what native bird would eat a lot of flies - is there one?

[Chasingmytail]

Out of interest got a lot of flies on the cows and calves already. Got plenty of trees and shading but last year seemed extreme.

Is there a native bird that I could attract to the fields to eat more? I have put a few rubbish birdhouses out in the past but willing to put up a load more if I knew the types of birds I need to attract. Also would I need to have specific trees? We have planted a few thousand trees and God only knows the miles of new hedging to bring the size of the fields down into manageable paddocks but we are talking a few years to establish currently on year 2 and 3.

I know that bats eat about 3,000 insects a night but Im looking at the fly problem as a whole.

Perhaps make a mobile fly catching system?

 

[topground]

Ask our fwend Chwis Packham, he claims to be worlds leading authority on all things wildlife.

 

[Kidds]

I think the trees attract the flies.

What usually happens with pests (in this case flies) is that they eventually reach a point where they naturally attract a predator and a balance is eventually found.
(trees really do attract flies by the way)

 

[bluebell]

were the opposite here in essex, its been so dry so hardly any flies for the poor bluetits and our other thats a flyeating machine ,pied wagtales, thats after my other post what do i see out the window chris packham only black crows woodpidgeons and magpies, the only ray of hope on the bird front, the bluetits and piedwagtales and they are really struggerling because lack of flies?

 

[Bogweevil]

Spotted flycatcher perhaps, a friend had one in her garden - voracious it was for flies - likes an open fronted nest box - https://www.bto.org/about-birds/nnbw/nesting-birds/spotted-flycatcher

 

[Landy Nick]

Probably Swallows, Swifts and Housemartins are the most prolific fly catchers. They seem to be on the wing all the time catching flies.

 

[Princess Pooper]

Spotted flycatcher perhaps, a friend had one in her garden - voracious it was for flies - likes an open fronted nest box - https://www.bto.org/about-birds/nnbw/nesting-birds/spotted-flycatcher

certainly eat flies but they're a migrant and increasingly scarce. Most of the summer migrants eat insects, swallows will catch 5000 insects a day to feed a brood. Open fronted buildings (eg stables) and plenty of mud for nests required.

 

[Exfarmer]

Definitely trees are very bad for flies. My father used to fence cattle out of copses and clumps in the summer

 

[WillH]

Wagtails

Don't know how you would attract them other than then finding you though

 

[Danllan]

Wagtails

Don't know how you would attract them other than then finding you though

Cleverly adapted pigeon magnet, and he could keep them there with bird glue.

 

[hendrebc]

Park your car in the field with the cows there is bound to be some swallows that will come and build a nest over it and sh!t on it

 

[Old McDonald]

Is there a native bird that I could attract to the fields to eat more?

I agree with others that flies tend to like being close to trees. Blackface sheep experience in Northumberland gives me that viewpoint.

There is a fancy word I cannot presently recall that means there is no such thing as a native (to the UK) bird that lives on flies. They would starve to death in the winter.

We presently have fairly large flocks of house martins about and they appear to be catching lots of flies (not house fly or headfly types) just above the river. Since flies are only a problem for you during the warmer months, I again agree with other posters that you should try to encourae nesting of these fly catching summer visitors.

I have also farmed sheep in Australia and flies are more than a slight problem there too.