Springfield Crowing Over Problem

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Downtown Springfield property owners and businesses spend several hours each week cleaning up the mess left behind by the more than 50,000 crows that invade the city each night. Some Springfield businesses will spend thousands of dollars this year to clean up the mess. “We’re fighting this battle with the crows, but sadly they’re winning,” said Amanda Honeycutt, director of Clark State Community College’s grounds crew. Downtown Springfield is a historical winter roost for the large black birds that return to the city en masse every November. Clark State spends hours each week, sometimes as much as 20 to 30 hours, power washing sidewalks to clean up the bird droppings around their downtown buildings. “That’s the only thing we can do,” Honeycutt said. Clark State along with Security National Bank, the Clark County Historical Society, Courtyard by Marriott and other small businesses downtown use various tactics to scare the birds away. “We try to act in unison to hopefully do what we can to control the situation,” Heritage Center CEO Roger Sherrock said. Each year the historical society spends $5,000 to clean out gutters at the Heritage Center because the birds excrete pebbles that block up the gutters. Because of tight budgets, the city of Springfield had to suspend efforts they made in the fight, Service Director Chris Moore said.