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Bird Buffer’s Founder Got His Start Working in Special Effects for Hollywood

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The company's founder and president is Gary Crawford, whose other “claim to fame” is being the inventor of ET’s glowing finger.

| October 14, 2010

Editor’s note:  The following company profile was submitted by Bird Buffer LLC, manufacturer of the Bird Buffer, a machine used to repel birds such in open air spaces, indoors and outdoors. The company was founded by Gary Crawford, creator of ET’s glowing finger and owner of CITC, an award-winning special effects company.

When Gary Crawford raised homing pigeons and raced them, he would take them 200 miles from their home and, invariably, they would beat him home to their cage. One year after closing the cages, pigeons were still coming back. “They remembered their home location from 200 miles away and continued to test the area for moving back in.  Birds have great memories,” said Gary Crawford, president of Bird Buffer, LLC.

How ironic that 40 years later, Crawford, creator of ET’s glowing finger and owner of CITC, an award-winning special effects company, founded Bird Buffer, LLC., to produce a machine to repel birds in a cost-effective, safe manner for pigeon control and other birds in open air spaces.  The Bird Buffer helps birds want to find new roosting areas, without harm to anyone, even the birds. 

“In CITC, we manufacture specialty machines to create haze, wind, smoke and other special effects for the entertainment industry,” says Crawford. “In fact, we have the largest selection of haze machines in the world.”
Crawford's knowledge of haze, fog and air currents encouraged him to invent a bird repelling, smaller particle machine, which uses a bird repellant fluid for the bird control industry made from grape juice concentrate.

Pigeon control for flying and migratory birds in open air spaces are difficult to control and need special attention.  It wasn’t until Nov. 16, 1994 that a harmless grape food flavoring called methyl anthranilate (MA) was found to deter birds without harming them by stimulating a nerve only found in birds. This was sprayed on fruits to deter the birds.
Being familiar with the habits of birds helped Gary Crawford in his research to get a better response from birds by reducing the amount of fluid consumption, vaporizing the fluid and keeping it fresh in the air throughout the day.  “When the birds fly through the tiny-sized particles floating in the air, they soon learn to stay away.  The vapor needs to stay in the air and be fresh.” Crawford said.  “So we developed an automated machine for short output consistently during the day when the birds are flying.”

The patented Bird Buffer is distributed for pigeon control, black bird control, grackle control and other birds in open air spaces, indoors and outdoors. For more information visit www.birdbuffer.com.

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