing or flying around your garden during the spring months? We are sure you do, like most of us.

But what if you are exposed to their chirping and tweeting day and night? We do not doubt that such a situation can be highly annoying. But, unfortunately, mockingbirds fall under those categories of birds that love to chirp and sing, especially during the nighttime. And when it comes to their breeding season, you are surely going to infuriate by their continuous singing- all day and all night.

What can add more to your distress is their aggressive, territorial, and possessive behavior. Moving birds can be highly protective of what they love or like.

So, before your life goes into complete madness, we are here with the effective methods to get rid of Mockingbirds from your backyard or garden.

Getting Rid of Mockingbirds From Your Garden 

There are a few things you must consider before taking steps to get rid of Mocking birds.

These birds are aggressive and have a strong memory and threat detection ability. So, they will remember you if you attack them, which can make your situation worse.

Moreover, you should avoid disturbing them during their breeding season, from March to September, if you want to save yourself from their grudge. We suggest you not pick a fight with them during this period.

#1. The Water Gun Tactic

The water gun tactic
Image Credit: Watergun from Pxfuel

If you have a sound water system in your garden, especially near the birds’ nest, the water gun tactic can be most suitable for you. However, before using water shots on the birds, make sure to survey the area and the birds’ exact location using binocular.

When using water guns, make sure to increase the pressure of the water valve to the maximum to have a direct impact on the target.

Also Read: How to Keep Birds Out of Garden?

#2. Using the Scarecrow

Using the scarecrow
Image Credit: Scarring the Mockingbirds from Pxfuel

The scaring technique is another popular way to drive the Mockingbirds out of your garden.

Draw the real-life images of owls or hawks on cardboard and make cutouts from them. Place those cutouts near the nests of the Mockingbirds. This will scare these birds away, restricting them from building nests in your garden.

#3. Use Lights

Use Lights

Bright lights are the enemy of Mockingbirds. So, you can set the camera with a flash to scare these birds away. Also, setting hanging CDs to reflect lights can be helpful.

#4. Play the Loud Sound

Play that loud sound
Image Credit: Play Loud Music by Pxhere

Strong sound can also be used to scare these birds. Loud horns or other forms of sound can drive Mockingbirds away from your garden momentarily. However, they are likely to return after some time.

#5. Prune the Trees

Prune the trees
Image Credit: Pruning from Pixabay

Since Mockingbirds make their nests in the trees, pruning the branches of your garden shrubs and trees can make the whole area unappealing for them.

Keep pruning your trees regularly to give less space for these birds to make shelters.

#6. The Magnetic Tactic

Mockingbirds use magnetic fields to make sense of directions. So, using magnets to direct these birds away from your backyard or garden can be helpful.

#7. Record their Sound

Since Mockingbirds are territorial, you can record their chirping and play it back. This drives them away in the search for a new territory that other Mocking birds have not invaded.

However, if all the above-stated steps to drive Mockingbirds away seem cruel to you, and you decide to co-exist with them, we suggest you get a pair of good earplugs.

Soundproof earplugs will save you from the continuous chirping of these birds, which may otherwise result in sleepless nights.

Can You Legally Get Rid of Mockingbird?

Getting rid of Mockingbirds becomes crucial when they refuse to stop chirping and singing. We say so because they can be highly annoying for humans.

No, disturbing or killing Mockingbirds is not legal. These birds fall under protected bird species under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act by federal and state law. So, you are not legally authorized to kill, capture, or trade them without permission from the federal and state government. 

Nonetheless, you can legally defend yourself from these birds. It is the way around, as you can take steps to make your backyard or garden unappealing for these birds to nest. To make it easy for you, we have listed a few steps to get rid of Mockingbirds without getting entangled in legal issues.

Is Mockingbird Repellent a Reality?

Well, there is no proven Mockingbird repellent as of now. However, some gardeners choose to use ultrasonic bird repellers to repel these birds.

Ultrasound bird repellents are, however, illegal to use if Mockingbirds are already nesting in your garden. Also, it may be a challenge to use this method, as ultrasound repellent can repel other useful birds from your garden as well.

So, we suggest you avoid using ultrasonic or ultrasound bird repellent as a method to get rid of Mockingbirds from your garden.

Things to know About Mockingbirds

Things to know About Mockingbirds
Image Credit: Northern Mockingbird by IzzyMPhotography

Before we delve deep, let us explore a few facts about these birds.

  • They are aggressive:

Mockingbirds can be aggressive. These birds are very territorial and possessive, making them bold for what they think is right. They can also be aggressive towards ceratin bird species including hawks, and owls.

However, during their mating season, these birds get the most aggressive, which continues from early April to July.

  • Love for fruits:

Mockingbirds love to feed on fruits. So, if you have fruit trees in your backyard or garden, they can be significant attractants for these birds. In addition, Mockingbirds are omnivorous and feed on pests, which can be suitable for garden owners.

  • They are called Mimus polyglottos:

It is interesting to note that Mockingbirds are called Mimus polyglottos, in Latin, which means “many-tongued mimic.”

  • They are not a substantial threat:

Mockingbirds may be annoying for your ears; they are not counted as potential threats for humans or garden crops.

  • They are noisy:

One of the primary things to know about Mockingbirds is that they are highly vocal. These birds are known to sing hundreds of songs. So, if you have them around your garden, get ready to have sleepless days and nights.

  • Territory:

We have already stated that Mockingbirds are highly territorial. So, if they sense that you are intruding on their territory, the chances are high that you will get directly attacked by them.

  • Defense:

Research studies have found that Mockingbirds have string memory, and they can pick up the faces that attack them.

So, if they see you as a potential threat, they may attack you directly even before knowing your intentions. It is, therefore, advisable to keep a distance from them and their nests.

Summary

So, to warp it up, we would like to state that if you want to repel Mockingbirds from your garden or backyard, never be harsh on them. Instead, what you should do is scare them away. But, if you belong to the softer heart category of people, you may just want to cohabit with them and keep a collection of soundproof earplugs handy.

Whatever your choice should be, you should remember that these birds are not harmful to you or your garden in a strict sense. Instead, they can help you get rid of pests and grasshoppers from the backyard.

About Jennifer Igra

Growing up in Brooklyn, New York City known for it’s green gardens. Jennifer, a 30 year old gardener and green living fanatic started Igra World to share her gardening journey and increase gardening awareness among masses. Follow Igra World to improve your gardening skills.

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