by Pigeon Patrol | Oct 15, 2024 | Bird Netting, Bird Spikes, Columbidae, Doves
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.”
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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by Pigeon Patrol | Oct 15, 2024 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Law, Bird Netting, Bird Spikes, Columbidae
The U.K. considered training pigeons to deliver weapons of mass destruction but changed its mind, government files show.
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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by Pigeon Patrol | Oct 15, 2024 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Law, Bird Netting, Bird Spikes, Columbidae
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.
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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by Pigeon Patrol | Sep 25, 2024 | Bird Netting, Columbidae, Doves
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.
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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by Pigeon Patrol | Sep 25, 2024 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Law, Bird Netting, Columbidae
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.
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/
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by Pigeon Patrol | Sep 25, 2024 | Bird Law, Bird Netting, Bird Spikes, Columbidae, Doves
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.
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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