Automatic Repeating Nest Box Trap
For Starlings and House Sparrows

3/2/2008 Note: The traps have sold out and I may not have time to make more for some time.

This new automatic repeating starling trap has performed well in the 2004-6 seasons. It is somewhat lighter and has a simpler mechanism than the tipping can traps. Video monitoring has demonstrated a 100 percent capture rate with starlings, Recent trap data suggests it is quite effective with house sparrows, but none were present during the earlier video monitoring, so catch rates couldn't be determined. In aviary testing with captive house sparrows in March, 2005, a male learned to temporarily avoid tripping the trap after being caught 17 times. The previous record, prior to several minor modifications, was 5 times. No sparrow has been observed to escape on its first visit. The automatic trap never needs to be reset and will deliver any number of starlings or sparrows to the holding cage below. Frequent monitoring of the trap is necessary, in order to promptly remove starlings and house sparrows or to release any native bird that might enter. Mounting the trap under the eaves of a building greatly lessens the chance that a native bird will enter while increasing the number of starlings caught. Please read the other trap pages on this site before deciding where to mount your trap. When the trap can't be monitored, simply removing the holding cage will allow birds to pass down the tube unscathed.

A 4" pvc downpipe and hardware cloth holding cage can be ordered with the trap or purchased locally. Larger holding cages may be desirable if the trap can't be monitored frequently each morning. Please read the other starling trap pages on this site before deciding which holding cage is right for you.

The trap is constructed from 3/4" exterior plywood, fastened with galvanized screws and painted white. All sides and edges of the plywood parts are painted before assembly, thus protecting even the concealed edges of the plywood from moisture. The curved aluminum roof conforms to the radius of the tipping wall and prevents the starling from escaping over the wall as it moves downward. The tipping floor and wall is shaped from 28 gauge galvanized steel. A metal hole cover extends from the tipping wall to the edge of the entrance hole and immediately covers the entrance as the floor begins to drop under the bird's weight. The counterweight is fully adjustable and comes set light enough to trap house sparrows. A pvc flange is mounted on the bottom to accept light weight 4" pvc drain pipe. The 4" pvc downtube can be purchased at Lowes or Home Depot in the plumbing department for $5 if you intend to make your own holding cage. Or, the combination down tube and hardware cloth cylindrical holding cage can be ordered with the trap. However, the UPS charge for the oversize pipe is much more than the cost of the pipe itself. The home store will cut the 10' pipe to length if you don't want to haul that long a pipe in your car. For pole mounting, a 5' length is ideal to bring the cage to an ideal height. For mounting on a building, the pipe should extend down to a convenient height for reaching the cage. I prefer the pipe to end 5' above the ground.

Repeating starling trap without pipe and cage - $85 plus $22 UPS...................................$107
3/2/2008 Note: The traps have sold out and I may not have time to make more for some time. If I can make more this spring, this page will be updated.