The city of Nampa is bracing for what’s become something of an avian invasion. Thousands of crows will soon visit the Treasure Valley city and bring a mess of feathers and droppings. Nampa is trying to get ahead of the influx by building a volunteer corps.
Nampa doesn’t have a formal sister city, but Bodega Bay in California might be a fitting partner. The town was the setting for one of the most famous thrillers in cinema: Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 classic, "The Birds."
Nampa annually transforms into the Idaho version of the film’s quaint setting rocked by an invasion from the air. Avian hordes descend on the community, bringing a public health hazard with their droppings and creating a sinister ambiance.
Nampa is trying to get ahead of the bird issue this year by putting the call out for volunteers to help fight off and monitor the crows. Nampa Chief of Staff Robert Sanchez tells KTVB the town is expecting more than 10,000 feathered fiends to start arriving in the coming weeks.
The town is looking for a range of volunteers. Some will be a part of mobile units, with one person noting where and what time the crows roost at night, and the other person shooing the birds with noise makers and lasers. Sanchez says some volunteers will work to make a preserve for the crows where they can live without inundating Nampa’s downtown.
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