Hitchcockian Bird Epidemic in Kentucky Town Reports Birdy Online

San Francisco, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/01/2013 -- In a small town in Kentucky, literally millions of birds have descended upon the town, tearing up the landscape, scaring pets, and raising the risk of a once-thought surreal “The Birds” scenario.

The blackbirds and European starlings that have blackened the skies of Hopkinsville, Kentucky have been through the area before. However, there has never been a precedent set on the level of this most current year, when the flocks cause the sky to go black at times. It is more than an aesthetic concern, as the sheer tonnage of bird scat scatters the land, which carries diseases that can kill pets and make humans sick.

"I have seen them come in, and there are enough that if the sun is just right, they'll cloud your vision of the sun," said Hopkinsville-Christian County historian William Turner. "I estimate there are millions of them."

The president of the Little River Audubon Society stated that the fact that migratory flocks are roosting in the city, rather than heading further south, may be a sign of a climate shift.

"The weather, the climate plays a big role," said Chiles, the bird enthusiast who also teaches biology at Hopkinsville High School.

"They somehow establish a roost south of where the ground is frozen solid," he explained. "They are ground feeders, feeding on leftover crops and insects. If the fields are frozen solid, they can't feed."

While the birds have yet to bring the havoc of the 1963 thriller from Hitchcock, “The Birds” scenario does not seem to far off at this point. Accordingly, and to err on the side of safety, the town has taken up defensive measures.

Henry Jako, the general manager of McGee Pest Control, has stated that his crews use air cannons and “bird-bangers” to scare off the birds from roosting in particular areas. However, the artillery assault on the birds is not only disturbing the birds, but also the residents.

"It scares my little dog to death," said Christian County Judge-Executive Steve Tribble. "I don't know what it does other than move the birds from one tree to the next."

One of the the most prevalent problems is the scat the birds leave behind after roosting, even for short periods of time.

"I've got an apple tree that has almost turned white," Tribble said. "Any vehicle parked outside is covered up. I guess it's good for folks that have car washes."

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