An estimated 15,000 starlings living in Omaha are raiding area farms then coming back to the city to sleep at night. The USDA is trying to fight the birds off.

The pesky birds were first noticed in Omaha about five years ago and became a problem a few years after that.

"The city of Omaha is having an issue with starlings and we're here to get the issue settled," said Andy Dinges, a volunteer.

The UNL senior volunteers for a crew from the USDA. They also set off pyrotechnics to startle the starlings into an empty building in the heart of downtown.

Part of the problem is droppings that cake the area the birds live.

"It's unsightly," said Garrett Unrein, USDA official. "The odor -- very destructive to property. It's a disease issue."

The USDA caught the birds, took measurements and then attached a leg-band and radio transmitter Monday.

Wildlife technicians plan to track the animals so they can better understand how to control the problem.

USDA experts say if they can find ways to modify the environment to be less attractive to starlings, they will have a better chance at controlling the population.

For Dinges, the project means even more.

"Just get my bands on birds and get some experience out of the classroom," he said.

The project is funded through a grant donated by local businesses. The USDA won't disclose the cost.