Some Yishun residents are being treated to an avalanche of bird poop.

Swallows roost in Yishun

Shin Min Daily News reported on Sept. 30 that the Yishun estate has become the place to be for barn swallows.

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) said the birds appear to roost mostly in Yishun Avenue 7 and Yishun Street 11.

A resident at Block 170 Yishun Avenue 7 said the birds' poop stink and they are creating a mess.

The smell is so evident the resident can get a whiff of it just from opening her home window.

Migratory

AVA said barn swallows are migratory birds that are known to be in Singapore from late July to early April, according to The Straits Times.

A Nee Soon Town Council spokesman told ST the birds have been noted to make their presence felt in the past decade or more.

However, AVA said there has been only one case of barn swallow-related feedback for the two areas this year up to Sept. 30.

This is a minimal issue as there were 33 cases in 2016 and 11 in 2017.

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Thousands of birds

The roosting population of the birds can reach up to 7,300 in Yishun during the season.

The AVA will be working with the Nee Soon Town Council to clean up the affected blocks and provide the town council with information on possible measures, such as bird proofing that can prevent swallows from roosting.

Trees will also be regularly pruned to manage the bird population, the Nee Soon town council spokesperson said.

Top photo Shin Min Daily News front page