Ravens have built this large nest at the top of the CBC's 15-metre transmission tower in Aklavik, N.W.T. (Submitted by Ian McLeod)

Some of the CBC's sharpest technical minds north of 60 are trying to outsmart some persistent bird-brains: ravens that have built a huge nest atop the broadcaster's transmission tower in Aklavik, N.W.T.

About eight of the birds have used sticks to construct a multi-layered "penthouse suite" at the top of the CBC's 15-metre tower.

Unfortunately, the ravens have not been considerate neighbours: people living in the hamlet of 600 say the birds are harrassing them, and the endless squawking is keeping them up at night.

But the incessant noise isn't the only problem for the community, said Lennard Plantz, maintenance co-ordinator with CBC North in Yellowknife.

"I guess the elders felt that it's a bad sign for birds to be building in the community," Plantz said Monday.

"We are going to be trying to get them out before they actually raise young ones who would come back to that same tower year after year."

N.W.T. renewable resources officer Ian McLeod tried, to no avail, to evict the ravens using the hamlet's fire truck last week.

"The fire truck didn't have enough pressure to blow the nest out. Didn't even have enough pressure to reach the nest up in the tower. It was too high," McLeod said.

In fact, McLeod's attempt only seemed to make the birds angry: "Yeah, they were flying around, squawking," he said.

The CBC might have to spend thousands of dollars to fly in professional riggers from Edmonton to scale the Aklavik transmission tower, Plantz said.

"We haven't come up with the final answer yet," he said.

"We also have to look at keeping them out once we do get them out. This might require some kind of screening or netting around the tower."

McLeod said he is worried residents may try to deal with the raven problem themselves and potentially injure themselves in the process.

Aklavik is located 55 kilometres northwest of Inuvik and about 1,150 kilometres northwest of Yellowknife.