A Bay Area city is fighting back against its growing population of crows.
Larry Klein, the mayor of Sunnyvale, California, says the bird population in his city has been on the rise in recent months.
"We've had lots of crows in our community for years, but in the past two years, the numbers have just kept increasing and increasing," Klein told KPIX-TV in San Francisco.
While at first residents didn't mind the birds, they've become a nuisance in the town. Their early-morning squawking keeps residents up late at night and early in the morning, and their droppings have caused cleanup costs to skyrocket.
In fact, Klein told The Washington Post that he often avoids the city's white-splattered sidewalks so his dog won't walk through the mess.
Klein and other city officials are now fighting back against the growing crow population. They're taking steps to discourage the birds from making their homes in Sunnyvale.
City employees armed with green laser pointers have taken to shining the lights at murders of crows perched in trees. Others blast loud music from boomboxes. Officials have even hung effigies of crows throughout the city to try and spook the birds into leaving.
"We don't want to get rid of all the crows, we just don't want all of them congregating in one location," Klein told KPIX.
According to The Post, crows flock together in large groups for protection and often are drawn to urban areas because well-lit areas keep them safe from predators. They can also feast on garbage left over by humans, and they're able to build nests in trees that line streets or backyards.
