Lethal falcons will be brought to Dubbo to help manage the starling population in Macquarie Street.
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In 2014 and earlier this year, then-Dubbo City Council engaged the services of Full Flight Falconry (FFF) to disturb and move the roosting starling population from the CBD.
Following the trial, FFF recommended the use of Sparrowhawks or Brown Goshawks, which are trained to kill in flight, to dramatically magnify the pest control.
Council’s manager landcare services Lynton Auld said the organisation was in the process of training the lethal birds, and while they might not be ready for the 2017 falconry season, they would at least be used in 2018.
“As with all things in nature and when you’re dealing with smart birds, we have to constantly evolve the process. Unfortunately, it’s not a simple process but we’ll keep trying until we find an answer,” Mr Auld said.
“Council is committed to finding a solution to the problem.”
As well as looking at different birds of prey, Mr Auld said council was also investigating the use of a bird control drone.
“We don’t yet have a prototype that we could see an example of, and it’s quite costly, but we’re still pursuing that as an alternate option,” he said.
Other technological options such as a sonic net, which essentially is white noise fer the birds, ,making it unable for them to communicate, have also been looked into.
Mr Auld said removing the birds was a trial, and different alternatives and different combinations of those options would continue to be pursued until the best result was achieved.
“It’s our CBD and we want to make sure it’s as comfortable as possible for people to visit,” he said.
The falconry trial will continue in 2017 and 2018.