City Of Frederick Takes Aim At Black Birds | Pets

FREDERICK, Md. (AP) -- The city of Frederick is taking aim at some bothersome black birds.

The Public Works Department says it's launching a three-day campaign Monday to scare thousands of noisy, messy starlings away from an East Side neighborhood where they roost.

The weapon is a gun that fires blanks. Officials say they plan to fire it repeatedly for three straight evenings, starting around sunset.

City officials acknowledge that it's a temporary solution to a seasonal problem. They say they know they're just driving the birds into another neighborhood where they may have to repeat the process again.