My subdivision has a homeowners’ association (HOA) that dictates mailbox placement, size, and look. All the mailboxes are on wrought iron posts with a home address placard hanging from a bar above the box. It’s an attractive look to have uniform mailboxes throughout the neighborhood.
The major problem with the mailbox is that it gets covered with bird poop. The bar with the address numbers makes a perfect roosting spot for birds when they’re ready to unload. Consequently, the mailbox gets covered, no matter how often we hose it off. Bird poop left on a metal mailbox is corrosive.
Yesterday, I had an occasion to drive through Belle Meade, a city within the city of Nashville. Belle Meade oozes wealth with it’s mansions, 2 and 3 acre lots, and lawns cared for by gardeners. Residents inclued Vince Gill and Amy Grant, and the Gores.
And guess what? No bird poop on mailboxes. Not even with the ones that have street numbers on a bar above the box. What’s up with that? Do birds defer to the famous and well-to-do? Do the people who live in Belle Meade have staff to clean mailboxes every day?
I would analyze the situation but someone at my house has to hose off the mailbox.
This and That 
There is a product on eBay called Bird-Deter that keeps birds from perching/messing on a mailbox. It is a simple design but it works amazingly well.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330487876082
Gregg, Thank you for reading and thank you for your suggestion. As you can see on the picture I just posted, the bird poop is corroding the top of the mailbox cover. I’ll have to look into this product.
Mary, It is nice to see that your page rankings remain strong. The URL to Bird-Deter® has changed. For those seeking to prevent bird droppings on their mailbox, they may now find the solution at http://bird-deter.com/
Thank you!