Dr. Rob Fergus
Total live articles: 13
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Dr. Rob Fergus is an ornithologist who specializes in urban ecology and human/wildlife interactions. Fergus received his Ph.D. in urban bird conservation from the University of Texas at Austin. After founding the Hornsby Bend Bird Observatory in Austin, Texas he created additional bird conservation programs in Austin as the first executive director of the 2,500 member Travis Audubon Society. In 2004 he moved to suburban Philadelphia where he was the Senior Scientist for Urban Bird Conservation at the National Audubon Society until 2009. In addition to researching and consulting on human/bird interactions in cities across the United States, Latin America, and Europe, Dr. Fergus currently teaches at Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J. and Rosemont College in Philadelphia, Pa.
Recent Activity
Ultrasonic Bird Deterrents are sold by by online retailers and various garden centers, there is only one problem, birds do not hear ultrasonic noises. Ornithologist Dr. Rob Fergus explains why ultrasonic bird control devices are ineffective against repelling birds.
Most songbirds are territorial during the breeding season. If they see another member of their species in their territory, they will often attack and try to chase them out of their territory. This usually works in the bird's favor—until it tries to attack its own reflection in your nice picture window!
Let's face it, most of us like to have birds around, but we have a problem with bird droppings. The major complaint about bird droppings involves unsightly or smelly messes, concerns about property damage, as well as potential health risks.
Male mockingbirds get so ramped up on hormones during the breeding season that they often sing all day and all night! Songbirds like mockingbirds sing for two purposes—to attract a mate and to defend their territories.
Many people are surprised to find birds causing problems on buildings in urban areas, but birds are actually very common in cities and many species may potentially create problems on buildings. Fortunately, by understanding the birds that most often cause problems, as well as the architectural features that attract them to buildings, nuisance bird problems can usually be addressed by making the building less attractive to the birds
Ornithologist Dr. Rob Fergus takes a look at one of the most challenging "pest bird" issues today: Geese. In this article, Dr. Rob gives expert advice on deterring geese from outdoor areas with insights into goose behavior and more!
So what do you do when a duck moves in uninvited? First realize that you actually did invite the duck—there is something about your yard that attracted the duck in the first place. Maybe it was the swimming pool, maybe it was a low bush for it to build a nest under, or just a place to climb out of the water and rest.
First the good news. In general, a hawk or even an eagle will not attack an animal as large as even a small dog unless there is nothing else for it to eat, and even then it would be very unusual.
Airport terminals, retail stores, warehouses, and other large buildings often attract birds—usually house sparrows, European starlings, and rock pigeons (the more formal name ornithologists call pigeons). Keeping them off the building is usually possible with a well designed system of physical deterrents like bird spikes. But what can you do when the birds get inside the building?
Woodpeckers can cause several kinds of problems on buildings. In dealing with woodpeckers, a little bit of knowledge about them goes a long way. Most important is to realize that dead or hollow trees and tree limbs are central to their habitat needs. That is where they excavate holes for nests or to roost for the night, and where they spend a lot of time looking for insect grubs living under tree bark.
