[EBB Sightings] Discouraging Acorn Woodpeckers

On Sun, 16 Nov 2008 00:34:19 +0000 (UTC), Art Edwards 
wrote:

>To discourage Acorn Woodpeckers from pecking on buildings, etc., spray the surface with Capsican, the main ingredient of Chili Peppers. They hate the taste of it.  This is much simpler, cheaper, and more humane than killing the woodpeckers.

My understanding is that birds do not normally taste Capsican which is why
it is often suggested as a squirrel deterrent at feeders.  I did not know
that woodpeckers are also deterred. 

Here's a quote, "Birds can't taste hot peppers

Pepper plants (the hot kind) produce a chemical called capsican in their
fruit, which causes a burning sensation - but only in mammals. Apparently,
natural selection decided that birds spread pepper seeds better than
mammals, so capsican developed in the seeds and flesh of the pepper. Birds
don't have the chemoreceptors for it to cause the burning, so eating super
hot peppers doesn't phase them at all. "

Source: http://www.freethoughtpedia.com/wiki/Evolution_effects 

-- 
Joseph Morlan, Pacifica, CA 94044   jmorlan (at) ccsf.edu 
S.F. Birding Classes start Oct 28   http://fog.ccsf.edu/~jmorlan/
California Bird Records Committee   http://www.wfo-cbrc.org/cbrc/