While bird activity has abated thanks to the recent warm weather, countless crows continue to spend the winter in Nampa. The migratory birds seasonally mass in the city much to the chagrin of residents and business owners.

Picture hundreds of black birds perched on power lines, standing on roofs and filling the trees. A far cry from Bodega Bay, this scene straight out of the world of Alfred Hitchcock is playing out in Nampa. The birds arrived in the fall and have been a presence ever since.

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Residents and business owners say waste from the feathered visitors is making a mess and could present a health hazard. To deal with the influx, the Canyon County town is formulating a plan for when the birds return next year.

Bobby Sanchez, the chief of staff for the City of Nampa, says a strategy to deal with the birds will be fairly open ended.

“The strategy will be this understanding that we won’t likely solve the crow challenge,” says Sanchez. “They are a part of nature. The best we can do is manage the challenge.”

His plan for managing the crow issue consists of keeping the public informed of successful strategies the town comes up with for keeping the birds at bay.

In December, former mayor Bob Henry told police to shoot the birds with pellet guns over a weekend. Following the sanctioned shootings, bird activity in the area only diminished for a brief period.

In the past, crows presented a similar problem to Nampa’s neighbor Caldwell. After two to four years of congregating there, the birds changed their migration pattern and relocated – to Nampa.

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