Forgive me, but does anyone else think this city official's question is a
little like the expensive efforts to keep blackbird flocks from roosting
around seed crops? The city is low on predators, high on easily scavengable
food (i.e. trash), and there is a tremendous safety in vast numbers with
these flocks.

Furthermore, unlike the discussion on this listserv several weeks ago about
efforts to disperse vulture roost flocks, I have heard of crow roosting
sites with histories that are literally generational. Short of cutting down
huge numbers of trees and/or cleaning up the vast quantities of trash in the
city of Baltimore (literally 2-3 tons reach the harbor every time it rains,
according to the Sun of just a few days ago) I honestly don't understand how
any city official could realistically consider a cost effective and
semi-permanent way to disperse these flocks from the city limits. There is
just too much available parkland and too much available food.
Alexander Baish
Formerly of Baltimore, MD