AUBURN - Mayor Tim Lattimore would like to explore whether hiring a falconer could help eliminate some of the city's crows.

He's invited Mark Westman, a member of the New York State Falconers Club, to talk about putting together a city crow removal program that would use his falcons, hawks, and owls. Westman is a bird of prey educator.

A friend of the mayor's met Westman at a sportsman show in Syracuse last weekend and told the mayor about the falconer.

Westman will talk about what he could do to help the city with the crow problem using both birds of prey, pyrotechnics and other methods. Falcons, hawks and owls are natural predators for crows.

"You have to harass them until they want to move," Westman said. "If you want to get rid of them, you have to terrorize the crows."

City Councilor David Dempsey said the falconer idea is worth exploring.

"It's natural. It's not offensive and there's little cost," Dempsey said.

But Cornell University researcher Kevin McGowan, a crow expert, said that falcons and the other birds of prey typically look for other types of birds and animals, not so much for crows.

"If they're hungry, they will (hunt crows)," McGowan said.

For the past 10 years, between 25,000 and 75,000 crows roost in city neighborhoods and along the Owasco Outlet from the end of October to the end of March.

Last year, the city put aside $10,000 to find ways to help solve the crow problem and a problem with stray and feral cats.

So far, the money hasn't been spent. A city ad-hoc animal nuisance committee was also set up to study the problem.

Troy, Utica and Albany also have problems with crows.

Those communities have explored how pyrotechnics, loud noises and lights could dissuade crows from roosting in their neighborhoods.