Grand Island (Ne) begins poisoning birds (starlings)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10557394

Published Friday February 6, 2009
Grand Island begins poisoning birds

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — The City of Grand Island is in the process of poisoning hundreds of birds, with the help of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The city is targeting starlings with a toxic chemical. Officials say the chemical will not affect any other birds, animals or people.

The chemical takes about a day to work.

Those who find a dead bird on their property are being told to use gloves to pick it up and throw it in the trash.

The city began poisoning starlings in 2005, because droppings from the large flocks not only cause a mess, they also pose a health risk to humans.

[TwilightGardener]

1. Um...yeah. A mysterious chemical guaranteed not to affect anything

other than starlings. Sez "officials".

[Botany]

2. A good starling is a dead starling

trust me on this one.

[Mojorabbit]

3. Wow does the poisoned bait

say starlings only? I don't think so. There will be other birds poisoned and I don't buy that it will not harm scavengers who eat the birds.

[Mugweed]

4. Darn that nature...

always getting in the way of humans and their virus-like expansion. I'd love to see their health risk data. It's probably just assholes who consider nature a "nuisance".