The municipal service of public spaces carries out, until the end of the week, a campaign of scaring starlings in the town. It mainly takes place in the Val d’Aran and Aspin districts from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
This operation consists of broadcasting by loudspeaker from a vehicle the cries of birds (jay, hawk …) in order to keep starlings away so that they do not land on buildings.
Cleaning actions on the sidewalks are carried out jointly by the Toulouse Métropole cleaning service.
Starlings and other birds often behave as a unit, forming a cloud, sometimes scurrying in a specific direction only to suddenly turn away. This amazing phenomenon is called “murmuring” and in fact constitutes a real survival strategy for birds.
The main reason for these groupings is defense against predators. For example, when starlings are frightened, they rise, congregate and fly, forming the most compact mass possible. A raptor therefore avoids rushing towards the group for fear of injuring itself. Rather, he seeks to select stragglers or weakened birds.
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