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Controlling Blackbird Damage to Sunflower and Grain Crops in the Northern Great Plains

By

George M. Linz, Richard A. Dolbeer, James J. Hanzel, and Louis E. Huffman¹

¹George Linz and Richard Dolbeer work for the Denver Wildlife Research Center, a unit of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Animal Damage Control program, in Fargo, ND, and Sandusky, OH, respectively. James Hanzel is with North Dakota State University's Crop and Weed Sciences Department, in Fargo, ND. Louis Hoffman is with APHIS, Animal Damage Control, in Bismarck, ND.

Flocks of red-winged blackbirds, sometimes numbering in the tens of thousands, can destroy a grain field in a few days. (APHIS photo by David Bergman.)

Linz, George M., R. A. Dolbeer, J. J. Hanzel, and L. E. Huffman.  1996.  
     Controlling blackbird damage to sunflower and grain crops in the 
     northern Great Plains.  United States Department of Agriculture, 
     Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Agriculture Infromation
     Bulletin No. 679.  15pp.

Linz, George M., R. A. Dolbeer, J. J. Hanzel, and L. E. Huffman.  1996.  
     Controlling blackbird damage to sunflower and grain crops in the 
     northern Great Plains.  United States Department of Agriculture, 
     Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Agriculture Infromation
     Bulletin No. 679.  15pp.  Jamestown, ND: Northern Prairie Wildlife
     Research Center Online.  
     http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/blkbird/index.htm
     (Version 16JUL97).

Table of Contents

• Introduction
  • Red-winged Blackbird
  • Common Grackle
  • Yellow-headed Blackbird
  • Other Bird Species
  • Legal Status
• Estimating Crop Damage
• Control Methods
  • Cultural Practices
  • Bird-Resistant Crops
  • Cattail Marsh Management
  • Frightening
  • Airplane Hazing
  • Repellants
• Summary
• Research and Methods Implementation
• Bibliography