ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The New Mexico Veterans Memorial is back open after the city dealt with a bird invasion. The Parks and Recreation Department shuttered the memorial last month after around 50,000 European Starlings began roosting there, leaving behind a large amount of droppings. BioPark Zoo sees Spring Break influx The city says they used non-lethal methods to encourage the birds to relocate then cleaned the memorial, fully reopening the grounds to the public Friday. "Starlings are a common, non-native bird around the country that can create big problems when they gather in large numbers, but it's the first time we've had anything like this in a city park," says Dennis Vasquez, deputy director of the City of Albuquerque Parks and Recreation Department. The department says it also took steps to prevent the birds from coming back. ...read more read less