General information and identification

Birds are very well-known for nesting in corners and crevices of many different types of structures, leaving waste and feathers on the concrete below, the sides of the building, and at times, inside a property. Birds are also known carriers of mosquito-borne diseases such as West Nile Virus, and the uric acid in their waste can cause corrosion to many different structures. Birds such as pigeons, seagulls, and grackles will also devastate homes and office buildings by rummaging through garbage, and small birds like sparrows can cause damages to gutters and drainage pipes by clogging these structures with nesting materials. In Texas, House Sparrows and Barn Swallows are some of the species notorious for seeking out spilled birdseed, food from garbage cans and defacing properties with badly-placed nests. Further, the presence of such birds can be an attractant to other pest species such as snakes, as they are a common prey animal.