Cheshire East Council is responding to concerns from Nantwich residents about the town’s winter starling roost.
The Council’s Nantwich Local Area Partnership (LAP) is considering commissioning a study to investigate issues surrounding the Nantwich starling roost and potential short-term and long-term solutions.
The birds roost in the town centre during the winter months.
The study would investigate how other places have addressed issues associated with large starling roosts.
It will potentially evaluate the pros and cons of various bird-scaring devices such as alarm calls, audio recordings and falconry, and look at the provision of alternative plantation sites for the birds.
It is hoped that the investigation could provide the basis for a considered response to issues arising from the Nantwich roost and lead to the development of an action plan.
As the law stands, starlings are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which makes it illegal to intentionally kill, injure or take a starling or destroy an active nest.
The ability of local authorities and other landowners to control starlings under licence was removed in 2005.
Kirstie Hercules, partnership manager at Cheshire East Council, said: “Although starling swarms can look wonderful, we understand that the smell and mess they leave behind is causing distress to the residents of Nantwich.
“However, managing starling roosts is a tricky exercise, requiring specialist knowledge and direction. We are looking at various ways to get this guidance and a comprehensive study, by those in the know, is one of them.”
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