by Pigeon Patrol | Dec 7, 2021 | Bird Spikes, Columbidae, Doves, history of pigeons, MBCA, pet bird, Pigeon Control
Is it dangerous to pick up a bird?
Some birds can bite hard (Northern Cardinals), some can stab (Hairy Woodpeckers), while others can make intimidating noises, But most can’t do any serious damage to a human. Birds do not carry rabies, and are generally at higher risk of catching something from us than vice versa. Wash your hands after handling a bird as a precautionary measure.
But: birds of prey, herons, loons and other birds with strong talons or spear-like beaks can cause serious injury if you do not wear protective gear and take necessary precautions. Please read to the end for specific handling instructions, and do not attempt a rescue if you are not certain you can do so safely.
Two-handed grip for medium-sized birds
Secure the wings by wrapping both your hands around the bird, thumbs on its back, pointing up. Be sure to hold it securely, but be careful not to put pressure on the chest. The bird will instinctively want a place to rest its feet, so let it grab onto your little fingers.
Two-handed grip for small birds
Gently enclose the bird within your hands, leaving room between your fingers to allow the bird to breathe — but not too much room or it will wriggle out.
One-handed grip for small birds
This is similar to the bander’s grip commonly used to stabilize birds for banding (ringing), or to inspect for injuries. Hold the bird’s neck between your index and middle finger while using your thumb and ring finger to secure the wings. Your little finger acts as a perch for the bird’s feet, or you can use your other hand to support the bird from below. If you are not experienced with the bander’s grip, it may be safer to use both hands.
Using a net
A fine-mesh net is often the easiest and safest way to catch a bird. Our volunteers use dollar-store butterfly nets for smaller birds (stick with blue or green nets, avoid red, orange, pink). Nylon fishing nets with large holes are not suitable, as they will not hold a small bird, and risk injuring a larger birds or damaging its feathers.
Gently cover the bird with the net, being careful not to crush the bird’s head, wings or legs with the loop. Hold the net flat against the ground and place one hand over the bird from the outside of the net. Raise the net with that hand, still holding the bird inside the net, and use your other hand to gently extract the bird from the net. Make sure its toes, beak and wings don’t get caught in the netting.
Using a towel, blanket, sweater or jacket
This is usually the easiest way to capture larger birds. Just drop the towel or other piece of fabric over the bird from above, completely covering it. If you cannot cover the whole bird, make sure the head and the wings are covered. Now, just scoop it up in the towel using both hands to ensure that the wings are tucked in.
The towel technique is best for Mourning Doves, because they can shed their feathers to escape, leaving you with a handful of feathers but no bird.
Now what?
Once you have the bird in hand or in a towel or similar, transfer it to a box or, for smaller birds, a plain paper bag, and close the top so the bird cannot escape. The bird may try to fly away even if it badly injured, so please don’t let it. A paper bag does not require air holes, although a box might if it’s airtight.
If you picked up the bird in a towel or similar, make sure its head is uncovered once it’s safely in the box. To do this, or if you need to transfer the bird to another container, please find a small, windowless, enclosed space (e.g. bathroom) so the bird can’t get far if it escapes.
Keep the bird in a dark and quiet place indoors, and do not attempt to give it food or water. Call Safe Wings or another rehabber for further instructions.
Special precautions
Many people worry that birds of prey, such as owls, hawks, falcons and eagles, will bite them. While there’s a very small chance they will, and it can hurt, the real danger lies elsewhere. Raptors have incredibly powerful talons (claws) that they use to grip and kill their prey — and to defend themselves. Do not attempt to handle these birds without thick leather gloves and a thick towel or blanket to protect you from the talons.
Pigeon in New York City (file / credit: STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images)
Never attempt to handle a heron, loon or other bird with a long, spear-like beak without wearing eye protection. They will defend themselves by stabbing at your eyes, which can result in fatal injury. Wearing leather gloves and covering the bird with a thick, large towel or blanket to pick it up will further protect both of you from injury.
