In March, mayor Ben Shields pushed for council to do something about the messy, smelly starlings. He said the main street was "embarrassing" thanks to an increase in the number of starlings and pigeons roosting.

Council hired an expert to investigate the problem and a multi-pronged approach has been recommended.

It includes pruning the trees and installing spikes to discourage roosting. Council will also further investigate the use of lights, a trapping program and an ozone deterrent to shoo away the birds.

There are about 500,000 starlings in Dubbo.

ALSO MAKING NEWS:

Council is currently spending about $1300 per day to clean up after the birds. Three new staff members have been hired to assist the CBD maintenance person clean the mess from 4am each day.

Another $60,000 will be spent to prune back the trees the starlings are roosting in.

But council is continuing to look at ways to disrupt the birds.

According to the council report on the starling deterrents, ozone is widely used in New Zealand and has recently been used in Australia.

However, more information is needed before council considers the idea.

"Ozone gas is generate via a small device, about the size of a large water heater and delivered to the roosting location via plastic conduit. The gas interferes with the breathing of the birds and they fly off," the report states.

"The bird is unharmed and the gas is organic.

"The option has been used with success in enclosed situations - eg. inside sheds and other buildings - it has not been used in trees before but it is something that council is investigating with a service provider."

Council will also work with business owners in the CBD to install anti-roosting spikes. The spikes prevent the birds from roosting, encouraging them to move elsewhere.

Using lighting to deter the birds is another idea council will investigate.

The plan wasn't suggested by the expert hired by council, but has come from council observation. There is a tree at the northern end of Macquarie Street with a blue flood light installed and there are no starlings that choose to roost in it.

Shooting the birds has been ruled out, due to the high population number, while the council report says when Tamworth looked at chemical deterrents they were "met with ethical barriers".

The options to deter the starlings will be up for discussion at the April Council meeting on Tuesday night.

The meeting will be held in the Dubbo council chambers and is also live streamed through council's Facebook page and website.