Aldergrove's Terry Sheldon is not the first rural Langley resident to worry about the noise of propane cannons.

But he does think he has a solution to the problem.

Sheldon spoke to the Township council Monday to suggest bringing in falcons to scare birds away from berry farms.

The predatory birds would be deployed to scare away crows from the fields, Sheldon suggested. He and a partner own a number of birds in Cuba, and Sheldon visits the island and works with them several times a year.

He told the Langley Advance that his plan is not to have his falcons kill the crows.

"They're not birds of prey," Sheldon said. "They are in the wild, but ours are tamed."

The falcons are used in Cuba to keep birds away from hotels, he said.

Falconry has been used as an alternative method of bird control in several areas. Last year, the Vancouver International Airport tested using falcons as part of its program to keep bird populations near the runways down. Thousands of birds are shot every year near the airport to reduce the number of bird strikes on airplanes.

The propane cannons fire every few minutes to deter crows from eating berries before they can be picked for human consumption.

Sheldon and many others have complained about the cannons over the years, saying they disturb sleep, reduce property values, and frighten domestic animals such as horses.

However, banning cannons has never been possible as they are protected under provincial "right to farm" legislation, which can't be overridden by local governments.

After hearing from Sheldon, Councillor Kim Richter planned to refer the idea to Township staff for a report.