In many cases, a sick or injured bird will be too weak to struggle or defend itself. However, a bird in distress may lash out in panic. Please do not attempt to capture a potentially dangerous bird unless you understand and are willing to accept the risks.
Other tips for capturing birds
- Move calmly but deliberately
- Crouch if possible
- Approach from behind, but be mindful not to chase birds towards buildings. (Exception: American Woodcocks should be approached from the front.)
- Act quickly. With the exception of young birds that are learning to fly, almost any wild bird that can be approached needs help.
- Do not wait to see if the bird will fly away. Even badly hurt birds will try to get away if they are in a vulnerable position. Just because they can still fly does not mean they don’t have severe internal injuries.
- Do not mistake helplessness for friendliness. Wild birds are naturally afraid of us (with the exception of young birds that have not yet learned to fear us), so if they appear docile, it’s usually because they have head trauma or another severe injury.
- Stress from excessive handling and noise can kill a bird. Please do not pet an injured bird, sing to it, let your children play with it, or let your dog sniff it. Just get it to a rehabber as quickly and as quietly as possible.
Source
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.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products ten years in a row.
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
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 / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons/ What to do about pigeons/ sparrows , Damage by Sparrows, How To Keep Raccoons Away, Why Are Raccoons Considered Pests/ De-fence / Pigeon Nesting/ Bird Droppings / Pigeon Dropping/ woodpecker control/ Professional Bird Control Company/ 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
by Pigeon Patrol | Dec 7, 2021 | Columbidae, Doves, history of pigeons, MBCA, pet bird, Pigeon Control
Pigeons—you either love them or hate them. I personally think they are super cute. Have you ever watched a pigeon walking down the street? They look like they’re wearing little knickers. It’s adorable!
What to Do With an Injured Pigeon
The next time you come across an injured pigeon, please think twice about helping it. Before you intervene, you must make sure that your help is really necessary. If it becomes clear that you are the pigeon’s only hope, here are some steps you can take to make sure your response doesn’t make the situation worse:
- Pick up the bird and place it in a box or cage. A cage made for guinea pigs works well.
- Place the cage in a warm, dark area to calm the bird, which is probably very scared and in pain.
- Prepare an electrolyte solution: Warm a cup of water, add a pinch of salt and sugar, and stir to dissolve. When the water is lukewarm, pour it into a deep cup, and offer it to the bird. Pigeons drink water by sucking, using their beaks as a straw.
- Don’t try to feed it at this time. It needs to be rehydrated first.
- If you have a warming pad, place it in the cage or box. Place an old towel over the warming pad and set it on low.
- Check the pigeon for obvious signs of injury: drooping wing, blood, visible cuts.
- If the bird is drinking and seems to be doing okay, you can provide seeds if you have them. Wild bird seed is fine in a pinch. Pigeons love safflower seeds and unpopped popcorn. They can also be fed the smaller millet seed, a basic component in wild bird food.
- If the bird is not eating, he will need immediate help. Pigeons have a high metabolism and need to eat often.
- The Humane Society recommends contacting the closest licensed wildlife rehabilitation center in your area.
Common Pigeon Injuries
A Pigeon With a Broken Wing
A pigeon with a broken wing is usually unable to fly. Sometimes the wing is drooping or dragging. Occasionally there is blood or protruding bone.
Maybe the pigeon was clipped by a car, had a close encounter with a cat, or high winds threw it against the side of a building. In some cases, a veterinarian can repair the wing, but oftentimes the pigeon will be handicapped for life.
A Pigeon With a Pellet Gun Wound
With this type of wound, you would notice a hole in the pigeon. This wound should be examined for possible infection by a vet. The bird will probably also need antibiotics.
You’ll often see pigeons with mangled feet. They often get tangled in fishing wire or other loose string. This is very dangerous for the pigeon because it can cut circulation to the foot and cause infection.
