Attaching a drone to a bird...

[Dronefarm]

Hi

I have a farm and we are being plagued by starlings at the moment. They are protected so unfortunately I can't get the 12 bore out on them.

We have tried every way to get rid of them, but after a few days they get used to whatever we have done.

This brings me on to my next point...

If I were to get a decoy of a flying hawk, could I somehow attach a drone to it to make it look like it's flying?

Secondly and perhaps more difficult, can it be programmed to fly on the same path through the cattle sheds at a set time interval and then rest back at some sort of charging point, making it autonomous?


Thanks

[Cheredanine]

Technically very possible, but massively time consuming and expensive as well as less automated than you think.

I would think having a model run along a wire would be quicker, cheaper, more automated and just as effective

Otherwise may be worth talking to your nearest uni, they may use it as coursework

[Dronefarm]

Along a wire is not a bad idea and a bit more my level.

I'll see what I can come up with.

Cheers

[Two-Six]

How about a paper hawk picture/outline affixed to the top and bottom of a standard FPV race quad?  Learn to fly it and have big fun while scaring those pesky starlings into the bargain.

Perhaps you could make it produce cat noises too!

or something..

What do starlings do to you anyway?  Eat young crop sproutlings?

Actually I have found birds aren't fooled by or in anyway scared of my quad or RC aircraft.  They are more interested or borderline aggressive towards it.  Red kites and hawk type birds often will circle close to my RC gliders just to "keep an eye" on them as they are in their territory.  It was the same when I used to fly real gliders, I would often get a buzzard thermaling opposite me in a thermal checking me out intently.  Kind of going what the heck are YOU doing here?  This is MY bit of sky.

My MCPX-BL helicopter got attacked by a dragonfly once, I could hear the click as it smacked its tail into the canopy!

It probably "thought" it was a big angry buzzy dragonfly..

[subpixel]

.....If I were to get a decoy of a flying hawk, could I somehow attach a drone to it to make it look like it's flying? .....

You could always get one of the eagle/hawk style rc planes, stick a flight controller with GPS and have it fly around. Could probably even get a sound unit with raptor noises and if you get a good efficient motor/prop on it you should be able to keep it airborne for an hour on a battery, that might be effective in scaring the bulk of them away if sent up at the busy feeding periods.

also where abouts are you?

[Two-Six]

I read something about falconers using RC aircraft that look like the kind of birds falcons like to eat to train them.  I couldn't remember where I read it so I couldn't find much about it when I first posted but now I have found what I was looking for..

https://www.rofalconry.com/site/en/what-is-rofalconry/

This is pretty much what I was thinking about.  These things need to be flown by a competent rc pilot and aren't automatic.

I found this too: https://bird-x.com/bird-products/drones/

and this: http://www.wired.co.uk/article/robohawks-terrorise-real-birds