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Town taken over by TEN THOUSAND crows who descend on homes every night in scenes reminiscent of Hitchcock classic
Around 10,000 crows descend on Sunnyside, Washington, every night
Merchants are placing fake owls on rooftops in bid to scare them away
Meanwhile, police have resorted to using pyrotechnics, or 'bird bombs'
These are basically 'fireworks in shells'; aim to scare crows with noise
Despite town-wide efforts, birds continue to swoop over town nightly
Scenes are reminiscent of 1963 Alfred Hitchock classic film, The Birds
By SOPHIE JANE EVANS FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 01:19 GMT, 6 December 2014 | UPDATED: 13:25 GMT, 6 December 2014
They are scenes reminiscent of the 1963 Hitchcock classic film, The Birds.
Every night, around 10,000 crows descend on the small town of Sunnyside in Washington.
Now, police, citizens and local businesses are taking action against the booming influx of birds.
Merchants have deployed fake owls on rooftops and surrounding trees, homeowners have cut down tall trees around their houses and one bank even plays a recording of screeching hawks.
Scroll down for video
Influx: Every evening, around 10,000 crows descend on the small town of Sunnyside in Washington. Above, hundreds of the birds are pictured sitting on a tree in the town, which has a population of about 16,000
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Influx: Every evening, around 10,000 crows descend on the small town of Sunnyside in Washington. Above, hundreds of the birds are pictured sitting on a tree in the town, which has a population of about 16,000
'Bird bombs': Police have resorted to using pyrotechnics (pictured) - dubbed 'bird bombs' - to scare off the crows, which cause health risks to the public from the thousands of droppings they litter across the town
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'Bird bombs': Police have resorted to using pyrotechnics (pictured) - dubbed 'bird bombs' - to scare off the crows, which cause health risks to the public from the thousands of droppings they litter across the town
Fleeing: Meanwhile, merchants have deployed fake owls on rooftops and surrounding trees and homeowners have cut down tall trees near their houses. Above, the crows flee the tree following the 'bird bombs'
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Fleeing: Meanwhile, merchants have deployed fake owls on rooftops and surrounding trees and homeowners have cut down tall trees near their houses. Above, the crows flee the tree following the 'bird bombs'
Meanwhile, police have resorted to using pyrotechnics - dubbed 'bird bombs' - to scare off the crows, which pose a health risk from the thousands of droppings they litter across the town.
But despite their efforts, the birds continue to swoop over Sunnyside - which has a population of around 16,000 - on a nightly basis, according to King 5 in Seattle.
The crows, which are apparently attracted to the area because they can share food with the thousands of cows in nearby dairy farms, typically appear after 4.30pm.
In addition to dropping feces, they also create noise pollution, pose a risk to the town's electricity services by sitting on power lines and have even attacked residents during nesting season.
Reminiscent: The Sunnyside scenes are reminiscent of the 1963 Hitchcock classic film, The Birds (pictured)
+9
Reminiscent: The Sunnyside scenes are reminiscent of the 1963 Hitchcock classic film, The Birds (pictured)
health risk: The crows, which are apparently attracted to the area because they can share food with the thousands of cows in nearby dairy farms, typically appear after 4.30pm. Above, some of their droppings
+9
health risk: The crows, which are apparently attracted to the area because they can share food with the thousands of cows in nearby dairy farms, typically appear after 4.30pm. Above, some of their droppings
Town: In addition to dropping feces, they also create noise pollution, pose a risk to electricity services by sitting on power lines and have even attacked Sunnyside (file picture) residents during nesting season
+9
Town: In addition to dropping feces, they also create noise pollution, pose a risk to electricity services by sitting on power lines and have even attacked Sunnyside (file picture) residents during nesting season
Explaining the police's use of pyrotechnicas, Sunnyside Police Commander Scott Bailey told ABC News. 'Basically, it’s a firework inside a pistol shell. We’re simply trying to scare them off.'
Cmdr Bailey said the shells - often called 'bird bombs' - offer a non-lethal method to combat the population of crows, which has multiplied dramatically in the past five years.
