Dead pigeons found in hospital years before action taken, inquiry told

Dead pigeons found in hospital years before action taken, inquiry told

Dead pigeons were being found in a hospital at the centre of infection concerns years before action was taken to address the issue, an inquiry has heard.

The Scottish Hospitals Inquiry was told that as early as 2016, pest controllers were being called to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow to remove dead pigeons from plant rooms, where air handling units linked to the ventilation system were located.

The inquiry was shown part of a survey by cleaning firm GP Environmental from March 2017, which stated “ledges, beams, walls, floors and walkways of the plant rooms” had “a heavy build-up” of pigeon droppings.

Another GP Environmental report from 2018, relating to sanitisation work in a plant room, said: “All pipe lagging will need replaced due to damage from pigeon fouling.”

Karen Connelly, who became general manager of estates and facilities at the hospital in 2018, having previously worked there as part of a project team until 2015, told the inquiry she had not been aware of these reports, but that the pigeon problem at the hospital was “well known”.

The former facilities manager, whose team was responsible for pest control, said it was not until January 2019 that she became aware pigeons were getting into plant rooms.

She said shortly before this, she became aware of a potential link between pigeon droppings and Cryptococcosis, which had been identified by the hospital’s Internal Medicine Training team.

Cryptococcosis is a fungal infection that can spread to humans from pigeon droppings.

Up until this point, she said, she thought pigeons posed a health and safety risk of “slipping, and also from an aesthetic point of view it looks dreadful as well”.

The sheer level of pigeon numbers are now posing a significant health and safety issue in many locations of the site

The inquiry is currently investigating the construction of the QEUH campus in Glasgow, which includes the Royal Hospital for Children.

It was launched in the wake of deaths linked to infections, including that of 10-year-old Milly Main.

GP Environmental was instructed to carry out a survey of the problem, and on January 8 2019 it reported a “significant feral pigeon infestation across the site at the QEUH, Glasgow”.

The report added: “The sheer level of pigeon numbers are now posing a significant health and safety issue in many locations of the site.”

Ms Connelly said she then visited the plant rooms, saying in her statement to the inquiry: “We found evidence of pigeon infestation and pigeon guano. This was my first visit to the plant room since the concerns were raised.”

She said she instructed GP Environmental to put together “a programme of work to clean every plant room within the hospital site, and to install proofing or block up any gaps in the buildings that pigeons may be able to access”.

She agreed with counsel to the inquiry Craig Connal KC that the reference in the report to health and safety issues was a “surprise”, adding she had not seen that in other reports from GP Environmental but she did not question it.

She explained: “I just assumed that because of aesthetically, how bad it looked, about possible slips and trips and falls, but also the fact that there had been that connection to the recent outbreaks in the wards”.

Possibly in hindsight we could have had regular inspections of the plant rooms and other inaccessible areas carried out by pest control companies, which may have prevented the problem arising to such a levelKaren Connelly

She said after starting clean-up work, GP Environmental was “on site daily for a period of weeks, if not months”, and she was shown photographs of pigeon guano in a variety of locations around the site.

In her statement to the inquiry, Ms Connelly conceded: “Possibly in hindsight we could have had regular inspections of the plant rooms and other inaccessible areas carried out by pest control companies, which may have prevented the problem arising to such a level.”

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Portrait of a racing or homing pigeon looking into the camera.

The inquiry also heard that while all pest control issues were handled by the central facilities team and recorded on a single system, they did not analyse reports of infestations to identify trouble spots.

Ms Connelly told the inquiry: “Whether we had any analysis done in terms of what the make-up of all the calls were, I don’t remember us doing that.”

In the afternoon session on Friday, the inquiry heard from Pamela Joannidis, a consultant nurse at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde who said she noted concerns about dust collecting on top of chilled beams which ran through the hospital.

When asked how dusty they were, she replied: “They were a level above what you would expect.”

Ms Joannidis also told the inquiry condensation forming on the chilled beams would occasionally drip on to the wards below.

She said: “I don’t remember it being overly much, there was just drips and you didn’t know when the drips would happen. It could drip on to beds.”

The inquiry, taking place before Lord Brodie in Edinburgh, continues.

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TransLink and BC SPCA tackling the pigeon problem

TransLink and BC SPCA tackling the pigeon problem

VANCOUVER, BC — TransLink and the BC SPCA are teaming up to humanely reduce the pigeon population at VCC-Clark SkyTrain Station. An automatic bird feeder is dispensing birth control for a pilot project to control the pigeon population. OvoControl is a non-toxic, effective and humane contraception used in other cities to prevent pigeon reproduction and reduce populations naturally through attrition.

Pigeons cause problems at several SkyTrain stations despite TransLink’s best efforts to control them. TransLink has:

  • Installed netting at stations to stop birds from getting into empty spaces
  • Set up spikes and strips to deter pigeons from roosting on flat surfaces
  • Hired a falconer to patrol stations with the most pigeons as part of another pilot project

Studies have shown a 50-90% population reduction in OvoControl managed pigeon populations. Pigeons that eat the bait pellets on a regular basis will not be able to fertilize eggs.

Dr. Sara Dubois, Chief Scientific Officer with the BC SPCA explains pigeons can breed rapidly but their urban lifespans are short. With fewer new pigeons born, the pigeon population around SkyTrain stations will reduce naturally and cause fewer operational issues, “OvoControl has been approved for use by Health Canada and only has contraceptive effects in birds. Pigeons must eat their daily dose (5g/bird) for the contraceptive to work, and it is designed to be fed in a manner to maximize pigeon feeding behaviour. We are happy TransLink is ready to partner with us and research what could be a very effective and humane long-term solution.”

Pigeon droppings are messy, but the birds also put customer safety at risk. Pigeons trigger track intrusion alarms, causing our driver-less trains to brake automatically. These hard stops can lead to customer falls and service delays.

TransLink customers and the public can help by not feeding the birds. Outside foods sources encourage birds to roost inside stations and can draw pigeons away from the contraceptive pellets. It is vital for the success of the project that people stop feeding pigeons in this area.

The OvoControl pilot may be expanded to other stations if successful at VCC-Clark.

The innovative partnership between TransLink and the BC SPCA has been supported by other local animal groups:

Linda Bakker, Co-Executive Director, Wildlife Rescue Association –

“The Wildlife Rescue Association of BC supports this new initiative to humanely reduce the pigeon population. Wildlife Rescue strives to reduce human-wildlife conflict in the urban environment and rehabilitates injured and orphaned wildlife. This project aims to humanely reduce the number of pigeons at areas that have a lot of potential casualties and injuries in pigeons. This project will reduce the number of injured, deceased and orphaned pigeons in these areas. Wildlife Rescue supports the BC SPCA in promoting humane wildlife management practices.”

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Two pigeons sitting together on piece of wood.

Michael Austin, Executive Director of the Vancouver Humane Society –

“While we continue to grow our wonderful city, it is important to consider the impact such developments have on urban wildlife; Vancouver Humane is pleased to support this initiative by TransLink and the BC SPCA to humanely control the pigeon population in order to reduce unnecessary suffering. We hope that other businesses can learn from this work and that more considerations are made for the non-human animals that live in our communities.”

TransLink is Metro Vancouver’s regional transportation authority and is the first North American transportation authority to be responsible for the planning, financing and managing of all public transit in addition to major regional roads and bridges.

 

Pigeon Patrol

Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal -friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Canada’s top wholesaler for bird deterrent products for twelve consecutive years.

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Reading woman disgusted at dead pigeons and poo on footpath

Reading woman disgusted at dead pigeons and poo on footpath

A woman has expressed her disgust at the amount of ‘dead pigeons, droppings and shed feathers’ scattered across a railway bridge not far from Reading Station.

The railway line goes directly over Caversham Road taking trains to and from Reading along the Great Western Railway, with two lanes, traffic going in two directions and walkways on either side.

The bridge has become a popular roost for pigeons. This had led the regular user of this walkway to complain that it is ‘constantly covered in pigeon poo and corpses’.

