Ruffled Feathers

'Frequent flyers' outsmart airport officials

A Detroit Metropolitan Airport official said some frequent-flyers holed-up inside the McNamara Terminal are ruffling his feathers and admits "the darn birds keep outsmarting us."

Wayne County Airport Authority spokesman Scott Wintner told the Detroit Free Press that he doesn't know how the birds got into the mile-long, 1 million-square-foot terminal. But getting them to exchange a carefree existence for an out-of-town flight has not been easy.

The terminal offers an Eden-esque existence that includes no predators, nesting niches, splash fountains, window perches, fake trees and Starbucks crumbs.

The birds don't bother passengers or pose an immediate safety risk. Still, officials are using 10 machines that broadcast scary bird calls aimed at frightening the sparrows and starlings away.