A Caroline Springs trader has won the war against corellas causing damage to her building and business.
Quest Caroline Springs manager Natalie Bui enlisted the help of a pest controller after the corella problem at her serviced apartments got out of control.
Full Flight Birds of Prey owner Graeme Coles released an eagle every day for a week three months ago to scare off the flock.
Ms Bui said corellas haven’t returned since.
“From my perspective, being a franchisee and general manager where we had numerous complaints from guests because of [corella]noises, I couldn’t have been more happier with the results,” Ms Bui said.
“The guests who stay here are commenting, ‘Where have the corellas gone?’.”
Ms Bui said birds would sharpen their beaks on the caulking of the windows and electrical wires of her business.
Mr Coles believes corellas were flocking to Quest as a meeting spot because it is one of the tallest buildings in the area.
“They were courting,” Mr Coles said. “What better way to show off to a potential partner – on top of a high building and flapping their wings?
“All the females were going there to have a look at the other corellas.”
The eagles were “very successful” in scaring off the corellas because of the natural predator-prey response, Mr Coles said.
And for the first time, he trialled owls to scare away the birds – and was surprised by the results. “They actually worked,” Mr Coles said. “This isn’t the golden wand and we can’t fix all pest bird problems, but it works.”
Culling birds is illegal in Victoria and can carry a penalty of more than $10,000 per bird.