Photos show a deceased bird on the concrete, the walkways covered in a mix of feathers and bird mess, and pigeons roosting despite netting being placed under the bridge in an attempt to ward them off.  The woman, who lives nearby, said: “I’ve lived in Swansea Road for six and a bit years, and it’s got worse for three to four years.

“The netting under the bridge is torn and fallen down.

“The bridge should be chicken-wired.  “There’s pigeon faeces running down the walls, and dead and dying birds on the pavement and the road.

“There’s often baby birds sitting on the pavement dying, it’s just really disgusting.

“When it rains the water mixes with the droppings, so you have liquid faeces dropping on people under the bridge. You have to use an umbrella.

“There are some pigeon spikes there but they’re not effective.  “It’s just really grim.”

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Mature gay couple feeding pigeons during a travel in Colombia

A dead pigeon seen at the Caversham Road railway underpass. She added she has reported the situation to the council’s Love Clean Reading app. However, she said just cleaning the footpath is not a solution.  The woman continued: “Because it’s not blocked off, the pigeons can make nesting sites there.

“Although it’s an ideal habitat for them, this is not a healthy place for them to live, and it’s not healthy for us either.  “I helped a woman who fell and tore her hand recently, I just hope she doesn’t get a nasty infection, because it’s filthy down there.”  She then called for the bridge to be more thoroughly secured to dissuade the pigeons from nesting there.

The nets have not prevented pigeons roosting under the bridge over Caversham Road in Reading.  When asked what could be done to rectify the issue, councillor Tony Page (Labour, Abbey) lead for transport, said: “The bridge structure and the pigeon netting above falls under the responsibility of Network Rail.

“The council’s street cleansing team regularly clean the footway below.  “We understand that Network Rail has funding for an alternate solution to the netting and a scheme is currently being designed with a view to deliver this financial year.  “We will support by providing the traffic management and lane closures to facilitate their works.

“The new solution should resolve issue on the footpath on both sides.”  The concrete is caked in pigeon droppings and feathers as people walk through the Caversham Road Underpass. Credit: UGC

A spokesperson for Network Rail confirmed that netting under the bridge will be replaced.  The spokesperson said: “We take our impact on the environment and our local communities seriously.

“We regularly inspect the condition of our infrastructure including deterrent measures such as the pigeon netting underneath Caversham Road bridge.

“We have agreed with Reading Borough Council that we will replace the existing netting with a new, more effective system and are working with our contractors to design this new system and agree a programme timeline for its installation.”

Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal -friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Canada’s top wholesaler for bird deterrent products for twelve consecutive years.

Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/

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IN PRAISE OF PIGEONS

IN PRAISE OF PIGEONS

Fresh debate has been sparked over a controversial Oxford statue after onlookers noted it had been pelted with “pigeon droppings”.

The Cecil Rhodes statue on the grounds of Oriel College at University of Oxford was covered in protective black netting after protesters in 2020 demanded it be taken down.

Before then, it had been a free for all zone for pigeons in Oxford.

“Earlier in my life I lived in Zambia, which used to be known as Northern Rhodesia, after Rhodes.

“As soon as they won their independence they changed the name of the country, because Rhodes prevented Africans from voting and stole their valuable resources.

“I agree with those who say that statues of people like him belong in a museum, not on a pedestal. People need to be able to read about the good and the bad things he did when he was alive.”

The statue of Rhodes, a 19th century imperialist linked to the slave trade, has been shrouded in controversy for years.

It gained renewed attention in June 2020 after a statue of the 17th century slave trader Edward Colston, was thrown in a dock in Bristol by Black Lives Matter protesters.

The Cecil Rhodes statue was set to be removed by summer 2021 and placed in a museum after governors of Oriel College voted to take it down – reversing a decision they made in 2016.

The Cecil Rhodes statue in High Street.

This was eventually prevented by “regulatory and financial challenges” but an explanatory plaque “contextualising” the statue was placed next to gating at the building.

Green city councillor Emily Kerr said: “I’ve long been disappointed that Oriel College hasn’t been able to come to a suitable compromise on the statue of Rhodes.

“It seems that it should be possible to have a pragmatic compromise, such as turning the statue around to face the wall and clearly highlighting the colonial history should be possible. I hope this is a step towards some action being taken.”

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Thousands of people signed a petition against removal of the statue when it was due to be taken down in 2021.

Greg Everest, who started the petition, said at the time: “Cecil Rhodes is an historical figure with world wide significance. We must keep our history, British history, in order to learn from it regardless of political feelings and persuasions.

“If we continue down the road of removing statues of people who we feel no longer fit today’s morality we will have to remove 90 per cent of British monuments along with our kings and queens.”

Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal -friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Canada’s top wholesaler for bird deterrent products for twelve consecutive years.

Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/

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IN PRAISE OF PIGEONS

IN PRAISE OF PIGEONS

More than 20 years ago, after a boozy bachelor party, three of us were walking across the small park at the intersection of State and Rush Streets. This, like many other parks large and small, is a place where pigeons congregate. Without a word of warning or “Hey, watch this,” the bachelor took a couple of quick steps and kicked an unsuspecting pigeon into the air. I saw the pigeon land with a thud 20 feet away but before I could say to the bachelor, “Why’d you kill that pigeon?” I watched in amazement as the pigeon shook its little head, got up on its skinny legs and went about its business. And I thought, “What a tough little bird.”

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I didn’t give pigeons more thought until a few weeks ago when artist Tony Fitzpatrick–whose previous subjects in the Magazine have included fighting dogs, boxers, snakes and flowers–showed me his pigeon pictures. Here they are on this page and in my head’s a question: What do pigeons deserve? To be pitied, praised or punted?

There is no doubt that pigeons are the most urban of birds, the avian equivalent of squirrels or traffic jams; facts of city living to be either tolerated or complained about.

But listening to Megan Ross, curator of birds at Lincoln Park Zoo, talk about pigeons is to gain a new appreciation of them. “The species does get a bad rap,” she says. “But it is a fascinating species, if one takes the time to look.”

She points out that there are some 300 species of pigeons and doves. “What we commonly refer to in Chicago as a pigeon is actually a rock dove,” she says. Look closely and you will see that a pigeon is not just a dull gray mass, but a bird of 10,000 feathers, some of them bronze, pink, white and green. (Seriously, just take a look.) Watch them fly and you will also see what Ross describes as “fun flight patterns.” And, she adds, “They also have a nice courtship display.”

As well they should, since pigeons, it may surprise you to know, mate for life. Not only that, but male pigeons have the ability to lactate, producing milk for the babies just as females do.

Admittedly, when pigeons gather in groups, as they mostly seem to, they can exude the quiet menace of a gang. One almost expects to see some of them smoking cigarettes or spitting on the sidewalk.

“Rock doves are very docile birds,” says Ross. “They gather in groups not to intimidate people but as a protection against predators, such as falcons or raccoons. There is a certain safety in numbers.”

But their most common and persistent enemy is us. Besides various eradication efforts designed to limit their numbers, pigeons face determined campaigns by businesses to chase them away. Some even install fake owls on building ledges or set up loudspeakers that periodically emit terrible screeching, hawklike sounds in outdoor parking lots in an attempt to keep the CEO’s Jaguar clean.

“Many people are turned off by the fact that the birds poop,” says Ross.

This was not always the case. That people are turned off, I mean. In the 18th Century, King George I of England decreed all pigeon droppings to be property of the Crown. He even put guards at sites where the birds perched to enforce his edict. He was no birdbrain. There was a practical reason for his order: Pigeon manure was used in making gunpowder.

But if the birds have thus unknowingly contributed to the taking of lives, they have also done their bit to save them. With the ability to beat their wings up to 10 times a second, maintain a heart rate of 600 beats per minute for up to 16 hours without rest and fly as fast as 60 m.p.h., pigeons are the extreme athletes of the air.

In World War I, a homing pigeon named “Cher Ami” finished his distinguished career by delivering, while wounded, a vital message: the location of the famous “Lost Battalion,” thereby saving some 200 human lives. In WWII, a homing pigeon named “GI Joe” saved more than 1,000 allied soldiers’ lives in a single mission.

