AVIX Autonomic laser keeps cockatoos away from macadamia farm

Location:	Bondville, New South Wales, Australia
Application context:	Macadamia farm (Agriculture)
Problem definition:	Yield losses
Bird species:	Cockatoos
Bird behavior:	Foraging
Time of the year with bird problems:	January – november
Time of the day with bird problems:	Sunrise – sunset
Number of systems:	1 AVIX Autonomic Mark II
In use since:	2022
Laser projection area:	5 acres
Bird reduction after the laser deployment:	90%

	Before AVIX Autonomic	After AVIX Autonomic
Yearly cost of bird damage to the farm	AUD 20,000	AUD 5,000
Yearly cost of bird damage per acre	AUD 5,000	AUD 1,000
Number of birds	200	20

The next-generation laser bird deterrent AVIX Autonomic reduced cockatoos’ presence by 90%

Mark Wolf is a macadamia nut farmer from Bondville near Cox Harbor in New South Wales, Australia. Cockatoos were causing severe damage to the macadamia nuts on his farm all year round, from sunrise to sunset. The damage was worth a yearly cost of $20,000, which was a significant loss for the small farm with only 400 trees.

To keep cockatoos away, Mark decided to invest in the automated laser bird deterrent AVIX Autonomic, designed and manufactured by the Dutch company Bird Control Group. He purchased one system from Bird Beam, the trusted Australian partner of Bird Control Group.

The AVIX Autonomic uses laser technology to effectively keep cockatoos away from the crop by projecting a green light that the birds perceive as a physical threat and flee the area. The system was installed about 12 months ago and covered a total of five acres targeting specific areas, such as roosting trees. 

At first, the laser system achieved a 100% reduction in bird number. However, the cockatoos are a highly cunning species and they soon learn that the laser did not actually harm them.

By changing the projection patterns and timing of the laser frequently, Mark was able to keep the birds at bay – achieving a steady 90% reduction in bird number. The AVIX Autonomic can be easily programmed and monitored via a user-friendly app.

The laser system has been a major success for the farmer. The yearly cost of bird damage had dropped to around $5,000, 75% less than before, and helped pay for the bird deterrent system in less than a year. 

Cockatoos are highly intelligent species known for their cunning and ability to learn quickly. The farmer notes that the flocks of birds can vary depending on the availability of food in other areas. Still, the number of birds causing damage on his farm has dropped by 90% from 200 to around 20 since the laser system has been active.

Mark Wolf got so enthusiastic about the results that he became an ambassador of Bird Control Group’s products and even sold a laser system to one of his neighbors. 

”What I like the most about the laser system is that it’s silent, so it doesn’t annoy the neighbors. It gives excellent coverage and is very easy to operate and program. Also, the quality of the manufacturers is very high”

Mark Wolf – Farm Owner