How to Help Sick or Wounded Pigeons
- Visit The Pigeon Forum to post about your bird. The people on this forum are helpful and can assist you in finding a vet and getting medicine or connect you with a rehabber in your area who can walk you through saving the bird’s life.
- Get in touch with Palomacy Pigeon & Dove Adoptions, an organization that rehabilitates and re-homes injured pigeons, to ask for help.
Do Pigeons Carry Diseases, and Will They Make Me Sick?
Unfortunately, pigeons fall victim to many misconceptions and misinformation. Many believe, for instance, that pigeons carry diseases that are communicable to humans. This is simply untrue according to Nicole Benson, an animal advocate who has rescued dozens of pigeons and has never come down with a disease.
“These misconceptions are put out there by pest control companies who want your business,” she says. “While there are a few diseases that a pigeon may carry (such as salmonella), it is far more likely that we will infect a pigeon with one of the diseases that we carry.”
What Should You Do If You Find a Baby Pigeon?
Tending a baby bird is not an easy task. Like any newborn, a baby pigeon will need a lot of help. Don’t immediately pick up the bird and assume that you can figure out what to do. It’s best for the bird if you enlist the help of experts. In this situation, the Humane Society recommends contacting the closest licensed wildlife rehabilitation center. If you find a baby bird outside its nest, read What to Do If You Find a Baby Bird—Helping Wildlife for more information.
What If the Pigeon Dies?
Don’t be discouraged if you take a pigeon into your care, but you’re unable to save the bird’s life. Not all pigeons can be saved. You did your best by providing the pigeon with a safe, warm place.
Why Are There Suddenly So Many Pigeons?
If you are flummoxed by an increase in pigeons around your home, don’t take drastic measures like hiring an exterminator or using a pellet gun. The birds’ sudden arrival is most likely the result of an increase in food. Once the source of food is eliminated, the pigeons will leave. One solution for keeping pigeons at bay involves putting a reflective material that will move with the breeze on your roof. The motion and reflection will discourage the birds from landing.
Should I Glue Cowboy Hats to Pigeons’ Heads?
The internet is enamored by a video meme featuring pigeons in cowboy hats. The ruggedly handsome birds first showed up on the mean streets of Las Vegas during National Finals Rodeo. It may sound like a funny visual, but it’s also a cruel prank. Pigeon advocate Mariah Hillman told Audubon magazine the hats were inhumanely glued to the pigeons’ heads. The hats also likely impaired the birds’ 340-degree field of view, making it difficult to navigate their surroundings and fly.
Source
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.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products ten years in a row.
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
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 / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons/ What to do about pigeons/ sparrows , Damage by Sparrows, How To Keep Raccoons Away, Why Are Raccoons Considered Pests/ De-fence / Pigeon Nesting/ Bird Droppings / Pigeon Dropping/ woodpecker control/ Professional Bird Control Company/ 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
by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 30, 2021 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Doves, history of pigeons, MBCA, pet bird, Pigeon Control
They peck at the pavement; they coo overhead; they swoop in hundreds across town squares: Pigeons have become such a permanent fixture in our urban landscapes that cities would seem oddly vacant without them.
But while many people harbor resentment for these ubiquitous creatures — labeling them “rats with wings” — few of us stop to ponder how pigeons became so numerous in the first place, and what our own role in their urban colonization might be.
Today, in fact, there are more than 400 million pigeons worldwide, most of which live in cities. But that wasn’t always the case. The city pigeons we know today are actually descended from a wild creature known as the rock dove (Columba livia): As its name suggests, this bird prefers a rocky coastal cliff habitat to the conveniences of city life. [Why Are Chickens So Bad at Flying?]