Who knows if Chicago pigeons would be up to such valorous deeds? But they are tough characters.

They do not migrate, as do more sensible species, and take the full brunt of Chicago winters. Unlike the rest of us, they do not whine about the wind chill. They seem capable of eating almost anything, from popcorn in the parks to abandoned pizza slices, old hamburger buns to cotton candy. “They have, shall we say, a hearty digestive system,” says Ross.

They don’t seem to be at all insecure about their looks, though people vastly prefer spunky sparrows.

They appear to be fearless, not only when confronted by the attacks from businesses but from individuals. Many little kids like to chase them. Older kids try to hit them with rocks or kick them. Some adults hunt and kill them for food. Though we were unable to catch any of these folks in the act of hunting, cooking or eating, the Internet is filled with recipes for pigeon.

All this, and pigeons can still live to be more than 30 years old.

It’s so easy to take everyday things for granted. When was the last time you watched a river or stream flow, looked up at a building’s decorative elements, scooped up a handful of sand or dirt or asked the name of your local Streetwise vendor?

So, why not give pigeons another look? Start with the ones fashioned by Fitzpatrick and then move on to the real things, to the resilient birds with which you share the sidewalks and park benches.

Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal -friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Canada’s top wholesaler for bird deterrent products for twelve consecutive years.

Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/

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Pigeon feed seller takes flight

Pigeon feed seller takes flight

The last pigeon feed seller in London’s Trafalgar Square has agreed to stop trading in return for a cash payment.

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Pigeon standing on the house

Bernard Rayner reached an out-of-court agreement after a legal battle with London Mayor Ken Livingstone, who wants to clean up the mess caused by the birds.

Mr Rayner, 47, had taken his fight against eviction from his pitch to the High Court, pressing for a judicial review of the decision.

But in a surprise move on Wednesday morning, the judge who was due to hear the case, Mr Justice Hooper, was told Mr Rayner was now prepared to cease trading with immediate effect.

Outside court Mr Rayner denied that he had sold out, saying he was “happy” about the settlement.

The amount has not been disclosed, but Mr Rayner said: “I have got the best possible deal.”

The London Mayor, Ken Livingstone, said later in a statement: “I am delighted we have managed to reach agreement so quickly.

“The out-of-court settlement now means I can continue with my plans to transform Trafalgar Square into a cultural space for Londoners and visitors to enjoy.”

Solicitors for The Greater London Authority (GLA) said an agreed sum would be paid to Mr Rayner “to recognise the fact that he will be unable to trade in the square in the future”.Part of the sum representing Mr Rayner’s costs would be donated to an animal welfare organisation.

The GLA is to organise a programme for the phased withdrawal of feeding the pigeons until 30 April. After the settlement was announced, Mr Rayner described the withdrawal scheme as “the best possible plan”. The GLA stripped Mr Rayner of his licence in the autumn, but then granted a temporary reprieve which ran out in mid-January.

Mr Rayner then won a court ruling allowing him to continue trading until Wednesday.

‘Health hazard’

Mr Livingstone recently described pigeons as “rats with wings”, and a health hazard.

The GLA plans to clean up the mess in Trafalgar Square caused by pigeon droppings, and pedestrianise the upper part of the square to make way for more cultural pursuits for visitors.

Pigeon campaigners expressed their dismay over Wednesday’s settlement, accusing Mr Livingstone of “bully boy tactics”.

Andrew Butler, the UK representative of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Europe (PETA), said: “Basically this spells disaster for London’s pigeon population.

“There is a strong likelihood that 25% of the 6,000 Trafalgar Square flock will starve to death.”

Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal -friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Canada’s top wholesaler for bird deterrent products for twelve consecutive years.

Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/

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Pigeon terrorists were to drop bombs

Pigeon terrorists were to drop bombs

The U.K. considered training pigeons to deliver weapons of mass destruction but changed its mind, government files show.

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City pigeons

It considered using the birds to deliver biological weapons after World War II but decided the birds had outlived their usefulness in battle.

Homing pigeons carried vital messages in wartime, and the Pigeon Policy Committee of the day discussed training them to undertake ever more daring tasks.

“We can now train pigeons to ‘home’ to any object on the ground when air-released in the vicinity… Bacteria might be delivered accurately to a target by this means,” head of the Air Ministry Pigeon Section Lea Rayner said in a 1945 report.

“With the latest developments of explosives and bacterial science I suggest that this possibility should be closely investigated and watched.

“A thousand pigeons, each with a two ounce explosive capsule, landed at intervals on a specific target might be a seriously inconvenient surprise.”

But other committee members did not share Rayner’s enthusiasm and in 1948 the armed services said they had no further interest in pigeons.

The secret services, however, thought anti-British forces would continue to communicate with each other via pigeons and asked a civilian pigeon fancier to keep 100 birds for MI5 to use to prepare countermeasures.

But they abandoned that scheme in 1950.

The U.K. used about 250,000 pigeons to carry messages in World War II and 32 of the birds received the Dickin Medal, the highest award of valour for animals.

The birds were also used for aerial surveillance. At the beginning of the 20th century Bavaria’s pigeon fleet flew over Europe with cameras attached to their bodies that took a series of timed shots.

Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal -friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Canada’s top wholesaler for bird deterrent products for twelve consecutive years.

Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/

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What happened to the one-legged pigeon?

What happened to the one-legged pigeon?

Ah, the one-legged pigeon of Ryerson — a famous figure on campus. Students and regular citizens alike fondly regale each other with stories of the deformed bird.

It’s been brought to my attention that the pigeon has gone missing. Is she dead? Was she eaten? Did she just pick up and leave, sick of all the attention she was getting at Ryerson?

Fret no more, my friends. I know the truth. Our one-legged pigeon is less of a circus freak and more of a noble revolutionary than any of us expected.

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Pigeons and their chicks sitting on perches in farm countryside

The year was 2004. Facebook had just launched and everyone had flip phones. Outside the realm of human interest, however, a revolution was brewing.

The Pigeons’ Movement was one that had a substantial following, as all pigeons agreed that their resemblance to seagulls was systematically ruining their lives. They were sick and tired of being mistaken for the evil birds, who had garnered a bad reputation among the humans. As a result, a group of passionate individuals decided to take action.

Our one-legged pigeon was in the midst of a sit-in on the Kerr Hall Quad and was a leading figure of the Pigeons’ Movement. She was giving a speech (telepathically, of course) when an idea flashed across her mind. Why not make it clear that we are a force to be reckoned with?

As the birds communicated, it was decided that they would amputate a leg to demonstrate their seriousness. They wanted to be seen as unique, dammit. To them, this was the only solution. I won’t go into the grisly details of how exactly it was done, but I will say that it included some plastic knives and a lot of effort.

The movement yielded minimal results and soon, all of the dismembered pigeons lost touch. Of course, most of them died immediately, as they were unable to fend for themselves. Actually, all but one was deceased. She is the mastermind behind the imprudent plan. She is (you guessed it) the one-legged pigeon of Ryerson.

For years, she wandered around the campus, hoping to run into one of her old friends from her old life. Was the movement still kicking? Did she cut off her leg for no reason?

While humans laughed and took pictures of her, she cried. All of this suffering, because she wanted to fight the good fight.

Now, the question of where she disappeared to. The infamous one-legged pigeon is not, in fact, dead. She was discovered by some young activists, who then brought her underground to speak to a gathering of pigeons who wanted to revive the movement. She is respected there, and she is hopeful.

Expect to hear about the second wave of the Pigeons’ Movement. Expect to see some more deformed feathery friends hopping about. Let it be known that it all started with the one-legged pigeon of Ryerson.

Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal -friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Canada’s top wholesaler for bird deterrent products for twelve consecutive years.

Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/

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Pigeon protesters ruffle Livingstone

Pigeon protesters ruffle Livingstone

Mayor of London Ken Livingstone was unexpectedly “ruffled” on his trip to the US, by protesters opposed to his plan to reduce the number of pigeons in Trafalgar Square.

