For the Birds

Every morning for seven years, two workmen have had to scrub the front steps of Oklahoma's state capitol, cleaning up after the hundreds of starlings and pigeons that roost on the ledges overhead. To end the problem, the state installed spikes, but the birds merely used them to anchor their nests more securely. Next the state spread a sticky goo that was supposed to give the birds hot feet. This did not work either. Then the state set out corn kernels that had been treated with a birth-control chemical. The birds still multiplied.

Finally citizens offered some ideas for frightening the birds away. One Oklahoman proposed setting up bright red or amber lights. Another recommended pinwheels and bells. The state accepted a third suggestion, from Ornithologist George Sutton of the University of Oklahoma: it set out 48 plastic snakes, coiled and with fangs bared, just below the ledges. This scared away the starlings, but the pigeons got the joke and stayed put. -

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so viewer discretion is required.