But going as far back as 10,000 years ago, written and fossil records show that people living in ancient Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) and Egypt began coaxing these doves with food into human-inhabited areas, encouraging them to roost and breed on their land. “Back then, we brought rock doves into cities to eat as livestock,” Steve Portugal, a comparative ecophysiologist who studies bird flight and behavior, told Live Science. The plump, young birds especially — known as “squabs” — became a prized source of protein and fat. People then began domesticating and breeding the birds for food, creating subspecies that led to the diversity of urban pigeons known today.
Along the way, humans began to realize that pigeons were useful for much more than their meat. As the birds grew more popular in the Middle East, North Africa and Western Europe in the ensuing centuries, people began to tap into their innate talent for navigation — the same skill that makes homing pigeons famous today. Ancient records show that Mediterranean sailors used the birds to point floundering ships toward land. In cities, they became increasingly valuable as airborne messengers that could deliver important information across large distances.
From there, humanity’s appreciation for the animals only grew: Although pigeons were initially domesticated as a food source, “as other poultry became more popular, pigeons fell out of favor for eating and people began breeding them as a hobby,” said Elizabeth Carlen, a doctoral student at Fordham University in New York City who studies the evolution of urban pigeons.
By the 1600s, rock doves — non-native to the United States — had reached North America, transported by ships in the thousands. Rather than being a food source, it’s most likely that the birds were brought across from Europe to satiate the growing pigeon-breeding trend among hobbyists, said Michael Habib, a paleontologist in the Dinosaur Institute at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, and the University of Southern California.
Inevitably, birds escaped captivity, and began to breed freely in American cities. “We created this novel [urban] habitat and then we basically engineered an animal that does very well in that novel habitat,” Habib told Live Science. “They were successful in cities because we engineered them to be comfortable living around humans.” [Do Birds Really Abandon Their Chicks If Humans Touch Them?]
Cities became the perfect backdrop for the pioneering pigeons’ success. “Pigeons are naturally cliff-dwellers and tall buildings do a pretty great job at mimicking cliffs,” Carlen told Live Science. “Ornate facing, window sills and air-conditioning units provide fantastic perches for pigeons, similar to the crevices found on the side of a cliff.”
Another trait that makes pigeons more adaptable is their appetite. While other bird species have to rely on supplies of berries, seeds and insects, pigeons can eat just about anything that humans toss in the trash. “Other species are specialists and pigeons are the ultimate generalists,” Portugal said. “And the food is endless: I don’t think too many pigeons go to bed hungry!”
The pigeon’s unusual breeding biology seals the deal: Both parents rear their chicks on a diet of special protein- and fat-rich milk produced in a throat pouch called the crop. So, instead of having to rely on insects, worms and seeds to keep their young alive — resources that would be scarcer in cities — pigeons can provide for their offspring no matter what, Portugal says: “As long as the adults can eat, they can feed their babies, too.”
All these traits give pigeons a competitive edge compared with other species that might attempt survival in cities. Combined with the pigeon’s prolific breeding habits (parents can produce up to 10 chicks a year), it’s easy to see why these birds have become so populous around the world.
Not everyone appreciates the urban phenomenon that these birds have become — hence the “rat with wings” moniker. That’s understandable to some extent: Pigeons can spread diseases, and the mounds of guano they splatter across buildings can be cumbersome and costly to clean.
Despite this, Portugal sees a benefit to their presence in our urban environments. “They’re actually one of the few bits of wildlife that people get to interact with in cities now,” he said. What’s more, “they’re super-adaptable and super-successful; they’re the ultimate survivors. Actually, we can learn a lot from them.”
Source
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.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products ten years in a row.
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
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 / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons/ What to do about pigeons/ sparrows , Damage by Sparrows, How To Keep Raccoons Away, Why Are Raccoons Considered Pests/ De-fence / Pigeon Nesting/ Bird Droppings / Pigeon Dropping/ woodpecker control/ Professional Bird Control Company/ 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
by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 30, 2021 | history of pigeons, MBCA, pet bird, Pigeon Control, Pigeon Droppings
The Blue Rock Pigeon lives in perfect freedom in ledges, fissures and holes of rocks, forts, old buildings and side walls of wells. It prefers to live in those places of towns and cities which have plenty of coarse grains. Thus, their favourite resorts include big buildings, godowns, grain markets, temples, mosques, churches, tombs, railway stations and office buildings. They never nest on trees.
