SETTING UP AN EFFECTIVE URBAN BLACKBIRD ROOST CONTROL PROGRAM

The City of Denton is situated 35 miles north of north-central Texas. This area is within one of the major N-S corridors for migratory birds. It is also far enough south so that winters are generally mild and open. The average rainfall of 30 inches sustains good stands of pecan and several species of oak, which serve as excellent roost sites for blackbirds. For the past several years, summering flocks of blackbirds have chosen Denton as a roosting site. Interviews with oldtimers here indicate that flocks of birds have always been around. It is only in recent years that their numbers seem much greater and the resulting mess deeper. They also say that "in the old days" if flocks appeared and started creating a problem, they were simply shot with little fuss resulting. This method is not generally acceptable today.