Crows Springfield Ohio - Residents of Springfield are in the middle of a desperate two-week plan to eliminate thousands of crows, who come to roost in the city every night.
"It's not only a nuisance, but it's a health problem and a property problem," the chief executive officer of the Clark County Heritage Center Roger Skerrock said. "We're not taking even 1,000 birds, we're talking 50,000 to 60,000 birds that come downtown."
Crows have been roosting in Springfield for many years. However, locals say over the past decade, their numbers have increased dramatically. "It can be unnerving to walk outside and see thousands of crows on trees, buildings and everywhere, especially if you're familiar with Hitchcock's movie," Sherrock said in reference to Alfred Hitchcock's 1963 classic The Birds.
There have been no recorded incidents of crows attacking humans. However, the excreta of the birds, which damages surfaces and leaves behind bacteria, costs thousands of dollars to remove. According to the Telegraph, it costs about $10,000 to remove the bird droppings in the city every year. To add to this, stones swallowed by the birds to aid digestion often clog up roof gutters, says the Daily Mail.
Springfield News Sun reports that in 2012, locals were advised to install machines which produce sounds of crows in distress and sounds of predators. Despite efforts to re-program the sound machine ever so often, Sherrock says the crows have realized that the fearful sound is not real.
Now, the city has hired people to point lasers at the crows. Chris Moore, the City Service Department director, revealed that local businesses are working with the city's administrative body to carry out the plan. Nonetheless, he admits that one or two people pointing lasers will not be able to dismiss all 60,000 crows anytime soon.
The reason for the large presence of Crows in Springfield, Ohio continues to be a mystery. Experts say there are many reasons why the birds may be flocking to the city - they could be escaping predators, finding warmth in the blistering winter or looking for shelter due to the loss of their habitat.
