Why Do Birds Go Down the Chimney?
A chimney is an attractive home for a bird. Birds find chimneys an ideal place to nest owing to the warmth and shelter that they provide. Therefore you may need to know how to stop birds coming down the chimney. Dependent on the size of the chimney it may be small birds such as starlings, swallows or swifts. A common bird to nest in the chimney is a jackdaw.
If a bird has mistakenly ended up in your fireplace or chimney, it can be a stressful situation. It may be difficult for the bird to fly back up the chimney and safely escape. Sometimes birds who are resting or nesting on top of the chimney wander inside, leaving themselves helpless and unable to fly back up to escape. It’s hard to believe but they do accidentally fall in as well. With this in mind, you need to know how to stop birds coming down the chimney.
How Long Can a Bird Survive Stuck in a Chimney?
If it’s a small bird it will die in a few days. If it’s a pigeon it could be there for a number of weeks. Pigeons can survive longer in chimneys as they manage to find the food and seeds dropped by other birds loafing or perched on the chimney. You will hear the fluttering of the bird’s wings to indicate it is still trapped.
Can a Bird Fly Out of a Chimney?
All flying birds can fly straight up, so depending on the chimney space. They just fly and then pull up into a climb, thus flying vertically. All though they can do it they sometimes don’t realise they can. Also, after a short period of no food and water, the bird will grow weak. Due to weakness and poor energy the bird may be unable to escape unaided, so would eventually die.
How to Keep Birds Away From the Chimney?
There are many ways to keep birds away from chimneys in the first place. You can use bird deterrents such as bird spikes or bird free gel. In heavily populated bird areas, you may wish to bird net the area. In all these cases a bird survey is recommended.
How to Stop Birds Coming Down the Chimney?
The easiest way to stop birds from falling down the chimney is to fit a cowl. There are many different versions of chimney cowls available. They range in price and like everything, you get what you pay for. Pest-Tech Ltd fit chimney cowls to stop birds going down the chimney.
If the chimney is an unusual construction, we can even offer a bespoke solution to birdproof your chimney. All our solutions will stop birds from being able to gain entry to your chimney.
What Happens If Birds Nest In The Chimney
Some birds such as Jackdaws like to nest in chimney pots. They do this by filling the chimney with sticks they gather and dropping them down the chimney. They know the sticks will snag on the wall of the chimney and they then backfill the chimney with twigs to the pot. At this point, they add grass and moss to nest on. If this occurs, then the chimney needs to be cleared once the jackdaws have finished nesting. By clearing the chimney and fitting a cowl will stop it from happening again.
Book a Survey
Now you know how to stop from this happening, you may need a survey. If you decide you wish to get a cowl fitted to your chimney, Pest-Tech Ltd offers this service. Contact us to find out more about our bird proofing solutions. For more information, you can contact the RSPB.