Bird Poop & Autos — There is an Actual Study

Weekly Industry News is always finding odd, and often entertaining studies. This one just might take the cake for the strangest of them all. Alan’s Factory Outlet has just published a study called the Bird Dropping Report.

The focus is birds pooping on the nation’s vehicles.

After talking with 1,000 drivers about their bird messes, and combining it with some actual science about why birds poop and where, the factory outlet has identified the autos most likely to be victims of foul doings from the sky.

We now — in theory at least — know why brown, red and black autos are most likely to receive those wonderful gifts from birds. Lighter colors like white and silver tend to be those least pooped upon.

Here’s the straight scoop on bird poop:

• 58% say birds have pooped on their vehicle more than once in a day
• 11% say that bird poop has damaged their paint jobs
• 30% think birds are personally targeting their vehicles

That leads to just which vehicle owners think birds actually target them:

• 47% of Lexus owners say birds target them
• 39% of Tesla owners feel the same way
• 35% of Dodge owners say birds are deliberately pooping on their vehicle

That leads to another interesting stat. Tesla and Dodge rank 5th and 7th respectively of the survey’s 10 brands most likely to be pooped on by a bird. Lexus did not make the top-10.

Birds are not only pooping too often on vehicles, but they are interfering with our normal daily routines.

• 14% say they have been pooped on while getting in or out of their auto
• 57% say bird poop is a financial burden because they have to go to the car wash
• 39% say bird poop forces them to get their autos washed several times a month
• 25% of respondents say they spend over $500 a year getting their vehicle washed or repaired because of bird poop

We also have to worry about where we park. People parked in prime bird locations like trees, power lines or street signs are more likely to get pooped upon. Half of those surveyed say their current parking gig doesn’t provide them enough protection and 39% admit to not minding walking a couple of extra blocks to avoid a poop zone.

So why do some colors get pooped on more than others? Scientifically, it’s because birds see color differently than we do. Brown, red and black are much more attractive to them than bland whites and silvers.

And that leads us to who gets pooped on the most:

1. Dodge Ram

2. Jeep

3. Chevrolet

4. Nissan

5. Dodge

6. Kia

7. Tesla

8. Audi

9. Ford

10. Subaru

What colors?

1. Brown

2. Red

3. Black

4. Yellow/orange

5. Blue

6. White

7. Silver/gray

How often are we dealing with those lovely gifts from above?

Daily — 7%

Weekly — 35%

Monthly — 29%

Rarely — 28%

Never — 2%

This story has been fun to write and edit. We’re curious what you think and want to know your experience with the dire consequences of bird poop on your vehicle.

Send your comments to Weekly Industry News Editor Gary Wolcott at garywolcott@piawest.com.

Source link: Gizmodo — https://bit.ly/43wJG09