'We’re dealing with up to 10,000 crows every day,' he said, adding that citizens in the eastern town are warned before officers open fire and rarely complain about the noise.
Officer Samuel Ramos told Kima-TV: 'They create a mess. Obviously, it's a problem for the community. It's more humane to push them away than to obviously kill them.'
Humane: Officer Samuel Ramos (pictured) said the police's use of pyrotechnics was more beneficial to both the crows and the community, saying: 'It's more humane to push them away than to obviously kill them'
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Humane: Officer Samuel Ramos (pictured) said the police's use of pyrotechnics was more beneficial to both the crows and the community, saying: 'It's more humane to push them away than to obviously kill them'
Non-lethal gun: Officer Ramos shows off a gun used to fire 'bird bombs' into the sky to scare off the crows
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Non-lethal gun: Officer Ramos shows off a gun used to fire 'bird bombs' into the sky to scare off the crows
The department, which used to shoot dead the birds, is also hoping to establish a 'tree line' for the crows to gather at, away from the town, within the next five years, Cmdr Bailey said.
According to a previous study by the University of Cambridge in England, members of the crow family are among the cleverest birds - and are even smarter than most mammals.
Scientists said that, while having very different brain structures, both crows and primates use a combination of mental tools, including imagination, to solve similar problems.
This means crows can perform tasks that three and four-year-old children have difficulty with.
Intelligent bird: According to a previous study by the University of Cambridge in England, members of the crow family are among the cleverest birds - and are even smarter than most mammals (file picture)
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Intelligent bird: According to a previous study by the University of Cambridge in England, members of the crow family are among the cleverest birds - and are even smarter than most mammals (file picture)
It also means that harassment techniques are usually only effective for a short period of time.
In Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, the California town of Bodega Bay suddenly becomes the subject of a series of widespread, unexplained and violent bird attacks.
The classic, loosely based on the 1952 story 'The Birds' by Daphne du Maurier, stars Rod Taylor, Jessica Tandy, Suzanne Pleshette, Tippi Hedren and Veronica Cartwright.
Around 10,000 crows descend on Sunnyside, Washington, every night
Merchants are placing fake owls on rooftops in bid to scare them away
Meanwhile, police have resorted to using pyrotechnics, or 'bird bombs'
These are basically 'fireworks in shells'; aim to scare crows with noise
Despite town-wide efforts, birds continue to swoop over town nightly
Scenes are reminiscent of 1963 Alfred Hitchock classic film, The Birds
By SOPHIE JANE EVANS FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 01:19 GMT, 6 December 2014 | UPDATED: 13:25 GMT, 6 December 2014
They are scenes reminiscent of the 1963 Hitchcock classic film, The Birds.
Every night, around 10,000 crows descend on the small town of Sunnyside in Washington.
Now, police, citizens and local businesses are taking action against the booming influx of birds.
Merchants have deployed fake owls on rooftops and surrounding trees, homeowners have cut down tall trees around their houses and one bank even plays a recording of screeching hawks.
Scroll down for video
Influx: Every evening, around 10,000 crows descend on the small town of Sunnyside in Washington. Above, hundreds of the birds are pictured sitting on a tree in the town, which has a population of about 16,000
+9
Influx: Every evening, around 10,000 crows descend on the small town of Sunnyside in Washington. Above, hundreds of the birds are pictured sitting on a tree in the town, which has a population of about 16,000
'Bird bombs': Police have resorted to using pyrotechnics (pictured) - dubbed 'bird bombs' - to scare off the crows, which cause health risks to the public from the thousands of droppings they litter across the town
+9
'Bird bombs': Police have resorted to using pyrotechnics (pictured) - dubbed 'bird bombs' - to scare off the crows, which cause health risks to the public from the thousands of droppings they litter across the town
Fleeing: Meanwhile, merchants have deployed fake owls on rooftops and surrounding trees and homeowners have cut down tall trees near their houses. Above, the crows flee the tree following the 'bird bombs'
+9
Fleeing: Meanwhile, merchants have deployed fake owls on rooftops and surrounding trees and homeowners have cut down tall trees near their houses. Above, the crows flee the tree following the 'bird bombs'
Meanwhile, police have resorted to using pyrotechnics - dubbed 'bird bombs' - to scare off the crows, which pose a health risk from the thousands of droppings they litter across the town.
