A large percentage of Auburn's crows have returned to the city and the U.S. Department of Agriculture will be dipping into its own funds to continue dispersing them from city trees.
USDA Wildlife Services biologists were in town Thursday night and Friday morning to take the latest census count of the ballyhooed blackbird. They found 26,700 crows roosting in mostly residential districts throughout the city.
"We're continuing to learn about these crows," said USDA director Richard Chipman. "They haven't returned to the downtown areas, but they are finding homes on the outskirts."
Crews took a Jan. 18 census after one week of crow hazing and found that 24,770 of the estimated 63,800 crows were still lingering in area trees. The USDA came back to conduct another week of the non-lethal harassment methods (lasers, distress calls, pyrotechnics, effigies and a mechanical scarecrow) and pushed all but 1,010 crows out of the city.
The hazing stopped and the crows returned again. The latest numbers show a 58-percent reduction from the original numbers, but Chipman said he won't consider the job a success until the numbers remain less than 10,000. Chipman said as the crows become accustom to hazing, they move around quite a bit until they find comfortable roosting spots.
Some of these spots just happened to be in people's backyards. Chipman received tips from residents on crow locations, and that's where biologists scouted the birds this week.
Crews on Friday morning found about 20,000 crows flying west out of the city along a line following Clark Street; 1,500 south along William Street; 2,500 north along North Street; and 2,700 east along East Genesee Street.
Residents in Geneva, Elbridge and Owasco have also reported seeing an unusual number of crows in their areas.
Biologists will be back in Auburn Thursday to collect more census numbers and asses the situation, and then return for a two- or three-day hazing campaign after analyzing the data. Chipman said the USDA has spent close to $10,000 more than the $13,771 the city paid for the initial harassing.
"We've spent the additional money because we want to finish the job," he said. "This is just ongoing management."
Chipman said hotel rooms, fuel and overtime salaries have contributed to the additional expenses in returning to haze the stubborn birds. Chipman said the majority of the money his crew has spent was put into the city's economy.
USDA officials have said that controlling a crow problem is a yearly routine; Chipman compared it to mowing a lawn. City manager John Salomone said he wants to discuss with Chipman the possibility of getting crow-hazing training for city employees to soften the city's costs, although much of the equipment costs thousands of dollars.
"It's certainly on the table," said Chipman, who has maintained that while hazing is not an erudite exercise, it is based on science. All of the USDA biologists have at least a four-year degree and years of experience working with wildlife
"We want this to be a success," he said. "My vision would be of some kind of combination of both USDA and city efforts."
Staff writer Benning W. De La Mater can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 237 or ben.delamater@lee.net
"We're continuing to learn about these crows," said USDA director Richard Chipman. "They haven't returned to the downtown areas, but they are finding homes on the outskirts."
Crews took a Jan. 18 census after one week of crow hazing and found that 24,770 of the estimated 63,800 crows were still lingering in area trees. The USDA came back to conduct another week of the non-lethal harassment methods (lasers, distress calls, pyrotechnics, effigies and a mechanical scarecrow) and pushed all but 1,010 crows out of the city.
The hazing stopped and the crows returned again. The latest numbers show a 58-percent reduction from the original numbers, but Chipman said he won't consider the job a success until the numbers remain less than 10,000. Chipman said as the crows become accustom to hazing, they move around quite a bit until they find comfortable roosting spots.
Some of these spots just happened to be in people's backyards. Chipman received tips from residents on crow locations, and that's where biologists scouted the birds this week.
Crews on Friday morning found about 20,000 crows flying west out of the city along a line following Clark Street; 1,500 south along William Street; 2,500 north along North Street; and 2,700 east along East Genesee Street.
Residents in Geneva, Elbridge and Owasco have also reported seeing an unusual number of crows in their areas.
Biologists will be back in Auburn Thursday to collect more census numbers and asses the situation, and then return for a two- or three-day hazing campaign after analyzing the data. Chipman said the USDA has spent close to $10,000 more than the $13,771 the city paid for the initial harassing.
"We've spent the additional money because we want to finish the job," he said. "This is just ongoing management."
Chipman said hotel rooms, fuel and overtime salaries have contributed to the additional expenses in returning to haze the stubborn birds. Chipman said the majority of the money his crew has spent was put into the city's economy.
USDA officials have said that controlling a crow problem is a yearly routine; Chipman compared it to mowing a lawn. City manager John Salomone said he wants to discuss with Chipman the possibility of getting crow-hazing training for city employees to soften the city's costs, although much of the equipment costs thousands of dollars.
"It's certainly on the table," said Chipman, who has maintained that while hazing is not an erudite exercise, it is based on science. All of the USDA biologists have at least a four-year degree and years of experience working with wildlife
"We want this to be a success," he said. "My vision would be of some kind of combination of both USDA and city efforts."
Staff writer Benning W. De La Mater can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 237 or ben.delamater@lee.net
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