The city of Richland had the number of birds swarming the area counted during a one day span. They found over a thousand birds.

Richland's Public Waste Manager Jay Marlow says there's no denying it's a nuisance, but he's worried about a much greater threat this bird population is posing.

"Birds, mice, rats and other things that are attracted to solid waste could be carriers of disease that's why the department of health is involved," said Marlow.