Bird deterrent

Abstract

A bird deterrent with a reel of reflective ribbon, a reel housing, a reel housing to railing retaining member, a plurality of reflective ribbon to railing retaining members and ribbon retaining cap members. The reel housing to railing retaining member is attached to the reel housing. The railing retaining members include front and rear hinged clamping members. Each clamping member includes a railing retaining tubular aperture. The ribbon to railing retaining members each include a ribbon retaining member. The front and rear clamping members are tightened onto the rail of a cabin cruiser or sail boat by of a threaded thumbscrew. The reel housing and ribbon retaining members are attached to the railing so that the ribbon can be unwound from the reel housing and placed in a zig zag orientation within each ribbon retaining member and held in place by the ribbon retaining caps.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . bird deterrent comprising:
 a reel of reflective ribbon;   a reel housing;   a reel housing to railing retaining member;   a plurality of reflective ribbon to railing retaining members;   a plurality of ribbon retaining cap members;   said reel of reflective ribbon housed within said reel housing;   said reel housing to railing retaining member rotatably attached to the underside of said reel housing;   said reel housing to railing retaining member and said reflective ribbon to railing retaining members each including front and rear hinged clamping members;   each said clamping member including a half cylindrical cutaway portion;   said half cylindrical cutaway portions facing each other to form a railing retaining tubular aperture;   said reflective ribbon to railing retaining members each including a rotatably attached ribbon retaining member fixed within a vertically disposed tubular aperture located within the top most surface of said front and rear clamping members;   said front and rear clamping members tightened onto the rail of a cabin cruiser or sail boat by means of a threaded thumbscrew slidebly engaged in the top portion of said front clamping member and engaging a threaded aperture in the top portion of said rear clamping member;   said tubular aperture including a resilient insert that can accommodate various diameters of boat railing;   said reel housing attached to said boat railing and said reflective ribbon retaining members attached to said railing in a zig zag pattern; and   said reflective ribbon unwound from said reel housing and placed in said zig zag orientation within each said ribbon retaining member and held in place by said ribbon retaining cap members;   said caps removably attachable to said ribbon retaining members by standard fastening means.   
     
     
         2 . A bird deterrent as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said reel housing, said reel housing retaining member and said reflective ribbon to railing retaining members are injection molded from rigid, saltwater resistant plastic. 
     
     
         3 . A bird deterrent as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said reflective ribbon is approximately one half of an inch wide and approximately two thousandths of an inch thick and two hundred feet long. 
     
     
         4 . A bird deterrent as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said reflective ribbon is held in a horizontal orientation by being trapped between the top of said ribbon retaining member and the underside of said ribbon retaining cap member.