Compressed Air, Wooden Clappers, and Other Non-Traditional Methods for Dispersing European Starlings from an Urban Roost

During autumn 2003, several thousand European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) began roosting on exposed I-beams in a newly constructed, decorative glass canopy that covered the passenger pick-up area at the terminal building for Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Ohio. The use of lethal control or conventional dispersal techniques, such as pyrotechnics and fire hoses, were not feasible in the airport terminal area. The design and aesthetics of the structure precluded the use of netting and other exclusion materials. In January 2004, an attempt was made to disperse the birds using recorded predator and distress calls broadcast from speakers installed in the structure. This technique failed to disperse the birds. In February 2004, we developed a technique using compressed air to physically and audibly harass the birds. We used a trailer-mounted commercial air compressor producing 185 cubic feet per minute of air at 100 pounds per square inch pressure and a 20-foot long, 1-inch diameter PVC pipe attached to the outlet hose. One person slowly (< 5 mph) drove a pick-up truck through the airport terminal at dusk while the second person sat on a bench in the truck bed and directed the compressed air from the pipe into the canopy to harass starlings attempting to enter the roost site. After 5 consecutive nights of compressed-air harassment, virtually no starlings attempted to roost in the canopy. Once familiar with the physical effects of the compressed air, the birds dispersed at the sound of the air. Only occasional harassment at dusk was needed through the remainder of the winter to keep the canopy free of starlings. Similar harassment with the compressor was conducted successfully in autumn 2004 with the addition of a modified leaf blower, wooden clappers, and laser. In conclusion, we found compressed air to be a safe, unobtrusive, and effective method for dispersing starlings from an urban roost site. This technique would likely be applicable for other urban-roosting species such as crows, house sparrows, and blackbirds.

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.

Effective Thermal Conductivity Estimates Of Particulate Mixtures

Several theories have been advanced to estimate effective thermal conductivities of particulate mixtures, but most theories have focused on the dilute case. A method is proposed to estimate the effective thermal conductivity coefficient of mixtures of arbitrary concentration. Earlier the authors developed a theory to determine the expected contact area between different species. This theory is employed to determine the Kapitza resistance of the heterogeneous mixture and forms part of an overall theory to estimate the effective thermal conductivity. Results are compared with other theoretical estimates and with experiments.