He was on a fact-finding mission to the US, but had not expected to be doused in water over an issue related to London’s most famous square.Mr Livingstone has been criticised after refusing to renew the licence of the last bird feed vendor in Trafalgar Square.  Andrew Butler, a spokesman for the pressure group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) told how activists doused Mr Livingstone with a pitcher of water during a news conference in Washington DC on Thursday.

A protester shouted: “Your plan to poison pigeons is all wet. Mayor Livingstone starves pigeons to death.”

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Pigeon on a roof with solar panels with pigeon spikes to repel pigeons, Darmstadt, Germany

Bird feed seller Bernard Rayner has until Friday to give up his job, after which the Greater London Authority will implement a one-month phased withdrawal of feed from the capital’s famous landmark.Mr Rayner had traded on a temporary licence since October after a High Court appeal against an earlier move by Mr Livingstone to target the pigeons.

At that time, Labour MP Tony Banks tabled a Commons’ motion in a bid to save the “gentle London pigeon”. Mr Butler said that people in the UK may be surprised about the trans-Atlantic interest shown in the issue – but the US activists feel strongly about the fate of the birds. He said: “This isn’t Hawaii. It’s freezing-cold concrete-covered London. There are no luscious fruit trees for the birds to flit over to. The baby and elderly pigeons have nowhere else to seek food.

“They’ll starve. What’s he going to introduce next? Bear-baiting? He is waging war against the symbol of peace. Pigeons are rock doves, and Ken needs to extend an olive branch.” The GLA plans to clean up the mess caused by pigeon droppings and pedestrianise the upper part of the square to make way for more cultural pursuits for visitors.

But Dr Jayne Cuthbert, a research fellow at Kingston University who has advised the government on pigeons, confirmed PETA’s fears that withdrawing the food supply will result in the deaths of thousands of the birds.

She said: “The basic law of ecology is that there will only be as many birds in any area as there is enough food to feed them. “The Trafalgar Square pigeons will therefore not be able to fly off elsewhere because there will be no food available.” The number of pigeons in British towns and cities is estimated to have doubled in the past five years.

Mr Livingstone spent the earlier part of the week in New York to find out about its public transport and urban regeneration schemes.  He is now spending two days in Washington as a guest at the annual conference of US mayors

Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal -friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Canada’s top wholesaler for bird deterrent products for twelve consecutive years.

Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/

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PIGEON POOP POISONING 70% OF OUR CHILDREN

PIGEON POOP POISONING 70% OF OUR CHILDREN

Nearly three-quarters of Big Apple kids may have been exposed to a pigeon-poop fungus that can cause vomiting, fever and other illnesses, a new study revealed yesterday.

According to researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in The Bronx, 70 percent of urban kids are exposed to Cryptococcus neoforman fungus, which grows in rotting pigeon roosts and is present in pigeon droppings.

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Moment of tenderness between a pair of pigeons

The researchers took blood samples from 185 healthy Bronx children and found that seven out of ten of those over the age of five, and 56 percent younger than five, were infected by the fungus.

Expert say the airborne fungus – which remains until adulthood – may be an underlying cause of many mysterious cases of vomiting, fever and lethargy.

“We were surprised by the number of children exposed to this fungus,” said Dr. David Goldman, and assistant professor of pediatrics at the medical school.

“It’s all over because pigeons are common in cities all over the world,” Goldman said.

The infection, which also can be caused by parrots, canaries and other birds, can be treated with anti-fungal medications.

Cryptococcus neoforman enters the body through the lungs and spreads to other tissues and organs, especially the brain.

It is normally KO’d by the body’s natural defenses, but in people with weakened immune systems, like those with AIDS and cancer, the fungus can cause meningitis, a brain infection that is often fatal.

Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal -friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Canada’s top wholesaler for bird deterrent products for twelve consecutive years.

Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/

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Pigeon, mouse and loo roll among causes of London fires

Pigeon, mouse and loo roll among causes of London fires

Fires were caused by a mouse chewing wires, a toilet roll being microwaved and a pigeon with a cigarette

A pigeon dropping a discarded cigarette down a chimney was among the most unusual causes of London fires in 2013, the city’s fire brigade has revealed.

Researchers studied 2,000 incidents in the capital in a bid to highlight the importance of fire safety.

Another case saw a fire caused by a dog hitting a toaster’s controls as it leapt on a worktop to reach food

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Close-up of a Pigeon at a Vancouver Island park.

.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) investigator Charlie Pugsley said he had seen some “weird and wonderful” things this year.

He added that even the strangest fire could have been prevented by taking simple fire safety precautions.

Other cases which highlighted the more unusual causes of fire included a teenage boy lighting a can of deodorant he had just used on himself ahead of his first date.

The LFB also attended fires started by someone putting a toilet roll which dropped down the loo into a microwave to dry it out and by a mouse eating through the wiring in the back of a fridge freezer.

Mr Pugsley said people should not use microwaves to dry out clothes or other items.

He added that candles should not be left unattended and mirrors and glass, which reflect the sun’s rays, needed to be kept away from flammable objects.

 

 

Pigeon Patrol

Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal -friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Canada’s top wholesaler for bird deterrent products for twelve consecutive years.

Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/

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Logo Shocked the internet

Logo Shocked the internet

How to represent a city as old, sprawling, and populous as London? The London Museum shocked the internet when it debuted its new logo: a humble pigeon who, as the locals might say, has just gone to the loo. Looking a bit less dingy grey than usual, the gleaming white porcelain pigeon is accompanied by a glittering gold splatter of bird droppings.

According to a blog post, the newly rechristened London Museum (formerly the Museum of London) chose this quintessential urban bird as a symbol for the U.K. capital because it has remained “an impartial and humble observer of London life” for nearly 1,000 years.

The controversial logo has been designed by Uncommon Creative Studio, who enlisted the help of 33 Londoners from 32 boroughs, including a chef, a DJ, a children’s TV producer, a boxer, and a tattoo artist. They collaborated on the logo via workshops and focus groups, informed by the input of hundreds more Londoners whose opinions were solicited via survey.

“A good logo gets people talking,” said the museum’s director Sharon Ament. “The pigeon and splat speak to a historic place full of dualities, a place where the grit and the glitter have existed side by side for millennia.”

 

The pigeon has split opinion online, with some believing it to be a humorous homage to city life while others have found it “baffling,” in the words of Maxwell Blowfield, author of the popular “maxwell museums” newsletter. “No one ever thinks, feels or speaks about pigeons,” he said. “They’re one of the least unique things about London.”

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Romantic day out with pigeons in the Amsterdam main square for a diverse tourist couple made up of an alternative brunette female and a curly transgender woman

“London is a remarkable place,” he added. “Yet the London Museum has has managed to avoid representing anything remarkable about it in this rebrand. Which is in itself remarkable.”

So what is the history of pigeons in London? The birds are descended from rock doves and were domesticated in the U.K. at around the time of the Norman Conquest, in 1066, as a food source as well as for long-distance communication. Some managed to escape, becoming the feral pigeons that roam free today.

A white clay Roman figurine of a pigeon from the 1st century C.E. is in the London Museum’s collection, speaking to this origin story.

 

In more recent centuries, some Londoners have taken kindly to pigeons. In the Victorian era, it became common for people to sell bags of bird seed to visitors to give to the pigeons. This was particularly commonplace in Trafalgar Square, as in one scene by Harold Dearden in the 1950s.

Another “little old bird woman” is described each morning on the steps of St. Paul’s Cathedral in “Feed the Birds” from the film Mary Poppins (1964). The practice was banned when, in 2000, the Greater London Authority stopped the square’s resident feed seller Bernie Rayner from supply grain to tourists. Pigeons are often viewed as unwelcome pests, and feeding them would encourage them return to the square as they are able to remember faces and places.

Will museum-goers find this unusual logo memorable, or is it for the birds?

Pigeon Patrol

Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal -friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Canada’s top wholesaler for bird deterrent products for twelve consecutive years.

Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/

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Why killing pigeons doesn’t work

Why killing pigeons doesn’t work

Killing, by any means, isn’t just cruel; it fails to solve the root cause of the problem, leading to an endless cycle of killing.

