Starlings in Crewe and Nantwich (by Jonathan White)

Fed-up Nantwich residents can stop nuisance starlings from roosting – by banging bin lids and playing music!

The advice is included in a report by experts paid to study reasons why starlings have targeted the town in the past three winters.

Avian Ecology Ltd (AEL) was commissioned by Nantwich Local Area Partnership (LAP) to carry out the winter roost study amid fears the birds cause a health hazard and turn some streets into no-go zones.

And the study concluded that “banging tins, pans and dustbin lids was found to work if deployed early, as the birds come in to roost and before they settle”.

They also used an MP3 player to play loud music of bird distress calls on a loop to scare potential birds from roosting.

“All the processes are for use in situations where the starling roost has become a nuisance to the householder, and should not be used in extreme weather conditions,” the report adds.

Large scale surveys were carried out between November 2011 and February 2012 into starling activity near St Mary’s Church, the Barony, Wellington Road, The Blankney, and Morrisons car park.

Results of the survey have been released as latest flocks of the birds are again roosting in various areas across the town.

It also recommends the removal of certain species of trees and hedges could also help, including Leylandi, Common Yew, Cypress, Cedar, Spruce, Fir and Pine.

“The Nantwich starling problem needs to be addressed on two levels,” the report concludes.

“Short term, the roost can be locally managed by implementing scarecrow tactics.

“In the longer term the impact of the landscape designs will require regulation to ensure trees, preferred as roosts, are not planted in areas that will lead to future human/starling conflicts.”

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