by Pigeon Patrol | Oct 29, 2015 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes
Spring feels in full swing. While that may not be good in some ways, plants and animals are ramping up their libidos. All manner of species display virility as spring progresses, but a common species often overlooked, is strutting about right at our feet. Call them pigeons, Rock Pigeons, Rock Doves, or rats with wings, they’re far from boring and they share our most urban Capitol Hill blocks happily.
The pigeons we see on an almost daily basis, as common as House Sparrows, American Crows, European Starlings, and Glaucous-winged Gulls in the quintet of urban birds, are all ancestors of the Rock Pigeon or Rock Dove, Columbia livia. No matter their coloration, all these birds are feral descendants of birds brought to the Americas as pets and food as early as the 1600s, while successive escapes bolstered their population and variety. Their original wild population, spans from Europe through North Africa, and into Asia. With an appreciation for ledges and cliffs, they’ve adapted wholly to our built environment. Pigeons happily crowd ledges, roof tops, and attics, calling many a ledge on buildings of Broadway, Pike and Pine, First Hill, and downtown home.
From Mike Tyson to Charles Darwin, people have seen beauty in these aerial acrobats and gentle vocalists. Pigeons in their many varied forms, appear in Darwin’s On the Origin of Species and were central in helping him develop his theory. As with dogs, selective breeding has sussed out umpteen mutations of color and shape. Natural variation existed in the wild populations of course, but feral populations have muddied human breeding with sheer numbers, and we find ourselves looking at birds looking more and more like their ancestors. Besides, being bright white in a flock of gray, having decorative feathers that block vision, or having an odd tendency to tumble in the air aren’t terribly adaptive traits.
Take a second to watch your average city pigeon. In the vast majority, you find attractive shades of bluish gray, two black bands on the wings, and purplish green sheen on the neck and throat. These are the general colors of the nominate race of wild Rock Pigeons. Male birds are ever so slightly larger and have more extensive sheen. To most, the sexes look alike, but male birds stand out this time of year in behavior.
Pigeons can breed much of the year in mild climates, but as daylight lengthens hormones surge. Almost everyone has seen the comical courtship display of a puffed up male pigeon. Like many animals, humans included, they lose grip on reality, puff up their chests, and pursue their hopeful mate endlessly (while all she wants to do is eat bread crumbs). This can go on right at your feet while you wait for the bus, or on a precarious ledge where the pursued female may well be pushed off by her overzealous courtier. The desired result of this strutting, is copulation, an awkward balancing act for a brief cloacal kiss. Yet, unlike some birds, the pair is relatively monogamous. The male chooses a worthy nest site and stays with his mate throughout young rearing (he also coos incessantly to attract a mate to his site, imagine living next to the recording below on loop right outside your window).
Pigeons get a bad rap. They seem dirty, but if anything that’s because of city living, not poor hygiene. Yes, unlike some birds, they don’t take their young’s feces away from the nest, adding a veneer to roosting sites. This has worked for pigeon kind longer than humans have been raising them, so who are we to judge? Yes, contact with their droppings has proven a zoonotic vector. But shouldn’t common sense clearly guide us away from most anything’s poop anyway? These problems are easily avoided by restricting where Rock Pigeons roost, which most cities have figured out just fine.
Pigeons can also capture the imagination. Their spectacular flying abilities, allowing escape from swift predators like Peregrine Falcons, are a beauty to behold circling across city blocks. Pigeons have been heroes, saving lives by carrying messages across enemy lines during World War II with innate homing abilities. Organizations, books, and much research are devoted to pigeons. And while they may not be the smartest birds on the block, they’re successful while not edging out our native species. I simply enjoy them because their antics add a humorous note to a less noteworthy day about the Hill.
About 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 Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Oct 23, 2015 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Spikes, UltraSonic Bird Control
Police and fire departments nationwide are complaining about nuisance calls made to the 110 and 119 emergency lines — ranking from requests to rescue cats, chickens, pigeons and cows to exorcising ghosts.
One fire department reported a request to collect a dead chicken in front of the caller’s home during the peak of the avian influenza outbreak. When the caller was asked to confirm whether the chicken was actually dead, the caller said it was not and then hung up. However, the same person called again to say that the chicken was being chased by a dog and was certainly going to die.
In another incident, a fire department received a 119 call that involved students partying in a gazebo after a stone table in the gazebo toppled over, trapping a student’s foot.
When firefighters arrived on the scene, the gazebo was empty. However, the crew was later told by other students who witnessed the incident that the call had not been a prank, but the youth whose foot had been caught beneath the table had been able to extract it after taking off his shoes and he and his friends fled the area.
Another call reported a cow lying by the side of the road, near death. The fire department sent a heavy truck to remove the cow, but found that the caller had cut the cow open and had only wanted help in transporting the carcass.
Calls on the 119 line asking firefighters to chase away pigeons roosting on utility cables to prevent them being electrocuted ended with the caller threatening to sue the department if it did not “save the pigeons.”
The 110 hotline has seen police receiving calls about a bag of trash falling onto the highway, a NT$1 coin not being returned by a public phone and boxes containing urns with human ashes left on the roadside.