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Turtle dove walking over the clothes hanging on the balcony cloth dryer. Urban wildlife. Birds in the city. Pigeon on the balcony looking for food. Jeans and t-shirts are hanging on the cloth dryer.

The misleadingly marketed Avitrol brand poison is used to kill pigeons. Promoted as a “flock frightening agent” or “repellent”, it is in fact a nervous system poison. Birds who consume it suffer convulsions and die. It is not only traumatic for the birds to die this way, but also for any people—especially children—who witness or try to help the dying birds.

Users claim that the distressed behavior of poisoned birds frightens other flock members away. Yet any “frightening” effect of Avitrol on surviving birds is very short-lived, because remaining birds return quickly and reproduce. Taking a small subset out of the population really doesn’t accomplish much other than opening up niche space for other birds to fill. The end result of the use of Avitrol or other lethal pigeon control methods is an endless cycle of unnecessary killing.

The HSUS also opposes the common practice of trapping and removing pigeons. Trapped birds are typically killed, and if not killed immediately, may be used in cruel pigeon shoots or live the remainder of their lives in permanent confinement. The removal of birds without getting at the cause of the conflict is a woefully inadequate approach to problem management.

Pigeon Patrol

Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal -friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Canada’s top wholesaler for bird deterrent products for twelve consecutive years.

Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/

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What to do about pigeons

What to do about pigeons

From a pigeon’s perspective, city living can’t be beat. Food and water are readily available. Predators are rare. Plus, there’s plenty of free housing. Pigeons find our window ledges, rooftops, bridges, and warehouses to be ideal substitutes for the natural ledges in cliff sides that they have always used as roosting, nesting, and sheltering sites.

When flocks grow too large and become a nuisance, killing the birds is often the first plan of action. But killing pigeons doesn’t work, and there are better, non-lethal ways to fix a pigeon problem.

Three steps to humanely solve a pigeon problem

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Pigeons mating and flirting with each other.

You may just need one or a combination of all three techniques, depending on the size of the pigeon population you’re dealing with.

Stop feeding the pigeons (intentionally or not)

Most conflicts with pigeons can be tied at one point or another to feeding, intentionally or otherwise.

Pigeons get fed plenty of handouts and garbage, but there are also well-intentioned pigeon lovers who regularly feed the birds. This does the pigeons more harm than good as the pigeons begin to gather in large numbers, often leading to inhumane and ineffective attempts to reduce their numbers.

When such troubles arise, the best thing for the birds is to reduce feeding gradually over several weeks. The flock will gradually disperse until the remaining number of birds matches what the area can naturally support.

Unintentional food sources

Even when not feeding on purpose, we humans are messy, leaving leftovers and dropped crumbs everywhere. Pigeons hang around town squares, public parks, and other trafficked areas to help themselves to what we leave behind, especially when convenient roosting and nesting sites are nearby. To discourage pigeons from gathering, food attractants need to be cleaned up regularly.

In suburban neighborhoods, too, homeowners may mistakenly feed pigeons or they may be providing food for pigeons inadvertently when feeding their backyard birds by tossing seed on the ground, rather than putting it in birdfeeders. To discourage pigeons visiting your yard, change the type, amount, and timing of feeding. If most of the pigeons fail to move elsewhere, you’ll need to stop feeding all birds for a couple weeks. (Don’t worry; the birds won’t starve.) When you resume feeding, only put out seed in birdfeeders and keep the ground below them cleaned up.

Prevent roosting and nesting

Pigeons look for flat surfaces for roosting and nesting. Encourage them to do these things elsewhere by making flat surfaces unavailable to them. With the correct application of the right product, roosting structures can be rendered virtually pigeon-free.

There are a variety of devices that can be used to change flat nesting spots into inaccessible spaces and prevent pigeons from roosting in areas where they’re not wanted.  Attach wood or metal sheathing (Birdslides) at a 45- to 60-degree angle over window ledges and other flat surfaces to keep pigeons from landing.

Install “bird wires” to keep pigeons off ledges, railings, awnings, and rooftops.

Use netting to keep pigeons out of large areas.

NEVER use polybutylene gel. Sticky gel repellents made from polybutene can harm all birds and any animal that comes in contact with it. The HSUS strongly recommends that these dangerous repellents be avoided at all costs. The feathers of any bird who comes into contact with the dense, sticky gel will become damaged, interfering with their ability to fly and to stay water-proofed.

These gel repellents are not selective. Other birds are likely to land on the gel, get stuck, and die a slow death. The polybutene gels are particularly harmful to smaller species.

Limit flock size with pigeon birth control

As year-round nesters, a pair of pigeons can raise a dozen or more young each year. If pigeons have plenty of food and space, their numbers can quickly increase. Fortunately, a bird contraceptive is available that limits growth of pigeon flocks.

Ovocontrol bird food is “birth control” for pigeons. Innolytics, LLC

Known as OvoControl, pigeon contraception comes in the form of a kibble-type food, which causes birds who eat it regularly to lay eggs that fail to develop. In March 2010, OvoControl received landmark general-use approval by the Environmental Protection Agency. Visit ovocontrol.com to learn more about the product and how you can implement an OvoControl program.

Combined with exclusion and other humane measures to discourage roosting and nesting, OvoControl effectively reduces hatching rates in pigeons, thereby limiting flock sizes and diminishing problems associated with large numbers of pigeons.

Business owners who pledge to use OvoControl instead of lethal methods can download our free signage and educational materials. In Hawai’i, where pigeons can be a major problem, businesses that have started OvoControl programs have seen a noticeable decrease in pigeon numbers.

M=====

Pigeon droppings and public health

Disease risk from pigeon droppings is often used to justify killing pigeons, but fresh bird droppings have not been shown to present a health risk.

People may fear that pigeons roosting or nesting nearby, or more specifically the droppings that accompany such sites, are a health threat. These fears usually focus on histoplasmosis, a fungus that grows in dropping-enriched soil, and on diseases caused by Cryptococcus and Salmonella. However, there is little evidence linking pigeons directly to human infections.

Histoplasmosis fungus is common in the eastern and central U.S. As many as 80 % of people tested in these areas prove to have already been exposed to the fungus without knowing.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, fresh bird droppings on surfaces such as sidewalks and windowsills have not been shown to present a health risk. People should avoid contact with any animal droppings, of course, and ordinary good hygiene, such as washing hands and leaving shoes at the door, are adequate prevention if you accidentally come into contact with animal droppings.

 

Pigeon Patrol

Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal -friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Canada’s top wholesaler for bird deterrent products for twelve consecutive years.

Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/

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an apartment building on the top floor

an apartment building on the top floor

I live in an apartment building on the top floor and had some pigeons decide to nest on my balcony since I hadn’t really been out there due to work and the weather wasn’t very nice. A pair of pigeons had laid some eggs, I let them use the space thinking that after the birds could fly, they would all just move along since I began using the balcony again. I would make sure to go out there frequently just to make sure that they were aware of me being there, and it would scare them off.

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Pigeons by the iconic Nihonbashi bridge, designed by Tsumaki Yorinaka and constructed of stone on a steel frame, dates from 1911. Tokyo, Japan.

 

Well the first batch left the nest a while ago, but the birds werent scared off, and laid another set of eggs. The second set have already grown to where they can fly, and now I go out to scare them off every so often. I remove any nesting material that they lay down, but they are persistent and rebuild and try to lay eggs again. They laid a third set of eggs, which was the last straw for me, I took the eggs, and put them out in the courtyard where the birds could see them on the ground floor, thinking that they would attempt to find a more suitable location. They were in the same spot for a couple of days, and then they were gone. I am assuming the gardener probably removed them and not the birds.

 

Again the birds have tried to nest and lay eggs, this time there was only one, and I removed it and placed it on the ground level immediately. I go out every so ofte to scare them off, but they are there the next day.

 

I have thrown out almost all of the things that were on my patio since they were in such bad shape, and there is feces all over my balcony. I initially tried spraying vinegar thinking that the birds would not like the odor, it worked for about 30 minutes, and then the balcony actually just smelled better, and they probably liked it more.