Nature:
The pigeons are inoffensive, harmless, timid and gregarious birds. During breeding season solitary couples make a simple, flat and artless nest of small sticks and thin roots, etc., at all sorts of places where there is some shelter from rain and sun. The eggs are laid in these nests and further development also occurs there. During winter, the pigeons collect into flocks which may be composed of several hundred individuals.
Food and Feeding:
The pigeons are vegetarians, feeding on grains, pulses, seeds of fruits and grasses. Sometimes they feed on insects, snails and slugs probably mistaken for seeds. They regularly leave their places of retreats and settlings during mornings and evenings, and collect into flocks to plunder the nearby fields.
Locomotion:
The pigeons are provided with long powerful wings which are well adapted for swift and strong flight. They walk on their two legs and such kind of walking is called bipedal gait. They walk on ground in search of food with great rapidity. When startled, they rise suddenly by striking the ground with their wings producing a crackling sound.
Sound:
The pigeons do not sing, chirp or screech but produce a characteristic sound which resembles the syllables gootur-goon, gootur-goon.
Family Life:
They lead a monogamous life, i.e., one male lives and copulates with only one female throughout the life.
Reproduction and Incubation:
The internal fertilisation is performed by copulation in which temporary union of male and female takes place at their cloacal ends, i.e., cloacae of the two oppose each other, and transfer of sperms occurs directly into the urodaeum of female. The pigeons are oviparous, the eggs are laid in the nest and are incubated by the warmth of the parent’s body and hatching occurs after a fortnight.
Parental Care:
The newly hatched youngs are immature, helpless and featherless and are nourished by both parents by a fatty, curdy secretion, the pigeon’s milk, which is secreted in their crop. The parental care and homing instinct are well developed in pigeons.
Distribution:
The Blue Rock Pigeons are widely distributed in Palaearctic (Europe) and Oriental regions (Asia) and North Africa. They are especially plentiful in Palestine city of Israel. In India, two subspecies of Columba livia are namely, Columba livia neglecta is found up to 13,000 feet on the Himalaya.
Another Columba livia intermedia is smaller and darker race, which occurs throughout India. The Indian wild pigeon differs from that of European in having the rump or lower part of the back ash-coloured, while Indian pigeon is white.
Source
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.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products ten years in a row.
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
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 / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons/ What to do about pigeons/ sparrows , Damage by Sparrows, How To Keep Raccoons Away, Why Are Raccoons Considered Pests/ De-fence / Pigeon Nesting/ Bird Droppings / Pigeon Dropping/ woodpecker control/ Professional Bird Control Company/ 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
by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 23, 2021 | history of pigeons, MBCA, pet bird, Pigeon Control, Pigeon Droppings
With bits of DNA extracted from century-old museum specimens, researchers have found a place for the extinct passenger pigeon in the family tree of pigeons and doves, identifying for the first time this unique bird’s closest living avian relatives.
The new analysis, which appears this month in Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, reveals that the passenger pigeon was most closely related to other North and South American pigeons, and not to the mourning dove, as was once suspected.
Naturalists have long lamented that one of North America’s most spectacular birds was also one of the first to be driven to extinction. In the early 1800s it was the most abundant bird species on the planet, even though its range was limited to the eastern and central forests of the United States and parts of eastern Canada. Flocks of passenger pigeons were so vast they darkened the sky; it could take days for a flock to pass overhead.
“It must have been unbelievable to see one of these flocks,” said Kevin Johnson, an ornithologist with the Illinois Natural History Survey at the University of Illinois and lead author of the study. “There is nothing in modern times that we can compare it to. The passenger pigeon was very nomadic and it formed these huge flocks, in the millions, and breeding colonies in the millions.”
