NORWICH – It’s almost that time of year again when thousands of American crow specimens typically invade the city during the early morning and late evening hours of the day and city officials are once again attempting to devise a plan to drive off the pesky avian intruders.
This isn’t the first time city leaders have tried to get a jump on what some local residents are calling the “season of the crows” – the birds’ occupation of downtown generally runs from early October through late March – and Mayor Joe Maiurano said there’s no guarantee this year’s plan of attack will work any better than those implemented in the past.
“We’re going to try to do everything we can to drive the crows away but they’re very, very smart birds,” stated Maiurano, who added the goal is to force the birds completely out of the city, not just to another location. “Even if we’re successful this year, we can’t be sure the same plan will work next year.”
In the past, city officials have tried everything from hiring Madison County Master Class Falconer Lorrie Schumacher to arming local handyman Warren Bates with a laser pointer to chase away the crows, all to no avail.
This year, the city has procured a professional CD recording, “CrøwAway,” which contains audio samples of crows in distress and the calls of various raptors which prey upon the American crow.
The plan, according to the mayor, is to pump the recording through the downtown sound system, typically used for the traditional music played throughout the holiday season. The recording will be played during the morning and evening hours when the crows inundate the city.
In addition, city officials have discussed the hiring of a licensed pyrotechnician who, for the first several weeks of crow season, would set off controlled charges creating a loud bang similar to that of a firework.
Code Enforcement Officer Jason Lawrence reported the city will also be cracking down on uncovered residential and commercial trash receptacles throughout the city. He warned that those not in accordance will be issued a courtesy warning for a first offense, followed by the issuance of an appearance ticket for continued failure to comply with proper outdoor refuse storage.
“We need the community’s help in trying to take care of this problem. Trash cans must be covered and bags of garbage should not be left on the side of the road,” added Lawrence.
Mayor Maiurano concurred and said it’s imperative that all garbage cans are covered.
“We need to take away the crows’ primary reason for coming into the city,” he said.
Time may be of the essence at this point, according to City Clerk and Director of Finance William Roberts, who, just this morning, saw several crow “scouts” surveying downtown, a typical strategy employed by the extremely intelligent species.
“It’s like they were staking out the area,” he said.