 

I am trying to find a humane way to let the pigeons know that they are not welcome here, and ran across your website when I was looking for a safe way to remove them. The area has alot of debris and such from garbage that they eat from, and there are alot of places that they can nest, I am not trying to remove them from the entire area, just keeping them off my balcony. One website mentioned that the use of strong spices such as garlic, cinnamon, cayenne, and black pepper would be a good detterent, and I figured I would ask here if this is a good method, or if there is another solution to my problem. The property I live in does not want any visible things displayed on the balcony, so it would be difficult for some of the other ideas I have read, as far as shiny mobiles, or string to disrupt perches.

 

Pigeon Patrol

Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal -friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Canada’s top wholesaler for bird deterrent products for twelve consecutive years.

Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/

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Company has the poop for keeping birds away

Company has the poop for keeping birds away

From sidewalks messed with droppings to gutters filled with feathers, birds aren’t always welcome in some public places. As beautiful as they can be individually, a large group of birds gathering atop a building or nesting in air vents can create a danger for themselves and the public.

 

BirdFlite wires keep large birds from gathering on a building’s ledge. Photos courtesy of Bird Barrier.

Bird Barrier Inc. of Carson, Calif., has developed several ways to keep birds off building ledges and awnings without harming them and with little to no visual impact.

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Four gulls observe from a sightseeing cruiser on Toyako, a caldera lake. Spring afternoon in Abuta District.

“You probably won’t even notice them,” says Monique Thorsell, marketing director for Bird Barrier, of the company’s various, and often strange-looking, bird deterrents.

 

Some of their products — such scarecrow-like screech owl decoys — have been used for years. Others — like the Daddi Long Legs with its many thin, wavy wires — look more like alien technology.

 

Though Bird Barriers has been around for eight years, Thorsell says some of its experts have been working in bird control for 20 years. “It has grown to be a very hot market in the last seven to eight years,” she said. As more development moves into the suburban areas, birds are finding their old nesting grounds are now covered in pavement. “We’re decreasing their natural habitat,” she says. “There are more conflicts being created.”

 

In recent years, increasing populations of Canadian Geese have left their mark — and droppings — on public parks and golf courses. Some are concerned the birds will destroy the landscaping and vegetation — others worry about diseases spreading through bird droppings.

 

In the city, birds create problems when they gather on rooftops where their feathers and droppings get into air vents, either circulating bacteria or causing mechanical problems. “You really want to keep birds off the air intake valves and air conditioning units,” Thorsell says. A lot of times they will clog up gutters, creating standing water that can wear down a roof.

 

The issue isn’t really with one or two birds hanging out on a ledge outside of the building, she says. “But if you have them in an area around the air conditioning unit or if you have a couple hundred birds on the building, you need to take a look at solving the issue.”

 

Contractors and homeowners can purchase products on Bird Barriers’ Web site. The company will provide teaching tools on which method will work best for the situation and how to install the product. “We don’t actually do the installs,” she said, but the company has trained more than 15,000 installers across the country.

 

Different products are recommended for different situations. The StealthNet is made of polyethylene twine and steel installation hardware, so it is difficult for the public to see from even a few feet away. Designed for all bird species and heavy use, the netting is attached to a pre-installed cable system. Though great for keeping birds off rooftops and air conditioning units, the installation of the StealthNet is rather involved.

 

Another product, Bird-Flite Spikes, comes in one-foot lengths and three different width configurations. The product is designed to keep birds the size of pigeons or larger off ledges, while leaving room for small songbirds. Made of stainless steel and polycarbonate, the base can be easily glued or screwed onto the surface.

 

Daddi Long Legs

The many wires of the Daddi Long Legs work to deter seagulls from landing on a boat.

The spider-like Daddi Long Legs is made of stainless steel and Delrin plastic. This product is often used on boats, atop streetlights and outdoor shade umbrellas to deter bigger birds from landing. “Not starlings or sparrows,” Thorsell says. “They can actually hang on the wires.”

 

The cost of installing a bird-deterrent system can vary depending on the product used and the extent of the project. “The homeowner that has a problem on their window ledge could spend $20 to $30,” she said, whereas keeping birds out of airport hangers could cost more than $100,000. “In general, the solution to the problem is anywhere from $500 to $2,500.”

 

At Seattle’s Key Arena, Bird Barrier products such as the Bird Flight and Bird Shock are used to keep birds away from and out of the building. While Bird Shock does generate an electric shock, Thorsell says it won’t actually harm the birds. “It sends a little conditioning shock, similar to a static-electricity shock,” she says.

 

In fact, the Humane Society and the Fund for Animals have endorsed Bird Barrier because the company provides non-harmful methods to deter birds. “We have the only completely humane product line in the business,” Thorsell says.

Here’s why some pigeons do backflips

At least five genes are involved in making parlor roller pigeons do backward somersaults

 

A brownish-red roller pigeon does backward somersaults from left to right across a white background.

Parlor roller pigeons like this one have a movement disorder that prevents them from flying. At least five genes are involved in making the birds do backward somersaults, new research suggests.

 

These roller pigeons come in two varieties: Flying rollers such as Birmingham rollers, which fly but do long tumbling runs toward the ground before resuming flight, and parlor rollers, which can’t fly but instead backflip along the ground. Many Persian poems say the pigeons perform the acrobatics because the birds are happy, but Samani says the truth is darker. “This is definitely a movement disorder, and it does not have any good aspects to it,” she says. The disorder is progressive, appearing soon after hatching and gradually getting worse until the birds can’t fly.

 

A smiling young woman, Atoosa Samani, with shoulder-length dark hair holds a small green bird with a yellow belly in her right hand. She is wearing a maroon coat and dark mauve stocking cap.

In addition to studying pigeon genetics, Atoosa Samani, pictured here holding a Wilson’s warbler, also volunteers with a bird banding group and enjoys bird watching. “I love birds,” she says. But she confesses that pigeons are her favorites.

Courtesy of A. Samani

Her colleagues confirmed backflipping is a recessive trait by breeding racing homer pigeons with parlor rollers; none of the hybrid offspring rolled. When hybrid birds were bred together, about 4 out of 10 of the offspring did somersaults when forced to fly, Samani said at the conference.

 

Samani used two different statistical methods to locate genes that make the pigeons tip tailfeather over teakettle. She found five large stretches of DNA containing hundreds of genes. But none of the genes in those areas had mutations that could account for the tumbling.

 

So she looked at gene activity in the birds’ brains and found nearly 2,000 genes that become either more or less active in the brains of parlor rollers than in two breeds of nonrolling pigeons.

 

Pigeon Patrol

Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal -friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Canada’s top wholesaler for bird deterrent products for twelve consecutive years.

Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/

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TransLink and BC SPCA tackling the pigeon problem

DAMAGE POTENTIAL

Feral pigeons and certain species of gull, for example the Herring Gull and Lesser Black-Back Gull are potentially a source of risk to health and safety in the urban environment. A range of diseases have been shown to be carried by birds living in urban and suburban environments.

Pigeons and seagulls will deface buildings by their droppings deposited and nesting materials.

The feral pigeon use buildings throughout cities as a sheltered roosting site while waiting to feed at first light, on debris from waste management bins in the domestic and commercial sectors.

Both Herring Gulls and Lesser Black-Back Gulls are becoming an increasing problem in Dublin and surrounding areas, nesting on flat rooftops. They have become aggressively protective of their territory, especially during their breeding cycle.

Legal status

Unlike most other pest species, birds have legislative protection unless it can be provided that their presence is detrimental to man in some way.

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Seagull flying in to to eat french fry chip.

Under the Wildlife (Amended) Act 2000 all wild birds, their eggs, nests and habitat are protected. However, member states may derogate from the provisions in the directive, where there is no other satisfactory solution, for the following reasons:

In the interests of public health and safety

In the interest of air safety

To prevent serious damage to crops, livestock, forests, fisheries and water

For the protection of flora and fauna

In Ireland, General Licences, issued and revised, annually by the Department list the birds that can be taken. The licences also state the reasons for such action, methods of control and that the work must be carried out by an authorised person (authorised person means the owner, occupier or someone authorised b the owner or occupier in writing).

