They're small and really easy to miss. But lord knows with the amount of time you spend sitting deadlocked in Consumer Square's baffling traffic system, there's plenty of time to look up.

Not every building in Consumer Square has them, but many do. From a distance, they look like tiny flood lamps, or perhaps security cameras. But in reality, it's neither of those things.

It's hard to find the purpose of an unknown thing when you can't even describe what the thing is. But Googling "shiny, twirly silver thing on roofs" actually does yield an answer.

SO WHAT ARE THEY?

Turns out, they're a humane form of bird control, called "Bird B Gone." They prevent birds from perching, nesting and pooping on rooftops by reflecting natural light back at them. Birds are apparently not a fan of this, so they wind up flying elsewhere.

Here's what the official description says on Amazon.com:

• Silent, economical humane bird deterrent
• Uses wind, sunlight, and reflective flashes to scare Birds away
• Great for use on buildings, boats and within agricultural settings
• Made of durable aluminum and plastic for outdoor use
• Angled design (up to 90 degrees) allows reflect-a-bird to be installed in various directions 

CONSUMER SQUARE DOING ONE THING RIGHT

Say what you will about the property's horrendous layout, but you gotta tip your cap to the landowners here-- a humane way to prevent birds from crapping on all our vehicles while we're doing our shopping.

If you're not sure what we're talking about, the ones easiest to spot are on the Spectrum building right at the center of the Square.