One caller asked police to help exorcise the spirits of a man and woman who were “possessing” a person, but was told that police training did not include supernatural abilities.
Other calls have included complaints about a noisy pet duck and requests that bus drivers be told to turn down their air-conditioning.
About 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 Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Oct 20, 2015 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes
Hundreds of thousands of fake plastic owls are sold for the purpose of keeping birds away every year. The problem with them is that they are not effective over time. They work on the philosophy that a predator bird will scare the other birds from the area. This might work for awhile but in the end the birds will see that the plastic owl is not moving and not a threat to them. Sometimes this takes days and sometimes it takes months, but over time birds are smart enough to know the difference between real and fake.
The BirdNIX Diamond Light reflective bird deterrent works on a scientific fact that birds have up to 10,000 times more sensitive vision than humans and flashing light and movement will create an undesirable location for birds to be in. Also, the monocular vision of birds means that flashes of light in the peripheral vision will instinctively put the bird into a “fight or flight” situation. These traits are inherent in birds which is why the BirdNIX Diamond Light is so effective at removing unwanted birds from boats, docks, gardens, fruit trees, patios, carports, warehouses, parking lots, or wherever there are birds!
About 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 Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Oct 18, 2015 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services
The feeling of safety and security overwhelms not only the visitors to Makkah, but seems also to percolate to the pigeons that fly around the Grand Mosque.
They confidently walk in the courtyards of the mosque in a scene that competes with the most famous pigeon squares around the world.
Once the pilgrim approaches the Grand Mosque, he faces flocks of pigeons flying and wandering around the mosque and its minarets. As the pilgrims step into the mosque, pigeons seem to welcome them.
The spectacle of the pigeons roaming around the Kaaba and worshippers without fear soothes the eyes. The pigeons have become one of Makkah’s famous sights.
Pictures of the mosque’s pigeons taken by pilgrims circulate through social media sites and frequently figure in exhibitions and photography competitions.
Pigeons of Al-Hema, as they are called by the residents of Makkah, have created many stories and good memories shared by visitors. These lovely birds have lived along the sidewalks, streets and the roofs of buildings waiting for the pilgrims’ pouches full of feed. Pilgrims feed the pigeons asking for reward from Allah. They have become part of every pilgrim’s story that he shares in his country and thus circulating around the world.
The pigeons roam the sky of Makkah and land confidently among pilgrims who feed them as part of the tradition of people of Makkah.
Abdul Razzak Muhammad, a Makkah native, said: “Pigeons and pilgrims have shared food and love. We have stories with pigeons in which they have consumed our food and water. After every dawn prayer, I go to the roof of the house to give them food and water. I love to look at them, meditate and listen to their sounds. I became familiar with them.”
Muhammad added: “We have never feared pigeons since our childhood. We have got used to them through our parents who encouraged us to love pigeons by serving food and water outside our house, the sidewalks or the square.”
The 80-year-old man said that he noticed how the pilgrims are surprised by the pigeons’ lifestyle and the way they coexist with the people of Makkah.
The Grand Mosque’s pigeons, gray-colored with shades of green, are protected by a law that prohibits their killing, Anyone who kills a pigeon is fined.
They have become the highlight of the pilgrimage experience that is engraved in the memory of the pilgrims during these blessed days of the year. Flocks of pigeons land and walk in confidence among the people performing their prayers. This does not happen with other types of birds that live outside Makkah.
Visitors of to the Grand Mosque make sure they scatter bird feed in the Haram’s courtyard where the pigeons come to pick it up. Usually, the pigeons build their nests in holes of the old Rawasheen. The pigeons have become a familiar sight of Makkah in which the pilgrims witness their flocks circle the Holy Kaaba, and the squares and minarets of the Grand Mosque.
Haram’s pigeons enjoy a breathtaking beauty and a safety that they are envied for. There are tales aplenty about the pigeons. There are various tales about the origin and the source of these pigeons. Some believe them to be the descendants of two white doves that lived at the entrance of Thor cave during the migration of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) with his companion Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) to Madinah. Others have speculated that they originally came from Europe.
About 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 Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Oct 15, 2015 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services
It is 9 a.m. on Feb. 1, a Sunday morning, and İzmir is still asleep, except for some people who want to enjoy the quietness of the city. I am on my way to the famous clock tower of İzmir and when I arrive at the square, the first thing that draws my attention is, of course, the clock tower. It is smaller than I expected, but it looks beautiful in the morning light. While looking at it, I suddenly hear the sounds of two women quarreling.
The square near the clock tower is a popular space in İzmir and, as so many other squares in the world – think about the Dam square in Amsterdam, San Marco in Venice or Trafalgar square in London – pigeons outnumber the number of visitors. Pigeons were eagerly waiting for people to come so they would get their daily dose of food. Around 8:30 and 9 a.m. people who sell pigeon food arrive and quickly prepare their little tables. There is a certain order at the square about who is allowed to sit where. The problem this morning was, a woman (let’s call her Ayşe) had taken another woman’s (Burcu’s) place. With loud arguments, Burcu tried to convince Ayşe of her wrongdoing. But whatever arguments Burcu used to convince the woman that it was her who had to go, Ayşe did not listen. “I was here first and this is going be my place for the day,” she tried reasoning with Burcu. It was Ayşe who won and Burcu, while still swearing at the woman, walked away to her new and unwanted post.