These licences do not have to be applied for. They are a legislative means of removing the protection of certain birds, regarded as pests, from the general protection afforded them through the Wildlife (Amended) Act 2000.

Population control

Reduction in numbers by one of the approved methods, shooting, trapping etc will provide only short-term relief. This method should only provide temporary relief until proofing work is complete, or to clear derelict buildings of pest birds prior to demolition.

Management of pest birds can be divided into three distinct categories:

Reduction / removal of food sources

The number of birds in an area will be directly influenced by the food source available. Therefore, good waste management and discouraging members of the public from feeding the birds (mainly feral pigeons will naturally reduce the bird numbers over a period of time.

Removal of roosting sites

Design of new buildings should take into consideration ledges, windowsills and any other feature that might provide roosting sites for birds. An angle of 45 degrees or more will prevent birds from roosting. Maintenance of existing buildings should be carried out to remove potential ingress points for feral pigeons. These would include missing rooftiles, broken windows and areas where maintenance work has been carried out and holes left in the fabric of the building.

Roofs should be designed and detailed specifically to exclude birds by keeping all gaps and openings below 20mm

Proofing against bird nesting and roosting

Proofing measures such as netting and stainless-steel spikes can be used to deter birds from roosting on buildings.

Netting mesh sizes for bird proofing will vary according to the species of bird. As a guide, the following mesh sizes are recommended:

Sparrows and similar size birds – 19mm mesh size

Starlings – 28-30mm mesh size

Pigeons – 50mm mesh size

Gulls – 75mm mesh size

Spike systems will deter birds from roosting on ledges that cannot be made inaccessible by netting. They should be fixed in a manner that will ensure that the ledge is adequately covered by the spikes.

Bird proofing is specialist work. An experienced installer should be consulted for advice and proofing strategies.

It should be noted that birds other than those listed on the general licences cannot be prevented from accessing their nest site during the breeding season. To do so would be a breach of the Wildlife (Amended) Act 2000 and prosecution could follow.

Urban pest bird control Pigeons is a complex subject and requires an integrated approach which will include waste management regimes to minimise attractive food sources; maintenance and design of buildings that will reduce potential roosting and nesting sites and proofing strategies that will exclude pest birds from priorities areas.

Pigeons AKA ‘Rats with Wings’

Why do we dread these pests over other animals?

Since the 1930s pigeons have been causing havoc to our cities. From nesting on roofs to defecating buildings. They are commonly known as ‘Rats with Wings’ but do we have reason to despise these birds? Let us take a look

Noise

These pesky birds invade spaces that are not designed for them. They have settled in urban areas and industrial estates and are comfortable making their nest in man made structures. Their short legs and hind toes permit easy perching on pipes and ledges.

Faeces

Not only do they invade our space they also destroy it with their droppings. Their waste is highly acidic and will corrode metal and concrete. Pigeons also carry mites which can cause skin disorders, while dirt from their feathers can exacerbate respiratory problems.

Disease

Most importantly they are a health risk to us. Pigeons and their excretion spread over 60 different diseases. Histoplasmosis, Salmonella and E.coli to name just a few.

Image

A pigeon infestation will promote a bad company image. Seeing a flock of pigeons nesting on the roof of any building or its ledge does not portray a top company image.

Damage

Pigeons nest in drain gutters, blocking them causing damage. They also nest near cables which could lead to a serious fire hazard. Pigeon activity around buildings often leads to structural damage as these resourceful pests can lift roof coverings to make an entry.

How do we control these pesky pests?

In the 20th century, pigeons were controlled by killing them however nowadays Bird Control Pigeons is much more humane. Controlling them now means preventing them nesting on YOUR building and moving them elsewhere. Our highly trained staff at Central Pest Control can help in moving these birds from your building by putting netting or bird wiring of any shape or size to fit your pest control needs depending on the area invaded.

Did you know? A pigeon dispenses over 10 kg of dung a year!

Pigeon Patrol

Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal -friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Canada’s top wholesaler for bird deterrent products for twelve consecutive years.

Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/

Bird Gone, Pigeon Gone, Pigeon problems, pigeon spikes, 1-877-4NO-BIRD, 4-S Gel, Bird Control, Pigeon Control, bird repellent, Bird Spikes, sonic bird repellent, stainless steel bird spikes, bird spikes Vancouver, Ultra Sonic Bird Control, Bird Netting, Plastic Bird Spikes, Canada bird spike deterrents, Pigeon Pests, B Gone Pigeon, Pigeon Patrol, pest controller, pest control operator, pest control technician, Pigeon Control Products, humane pigeon spikes, pigeon deterrents, pigeon traps, Pigeon repellents, Sound & Laser Deterrents, wildlife control, raccoon, skunk, squirrel deterrent, De-Fence Spikes, Dragons Den, Pigeon, Pigeon Patrol, Pigeons Roosting, Vancouver Pigeon Control, Bird Spikes, Bird Control, Bird Deterrent, Pigeon Deterrent, Surrey Pigeon Control, Pest, Seagull deterrent  Vancouver Pigeon Blog, Birds Inside Home De-fence, Pigeon Nesting, Bird Droppings, Pigeon Dropping, woodpecker control,  Keep The Birds Away, Birds/rats, seagull, pigeon, woodpecker, dove, sparrow, pidgeon control, pidgeon problem, pidgeon control, flying rats, pigeon Problems, bird netting, bird gel, bird spray, bird nails, bird guard, Pigeon control, Bird deterrents, Pigeon deterrents, Bird control, solutions, Pigeon prevention, Pigeon repellent, Bird proofing, Pest bird management, Pigeon spikes, Bird netting, Humane bird control, Bird exclusion, Urban bird control, Anti-roosting devices, Pigeon removal, Bird barriers

Facts about pigeons

Facts about pigeons

Pigeons are our most common urban bird.

They are amazingly resourceful creatures, able to survive in the midst of predatory humanity.

Even so, up to 35% of a local population may perish annually from natural causes and predators.

Pigeons flock together in large numbers to protect themselves against, cats, rats and foxes.

Even when times are tough and the weather is freezing and stormy, they co-operate with each other and readily accept outsiders into their flock.

They have easy temperaments and are adaptable and hardy, which no doubt accounts for their ability to maintain numbers.

The most widespread misconception about urban pigeons is that they are carriers of disease.

The truth is that the vast majority of people are at little or no health risk and probably have a greater chance of being struck by lightning than contracting disease from a pigeon.

Pigeons pair for life.

Both parents take an equal role in caring for their young.

The chicks are helpless when first hatched and are fed for the first few days on ‘pigeon milk’ regurgitated from both parents’ throats.

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Two pigeons on a park bench in mating season.

The phenomenal navigational abilities of pigeons largely depend on their keen vision and memory for landmarks. Over the centuries these qualities have become legendary.

Pigeon Patrol

Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal -friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Canada’s top wholesaler for bird deterrent products for twelve consecutive years.

Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/

Bird Gone, Pigeon Gone, Pigeon problems, pigeon spikes, 1-877-4NO-BIRD, 4-S Gel, Bird Control, Pigeon Control, bird repellent, Bird Spikes, sonic bird repellent, stainless steel bird spikes, bird spikes Vancouver, Ultra Sonic Bird Control, Bird Netting, Plastic Bird Spikes, Canada bird spike deterrents, Pigeon Pests, B Gone Pigeon, Pigeon Patrol, pest controller, pest control operator, pest control technician, Pigeon Control Products, humane pigeon spikes, pigeon deterrents, pigeon traps, Pigeon repellents, Sound & Laser Deterrents, wildlife control, raccoon, skunk, squirrel deterrent, De-Fence Spikes, Dragons Den, Pigeon, Pigeon Patrol, Pigeons Roosting, Vancouver Pigeon Control, Bird Spikes, Bird Control, Bird Deterrent, Pigeon Deterrent, Surrey Pigeon Control, Pest, Seagull deterrent  Vancouver Pigeon Blog, Birds Inside Home De-fence, Pigeon Nesting, Bird Droppings, Pigeon Dropping, woodpecker control,  Keep The Birds Away, Birds/rats, seagull, pigeon, woodpecker, dove, sparrow, pidgeon control, pidgeon problem, pidgeon control, flying rats, pigeon Problems, bird netting, bird gel, bird spray, bird nails, bird guard, Pigeon control, Bird deterrents, Pigeon deterrents, Bird control, solutions, Pigeon prevention, Pigeon repellent, Bird proofing, Pest bird management, Pigeon spikes, Bird netting, Humane bird control, Bird exclusion, Urban bird control, Anti-roosting devices, Pigeon removal, Bird barriers

Tips for bird dispersal with lasers

Tips for bird dispersal with lasers

There are at least two potential consumer uses for lasers outdoors, pointing out stars in the sky and dispersing birds. This page discusses tips for deterring and dispersing birds.

