They’ve been running around downtown Cotati for years, but now they may be run out of town.
Brightly colored roosters have been known to flock to parks, hang out in people’s front yards and cause traffic jams across the quiet, country community in Sonoma County.
Locals will tell you that the birds have been a part of the community for as long as they can remember.
But now the flock is growing so the city has taken steps to reduce their numbers. City Hall has asked a local humane organization to capture a dozen roosters and put them up for adoption.
It doesn’t take long to track down the birds. On a recent afternoon, it took KCBS Radio about 45 minutes of walking around to spot their bright orange and black feathers; two roosters wandering a grassy field behind a gas station off Old Redwood Highway.
Nearby, another was hanging out in a tree about 20 feet high.
"I would say they go up almost 40 feet" said Jim, who works nearby the tree and often sees the controversial fowl.
While some residents have complained to the city about the birds creating noise, blocking traffic and trespassing on their property, Jim said he thinks the birds’ behavior is "wonderful."
"It’s exactly why we need them here," he said. "Because it’s an interruption for daily life."
Another local Amber Herman agreed, saying "in a world where we’re all moving so fast to get somewhere, a few chickens in the road remind us that we’re alive and you have to stop and look at the chickens."
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City leaders said their aim is to reduce the size of the flock, but not remove them entirely.
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