City of Rochester
News Release
(Monday, Nov. 26, 2018) – The City will commence its wildlife
management tomorrow to disperse a winter roost of 20,000 to 30,000 crows.
Wildlife biologists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Wildlife
Services Program will break up the roost with the use of pyrotechnics,
spotlights, lasers and amplified electronic recordings of crow distress calls.
These methods will not harm the birds.
Management
efforts will begin at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 27 at Washington Square Park and
continue through the night. Follow-ups will then be conducted to keep the birds
from re-establishing a large roost.
The
goal of this effort is to break up and disperse the large roost from the
Downtown area and minimize damage associated with the high concentrations of
crows. Once the methods are in progress, the crows will disperse into smaller
groups that will spread out over a broader area, reducing the crows’ damage and
mess.
City
and Wildlife Services representatives recognize the management project
techniques may be disruptive and respectfully request public cooperation as
crews work throughout the city. Residents are asked to assist the effort by
calling 311 (428-5990 outside city limits) to report the locations of large
groups of crows.
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