What's the deal with all of the birds at Preston/Royal and Preston/Beltline? (Houston: living)

[aeh]

Weird question, I know, but seriously what's the deal? It's like a scene out of The Birds!! There's a zillion of them flying crazily overhead and lining up on the telephone lines in rows packed in. I am guessing it's just the social place for birds to hang out in Dallas!

[FarNorthDallas]

They are at Coit and Campbell, too, at dusk. It's interesting to watch them, but that's a lot of bird poop.

[rb4browns]

Originally Posted by aeh

Weird question, I know, but seriously what's the deal? It's like a scene out of The Birds!! There's a zillion of them flying crazily overhead and lining up on the telephone lines in rows packed in. I am guessing it's just the social place for birds to hang out in Dallas!

Those birds have dropped about a ton of crap on my car over the past year sitting at the Preston/Beltline stoplight

[Mom2TwoBoys]

This is one of the first things I noticed when we moved to Dallas.
Lots of birds, especially in parking lots! LOL.
But now I'm so used to them, I didn't even notice that that was a problem at Preston/Royal even though I drive through that intersection every day.

[MaryS80]

I think Dallas must be over a migratory path. I can remember as a kid huge flocks of birds flying over the Rowett/Rockwall area during the fall. Over the last few years I've also noticed a lot of birds in Plano around Collin Creek. When they are all chirping its just unreal, it sounds likes its in stereo surround sound.

[fratermus]

Originally Posted by MaryS80

I think Dallas must be over a migratory path.

It is.

Oh, you mean for birds. :-)

[Lakewooder]

Yes - do you remember what the old Houston police chief said about Yankees being like hemorrhoids?

[honu1]

I think the birds you are referring to are grackles. They commonly invade urban areas, become a total nuisance with noise and poop. However, in the long run, we humans have create this due to urban sprawl. I can accept my footprint on the earth.....but I hate those darn birds none the less.

[austinnetx]

Large groups of living things are the sign a healthy ecosystem.

Grackles get most of their food from insects like grasshoppers, roaches, ants, crickets, etc. They are VERY beneficial.

They fly out at day to forage and gather at night to roost. They have many predators and are basically clumsy oafs with wings. They congregate in the urban areas at night because in a group there is less of a chance of a predator getting any one bird.

If Passenger Pidgeons were still around they would probably be filling the niche that Grackles do now.

[blueskies49]

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

Yes - do you remember what the old Houston police chief said about Yankees being like hemorrhoids?

No, what did he say?