Bird damage reduction strategies utilizing viticultural practices
(MSU Extenstion)
Bird damage begins around veraison and continues until late fall/winter when grapes are harvested for ice-wine production. If you don’t have bird control, crop losses can reach up to 95% and 60% in red and white varieties, respectively.
It is extremely difficult to stop birds once they have tasted the sweet grapes.
Bird damage in the vineyard is a concern in any grape growing region, particularly in small blocks surrounded by forests or other vegetation. The damage begins around veraison when berries begin to accumulate sugar and color and it continues until harvest, even in late fall/winter when grapes are harvested for ice-wine production. Previous observations have reported that if you have no bird control, by late October crop losses can reach up to 95% and 60% in red and white varieties, respectively (Photos 1 and 2). Michigan has the highest percent of crop loss among grape producing states (Table 1).