It was beautiful winter weather and the sun shone nice light on the tower. With just a couple of clouds in the background, this would allow me to take a beautiful picture. At 10 a.m. it began to get busier, but together with the increase of the number of visitors, the amount of clouds increased as well. Within one hour, the first drops came down and in no time it was raining cats and dogs. People tried to find a dry place at different locations, but when they realized that the rain would not stop soon quickly they also left the square.
I decided to go to the covered market in İzmir. On my way to it, there was this interesting, but at the same time ironic advertisement. So many people have lost connection with nature and there are some people who create new projects in which they use nature in a very clever way. By planting a small park and pond, they give people the feeling that they are living in nature. Seeing the advertisement, which promotes living in nature with that background and nothing more than some old, horrible buildings without any green struck me. Sometimes it is not what you see, but what you want to see and as a picture, I liked this scene very much.
Finally, being soaking wet, I arrived at the Kızlarağası Hanı. Although I never had seen the clock tower, I have visited this old Han many times. It is a rather small Han, not as big as the one in Şanlıurfa, but I love this covered market. A nice square inside where you can drink Boza or Salep (typical Turkish winter drinks. Boza is a cold, almost-custard thick, slightly fermented drink. Salep is a warm drink and is wonderful during cold weather) or tea, of course. Inside this Han they changed it into a shopping mall, but this is so nice, so cute. I love those kinds of shopping malls; they are client friendly, and not tiresome as 21st century shopping malls. In spite of all the technology they put into those shopping malls, it is impossible to spend more than one or two hours in those places. The worst one for me is Cevahir; after half an hour, I start to get nervous and one hour later it feels as if my head is exploding.
Then take those nice ancient covered markets. The Grand Bazaar of Istanbul is very busy; the covered market of Şanlıurfa is crowded, especially on Fridays, but it does not matter for me how busy it is; it is always fun to walk around in those places.
The variety of shops combined with handcrafts makes an interesting combination. I will write about it in another story, but here in İzmir, in this Han, you will experience the same kind of feeling. There are a couple of silver shops, antique shops, touristic stuff shops etc. Every time when I visit this Han, I find something that attracts my attention. This time, I found this little music instrument shop and bought nice little pink (!) ukulele for my daughter. A bit further into the Han, I saw nice little shops that sell old Ottoman books, manuscripts and postcards. The woman working there knows how to read the Ottoman language and with a lot of passion, she explained about some of the books that I randomly picked from the shelves. One of the books was a children’s story translated from the original English. Of course, there were a couple of Qurans and even some schoolbooks.
If you are worried about food; don’t be, there are enough choices for everyone. It is not typical Michelin star food, but sitting there and enjoying the activities around you turn this place into an unforgettable experience.
About 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 Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Oct 13, 2015 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News
Visitors believe the speakers installed last December to broadcast bird noises have done little to move on the nuisance birds in the area.
Currently recordings are broadcast intermittently through speakers throughout the parklands.
It was hoped the noise would move the large white birds away from the high traffic areas, yet the ibis remain.
CEO Jeff Weigh said the Corporation is working towards finding new options to control the number of ibis that inhabit the well visited location.
“We are looking at humane ways to make space for visitors at South Bank,” he said.
“There are a list of things we are going to try including kite birds similar to what we have in the Epicurious garden at South Bank which act as birds of prey.
Brisbane City Council advises visitors to:
not feed ibis or leave scraps of food or rubbish lying around
keep garbage bin lids closed, particularly industrial waste bins
remove water sources and reduce waste disposal
not try to kill or cause injury to the birds
not remove nests or eggs
not disturb the birds when there are fledglings in the nest
Brisbane City Council – Australian white ibis
“The ibis are a local nesting bird that live in the area so we have to keep trying different ways of deterring them.”
Visitors to South Bank have told 612 ABC Brisbane confirmed that the recorded noises are not having any affect on the nearby ibis.
“It is a good idea, but it seems the birds are just too smart for us,” said Jessica from Brisbane.
“I think that fans could work with water or possibly tougher bird noises like that of a hawk.”
One local food vendor said the recordings being played have not stopped the ibis from taking food from visitors.
“We can still see the ibis and they still get up on the tables and take food from people but I do not think we can really get rid of the birds though,” she said.
“I tell customers to watch their food, and not get distracted as that is when they [the ibis] jump on the table and take food from people.”
About 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 Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
Spring feels in full swing. While that may not be good in some ways, plants and animals are ramping up their libidos. All manner of species display virility as spring progresses, but a common species often overlooked, is strutting about right at our feet. Call them pigeons, Rock Pigeons, Rock Doves, or rats with wings, they’re far from boring and they share our most urban Capitol Hill blocks happily.
