Method and apparatus for attracting and capturing birds

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12446566-B2
Application number	US-202318322871-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2023
Priority date	May 26, 2022
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

An example of a system for removing target animals such as birds from an area in a humane manner includes a cage with a substantially unidirectional entry and a device for attracting the target animals into the cage through the entry. The target animals captured in the cage can be released to another area as needed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for attracting and capturing target animals, comprising:
a cage including a floor, a roof, walls coupled between the floor and the roof, and an entry on the roof, the entry including a frame, a hole on the entry frame, and a substantially unidirectional barrier adjacent the hole, the substantially unidirectional barrier including spikes directly coupled to the frame and one or more deflectors directly coupled to the frame, the spikes and the one or more deflectors configured and arranged to allow the target animals to enter the cage through the hole and to prevent the entered target animals from exiting the cage through the hole; and
an attracting device configured to be placed in the cage to attract the target animals into the cage.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the spikes and the one or more deflectors are configured to be temporarily bent from a rest state during each entry of one or more animals of the target animals and to return to the rest state after that entry.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the roof comprises a sloped roof including at least one slope having a slope upper end and a slope lower end, and the entry is positioned at the slope lower end.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the sloped roof comprises a V-shaped roof including a first slope, a second slope, and a valley, the first slope having a first slope upper end and a first slope lower end, the second slope having a second slope upper end and a second slope lower end, the valley formed by the first slope lower end and the second slope lower end, and the entry is at the valley.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the frame is coupled between the first slope lower end and the second slope lower end, the hole is a slot in the frame, and the slot is sized to allow the target animals to enter the cage.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the attracting device is configured to produce at least one of a sound effect or a visual effect.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the attracting device comprises a running water source including a water reservoir and an electric water pump.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the attracting device is detachably attached to a portion of the cage.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the attracting device further comprises one or more bait stations.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the attracting device further comprises a decoy.

11. An apparatus for capturing target animals that employs at least one of a sound effect, a visual effect, food, or water as an attractor, comprising:
a cage including:
a floor,
a roof;
walls coupled between the floor and the roof so as to create an enclosure; and
means incorporated onto the roof for allowing the target animals to enter the enclosure while preventing the entered target animals from exiting the enclosure, including spikes and one or more deflectors, the spikes configured to be temporarily bent from a rest state during each entry of one or more animals of the target animals and to return to the rest state after that entry.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the roof comprises a sloped roof including at least one slope having a slope upper end and a slope lower end, and the means incorporated onto the roof for allowing the target animals to enter the enclosure while preventing the entered target animals from exiting the enclosure is adjacent the slope lower end.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the sloped roof comprises a V-shaped roof including a first slope, a second slope, and a valley coupled between the first slope and the second slope, and the means adjacent the slope lower end for allowing the target animals to enter the enclosure while preventing the entered target animals from exiting the enclosure is at the valley.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the means adjacent the slope lower end for allowing the target animals to enter the enclosure while preventing the entered target animals from exiting the enclosure comprises a slot, and the spikes and the one or more deflectors are arranged adjacent the slot.

15. A method for attracting and capturing target animals, comprising:
providing a cage including a floor, a roof, walls coupled between the floor and the roof, and an entry on the roof, the entry including a frame and a hole on the frame and configured to allow the target animals to enter the cage through the hole and to prevent the entered target animals from exiting the cage using a substantially unidirectional barrier including spikes directly coupled to the frame and one or more deflectors directly coupled to the frame, the spikes and the one or more deflectors arranged to prevent the entered target animals from exiting the cage through the hole, the spikes including at least bendable spikes configured to be temporarily bent from a rest state during each entry of one or more animals of the target animals and to return to the rest state after that entry;
placing the cage in an area from which the target animals are intended to be excluded; and
producing an attracting effect to lure the target animals into entering the cage using an attracting device.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein providing the cage comprises sizing the hole for allowing one or more specified types of birds to enter the cage, and producing the attracting effect comprises providing a running water source for luring the one or more specified types of the birds into entering the cage.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein providing the cage comprises:
providing a sloped roof as the roof, the sloped roof including at least one slope having a slope upper end and a slope lower end; and
positioning the entry adjacent the slope lower end.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein providing the cage comprises:
providing the cage with a V-shaped roof as the sloped roof, the V-shaped roof including a first slope, a second slope, and a valley, the first slope having a first slope upper end and a first slope lower end, the second slope having a second slope upper end and a second slope lower end, the valley formed by the first slope lower end and the second slope lower; and
positioning the entry in the valley with the hole being a slot substantially parallel to the first slope lower end and the second slope lower end.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein using an attracting device comprises detachably attaching the attracting device to a portion of the cage.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein producing the attracting effect further comprises providing one or more bait stations.

Assignees

• Ecolab Usa Inc

Inventors

• Beidle Brian Alan

Classifications

• A01K7/02

  Automatic devices · CPC title

• A01M23/08 Primary

  with approaches permitting entry only · CPC title