For seven years, migrating birds known as American coots have taken up residence in the 15-acre, man-made lake that serves as the centerpiece of Bridgeport, a subdivision in Valencia, amid the thirsty bluffs of the Santa Clarita Valley.
For almost as long, the homeowners association's board of directors has floated a simple solution: kill them. Some of them, anyway.
The coots are cute, in a motley sort of way -- black with a dash of white on their beaks and tail feathers, no bigger than a football, with feet so gnarled and oversized they might suit a condor. Their most notable trait, however, is less fetching: They poop with great regularity.
Russell S. Hoffman, president and chief executive of the Valencia Management Group, which manages Bridgeport with the assistance and guidance of the homeowners association, said there are about 500 coots living at the development. That's enough to create more than 20,000 pounds of droppings over the course of a six-month stay.
When the coots are around -- most migrate from northern states and Canada in the fall and return in the spring -- the sidewalks can get messy. The coots seem to spend the rest of their time eating grass. They can decimate a well-groomed, heavily watered lawn.
"When they first come there are two. Then 50. Then 100," said one resident. "All they do -- constantly -- is eat and poop. My friend walks his wife in a wheelchair. Now he has the poop from the door to the back of the house. It gets in your shoes. If you forget and walk into your house, you have to practically tear up the carpet."
Four times, the board has obtained federal permits allowing the development to "take" coots. The birds are not rare; U.S. and Canadian wildlife officials estimated a breeding population of 2.7 million last year. They are, however, protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which is why the board had to seek permits.
It's unclear how many coots have been killed at Bridgeport. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service records indicate that 27 coots -- fewer than the 50 authorized -- were killed in 2003. In other years, it appears Bridgeport did not act on its permit. In 2001, for instance, a wildlife official attached a note to the permit: "Birds moved on."
But the board's latest move to seek another "depredation" permit provoked a rancorous backlash in Santa Clarita; a local columnist dubbed the place "Bridgepoop." Stung by the community's response, none of the residents hoping to reduce the coot population would share their concerns publicly. Asked whether she would allow the use of her name, one said: "Are you kidding me? They act like you're a murderer!"