Summary

LaserPointerSafety.com does not recommend that ordinary consumers use lasers to scare away unwanted birds. The right type of laser with a wide, low-powered beam is not readily available so there are too many potential safety problems for the birds, for the laser user, and for bystanders.

Also, there is a chance of accidentally having the beam be on or near an aircraft; this is illegal in many countries and jurisdictions. Finally, some species of birds may be only temporarily repelled by lasers; after a few minutes or within a day, studies indicate they will return.

Bird deterrence and dispersal

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Domestic Pigeon looking at camera

Some consumers have asked about using lasers for bird dispersal.

A September 2003 U.S. Department of Agriculture publication, “Use of Lasers in Avian Dispersal” (available here or here) says that lasers are “safe and effective species-specific alternatives to pyrotechnics, shotguns, and other traditional avian dispersal tools.” A key phrase is “species-specific”. For example, a 2002 USDA study of crows (listed below) concluded that lasers do not work for more than a few minutes of dispersal, and are therefore not recommended for crows.

LaserPointerSafety.com believes there is a difference between serious, professional use, and consumers ordering possibly over-powered lasers off the Internet and simply waving them into trees and the sky. This is especially true in today’s environment where authorities are very sensitive to lasers being aimed into the air by ordinary citizens.

Our recommendation is that consumers should not use lasers against birds, especially Class 3B and Class 4 lasers (output power of 5 milliwatts or above). If a person feels they must try this, it should be done very carefully, with continuous monitoring of the sky so that aircraft are not accidentally targeted.

 

Pigeon Patrol

Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal -friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Canada’s top wholesaler for bird deterrent products for twelve consecutive years.

Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/

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How did the Pink Pigeon bounce back from just nine birds?

How did the Pink Pigeon bounce back from just nine birds?

The Pink Pigeon is no longer Endangered. But how did conservationists achieve this, and is it sustainable? Dr Vikash Tatayah, Conservation Director, Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (BirdLife Partner) reports from the field…

Last year, one of Mauritius’ best-loved birds hit a milestone that delighted the conservation world. In the 2018 Red List update, the Pink Pigeon Nesoenas mayeri was downlisted from Endangered to Vulnerable, building upon the success of 2000, when it was downlisted from Critically Endangered to Endangered. But behind the scenes of this happy news lies over 30 years of gruelling devotion, with conservationists tackling the numerous threats to the pigeon from every possible angle in their bid to bring it back from the brink.

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Pigeons in the city

For a while, we were worried it might go the same way as its fellow Mauritian endemic, the Dodo Raphus cucullatus. An even closer relative, the Reunion Pigeon Nesoenas duboisi, went extinct on the neighbouring Reunion Island in the late 18th century thanks to introduced cats and rats. The Pink Pigeon now holds the unenviable title of the last native pigeon in the whole Mascarene archipelago.

Predictably, it was the arrival of humans that heralded the Pink Pigeon’s decline. The species was once widely distributed across Mauritius, but by the 19th century its population had become extremely fragmented and confined to the upland forests. Humans had destroyed native vegetation to the extent that only 1.5% of the original, good-quality forest remained. They also hunted the plump bird and introduced a panoply of predators such as Black Rat Rattus rattus, Small Indian Mongoose Herpestes auropunctatus and Crab-eating Macaque Macaca fascicularis.

It wasn’t just animal predators: what little forest remained was soon invaded by non-native plants such as Chinese Guava Psidium cattleianum and the privet species Ligustrum robustum which choke vegetation, preventing the regeneration of native plants. By the mid-1970s, the species had plummeted to a single population of 20 birds in the upland forest of Black River Gorges, an area now known as Pigeon Wood. Just 12 Pink Pigeons remained in 1986, and of the five nesting attempts recorded that year, all were thwarted by rats. The wild population hit an all-time low of nine birds in 1990. The chances for long-term survival of the species looked bleak.

But the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation wasn’t going to let it go without a fight. With help from organisations across the world [see With Thanks, below], we set up an intensive conservation programme starting with captive breeding set up in 1976, followed by the first wild releases in 1987. We now have nine subpopulations centred around our field stations. Six of these are within the Black River Gorges National Park, close to the original Pigeon Wood. A sub-population can be found on the predator-free nature reserve island Ile aux Aigrettes, and two additional subpopulations are being created on private land at Ferney on the east of Mauritius and in Chamarel Ebony Forest in the south west. The purpose of these captive-reared birds is to bolster wild populations, and we encourage the dispersal of birds between the different areas in order to maintain genetic diversity. In total we now have 470 wild Pink Pigeons at these sites, a dramatic improvement compared to the species’ darkest hour.

Captive-bred chicks like these are released to bolster wild populations © MWF

But captive-breeding won’t help unless the wild habitat is made safe for these newcomers. That’s why wild populations are carefully managed using a three-pronged technique. Firstly, every Pink Pigeon is ringed with its own metal ID band and unique plastic colour combination. Each bird can therefore be identified and followed individually. All nests are checked regularly and the results documented. A large dataset has now been collected and continues to grow. This precise information helps us to understand in more depth the factors affecting the survival of the Pink Pigeon, and how to shape our management strategies accordingly.

Another priority is food. The Pink Pigeon is herbivorous, feeding mainly on fruit, leaves and flowers. But its natural habitat is so degraded that the birds are often unable to find enough food to support themselves. In order to supplement their diet, whole wheat and cracked maize is provided at each of the field sites. The food is placed on specially-designed platforms to prevent other species from obtaining it.

 

Introduced predators are, without a doubt, a major limiting factor to the survival of this species. Much energy is devoted to removing or controlling them from around the field sites. We are also researching and tackling diseases, in particular trichomonosis, an illness introduced by alien pigeons that can be especially fatal to Pink Pigeon chicks.

In the long term, large areas of forest will need to be restored so that the Pink Pigeon can spread into the uplands and breed in safe nesting sites with fewer predators. But for now, we are working on reinforcing numbers at the recently-created release sites. In order to increase genetic diversity, birds from captive populations in Europe will be repatriated to Mauritius. Research has shown that these birds have genetic variations no longer found in the wild population.

We are constantly seeking to improve our knowledge of the Pink Pigeon’s biology and behaviour, conducting studies into factors limiting the recovery of this species. We have examined the fruiting and flowering of plants that the pigeons feed on which, combined with feeding observations, will enable us to tailor our supplementary feeding more precisely. Ultimately, we have high hopes that all of these measures should enable us to meet our target of 600 wild Pink Pigeons in the next decade.

The future looks bright for other species, too. When working out how to save the Pink Pigeon, some techniques were inspired by previous pigeon rearing projects, but others have been perfected or developed on Mauritius. We can now pass these new techniques on to the rest of the world to help others restore threatened pigeons worldwide. Hundreds of field biologists trained in our methods have gone on to work in important conservation positions elsewhere. They now have the ability to disseminate what they learned globally, ensuring the Pink Pigeon’s success can spread beyond Mauritius’ borders.

 

Pigeon Patrol

Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal -friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Bird Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.

Canada’s top wholesaler for bird deterrent products for twelve consecutive years.

Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at https://www.pigeonpatrol.ca/

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