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By Oscar Pilipili
One of the few instances where the Kenya Wildlife Service and other authorities can control birds is when they become a hazard to installations such as airports.
Wild birds can also be culled if they threaten human health like during outbreaks of diseases like the dreaded avian flu.
Marabou storks are a nuisance to outdoor advertising firms.
Mr Alfred Owino, a bird expert at KWS, says Kenya Airports Authority has a standing committee to control birds’ population at airports. Bird strikes have been known to fell aircraft.Owino, who sits in the National Bird Strike Committee, said he was impressed with the formation of a bird hazard management unit by the Kenya Airports Authority.
He said nest removals under environmental management rules could reduce the numbers of breeding marabou storks in places such as airports.
A bird scare method using recorded sounds of birds under distress has especially been effective in some areas, but this requires considerable investment, he said.
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"At present, we are testing this method using special UV-lights at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport," he said.
Critical factors
Owino said various fundamental issues should be addressed before asking who should be given priority between human and the marabou stork population.
He said this would depend on how people addressed the issues bearing in mind that wildlife was Kenya’s "oil" based on the country’s dependence on tourism and the hospitality industry.
"Given the known significance of wildlife to the economy, we must be keen when trying to do away with a particular wildlife heritage due to its nuisance," he said.
Owino said natural and man-made causes exacerbate marabou stork invasion of sites.
In Mombasa, a control measure is in place where the local council often kills black crows, which become a nuisance in entertainment spots and homes because of their large numbers.
Mombasa Municipal Council uses mass poisoning of the crows by baiting them with tainted meat.
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