LOOK: New spring training home of Astros, Nationals is overrun by scavenger birds

And one expert doesn't think the birds will leave once the games begin

Starting next spring, the Astros and Nationals will have a new spring training home in West Palm Beach, Florida. The two clubs will share the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, a new 6,500 seat facility currently under construction.

Based on the way things have been going at the construction site these last few weeks, the Astros and Nationals could have some unwanted company once the ballpark opens. According to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post, the ballpark site is currently overrun by scavenger birds. Here's some video:

That is ... unsettling. Sure, we've all seen the occasional seagull on the field in San Francisco or a flock of pigeons chilling out on a ballpark roof in New York, but birds that size flying overhead? Yikes.

Capozzi spoke to Ricardo Zambrano, a wildlife biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and Zambrano doesn't think the birds will disappear once Grapefruit League games begin in the spring. They may be there to stay. From Capozzi:

"I think it will be a common occurrence because of the proximity to the landfill," said Ricardo Zambrano, a wildlife biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Zambrano identified the birds as "fish crows," scavengers that can be found picking through trash cans at the beach.

"Once the baseball stadium opens, with fans eating French fries and food, I'm sure they will be hanging around more," he said.

The Palm Beach County landfill is only a mile or two away from the ballpark, so the birds are familiar with the area. Add in the fresh grass and wide open space -- in addition to the main stadium, there are a dozen practice fields on the site -- and you have the perfect place for a flock of birds to call home.

I'm sure the Astros and Nationals will do everything they can to keep the birds away, but, at the end of the day, the winged creatures are going to go where they want to go. And that somewhere seems to be the brand new baseball stadium.