But despite their efforts, the birds continue to swoop over Sunnyside - which has a population of around 16,000 - on a nightly basis, according to King 5 in Seattle.
The crows, which are apparently attracted to the area because they can share food with the thousands of cows in nearby dairy farms, typically appear after 4.30pm.
In addition to dropping feces, they also create noise pollution, pose a risk to the town's electricity services by sitting on power lines and have even attacked residents during nesting season.
Reminiscent: The Sunnyside scenes are reminiscent of the 1963 Hitchcock classic film, The Birds (pictured)
+9
Reminiscent: The Sunnyside scenes are reminiscent of the 1963 Hitchcock classic film, The Birds (pictured)
health risk: The crows, which are apparently attracted to the area because they can share food with the thousands of cows in nearby dairy farms, typically appear after 4.30pm. Above, some of their droppings
+9
health risk: The crows, which are apparently attracted to the area because they can share food with the thousands of cows in nearby dairy farms, typically appear after 4.30pm. Above, some of their droppings
Town: In addition to dropping feces, they also create noise pollution, pose a risk to electricity services by sitting on power lines and have even attacked Sunnyside (file picture) residents during nesting season
+9
Town: In addition to dropping feces, they also create noise pollution, pose a risk to electricity services by sitting on power lines and have even attacked Sunnyside (file picture) residents during nesting season
Explaining the police's use of pyrotechnicas, Sunnyside Police Commander Scott Bailey told ABC News. 'Basically, it’s a firework inside a pistol shell. We’re simply trying to scare them off.'
Cmdr Bailey said the shells - often called 'bird bombs' - offer a non-lethal method to combat the population of crows, which has multiplied dramatically in the past five years.
'We’re dealing with up to 10,000 crows every day,' he said, adding that citizens in the eastern town are warned before officers open fire and rarely complain about the noise.
Officer Samuel Ramos told Kima-TV: 'They create a mess. Obviously, it's a problem for the community. It's more humane to push them away than to obviously kill them.'
Humane: Officer Samuel Ramos (pictured) said the police's use of pyrotechnics was more beneficial to both the crows and the community, saying: 'It's more humane to push them away than to obviously kill them'
+9
Humane: Officer Samuel Ramos (pictured) said the police's use of pyrotechnics was more beneficial to both the crows and the community, saying: 'It's more humane to push them away than to obviously kill them'
Non-lethal gun: Officer Ramos shows off a gun used to fire 'bird bombs' into the sky to scare off the crows
+9
Non-lethal gun: Officer Ramos shows off a gun used to fire 'bird bombs' into the sky to scare off the crows
The department, which used to shoot dead the birds, is also hoping to establish a 'tree line' for the crows to gather at, away from the town, within the next five years, Cmdr Bailey said.
According to a previous study by the University of Cambridge in England, members of the crow family are among the cleverest birds - and are even smarter than most mammals.
Scientists said that, while having very different brain structures, both crows and primates use a combination of mental tools, including imagination, to solve similar problems.
This means crows can perform tasks that three and four-year-old children have difficulty with.
Intelligent bird: According to a previous study by the University of Cambridge in England, members of the crow family are among the cleverest birds - and are even smarter than most mammals (file picture)
+9
Intelligent bird: According to a previous study by the University of Cambridge in England, members of the crow family are among the cleverest birds - and are even smarter than most mammals (file picture)
It also means that harassment techniques are usually only effective for a short period of time.
In Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, the California town of Bodega Bay suddenly becomes the subject of a series of widespread, unexplained and violent bird attacks.
The classic, loosely based on the 1952 story 'The Birds' by Daphne du Maurier, stars Rod Taylor, Jessica Tandy, Suzanne Pleshette, Tippi Hedren and Veronica Cartwright.