Passenger pigeons followed their food, settling down in forests that periodically produced a superabundance of acorns and chestnuts. The pigeons nested in dense colonies covering hundreds of acres. This made them easy targets for human predators.
Intensive hunting of the pigeons in the mid-to-late 19th century disrupted their ability to breed, Johnson said. That and habitat destruction led to the bird’s eventual extinction. (The last of her kind, a passenger pigeon named Martha, died in the Cincinnati Zoo in 1914.)
To find the passenger pigeon’s place in the evolutionary history of pigeons and doves, Johnson and his colleagues compared sequences from two of its mitochondrial genes with those of 78 species of pigeons and doves from around the world. (There are more than 300 species of pigeons and doves worldwide.)
“We had two sequences from the mitochondrial genome, which is a separate organelle in the cell that has its own genome,” Johnson said. Mitochondrial genes are plentiful and so are easier to sequence, he said. And the mitochondrial genome evolves more rapidly than the nuclear genome, making it a good target for evolutionary studies.
The researchers first analyzed the available sequence data for all (extant and extinct) pigeons and doves together. Then they focused only on the living species, for which much more genetic information is available. They built a family tree of all living pigeons and doves, and then compared the available gene sequences of the passenger pigeon to those of its relatives to find its place in that tree. Both approaches placed the passenger pigeon on the same place in the tree.
Prior to this study, some believed that the passenger pigeon was most closely related to the mourning dove, a smaller species that also has a relatively long tail, Johnson said.
“But it turns out, based on the DNA, that it’s actually related to the New World big pigeons in a totally different genus,” he said.
The band-tailed pigeon, Patagioenas fasciata, which lives in the western mountainous regions of North and South America, was the passenger pigeon’s geographically nearest relative. Other members of this genus are found in forests in parts of Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean.
The passenger pigeon was fairly distinct from its relatives, however, as it belonged to a separate genus, Ectopistes, Johnson said.
“The passenger pigeon is in a monotypic genus, which means there is only one species in that genus: Ectopistes migratorius,” he said. “This bird is pretty diverged from its nearest relatives, meaning it had a unique place in the world. It represented a unique lineage that’s now gone.”
The study team included Dale Clayton, of the University of Utah; John Dumbacher of the California Academy of Sciences and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute; and Robert Fleischer, of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.
Source
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.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products ten years in a row.
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
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 / Pigeons in the cities / Ice Pigeons/ What to do about pigeons/ sparrows , Damage by Sparrows, How To Keep Raccoons Away, Why Are Raccoons Considered Pests/ De-fence / Pigeon Nesting/ Bird Droppings / Pigeon Dropping/ woodpecker control/ Professional Bird Control Company/ 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
by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 12, 2021 | Columbidae, Doves, history of pigeons, MBCA, pet bird, Pigeon Control
If you have ever been to a park or town with young children in tow, you will know they make a beeline for any group of pigeons. They usually delight in making noise and laughing as they flee, except for the tough one, there is always a Rambo that fears nothing and no-one!
My initial instinct has always been to call the child away, telling them the birds are yukky and carry disease. Have I been doing them an injustice for all of these years?
Are pigeons dirty and should we steer clear of them?
It seems there’s some basis to our assumptions. Pigeons might be classed as dirty as they do indeed carry disease. However, humans and every other living creature also carry disease, even domestic pets such as cats and dogs, and we don’t call them dirty and disease-ridden, do we?
Pigeons carry zoonotic diseases. This means any bacteria that can be passed from human to non-human, and back again. Thousands of other species carry zoonotic disease and pose no significant health risk to humans.
What the professionals say
David Taylor BVMS FRCVS FZS had this to say.
“ In 50 years of professional work as a veterinary surgeon I haven’t seen a single case of zoonosis in a human-related to pigeons. I have seen examples of human disease-related to contact with cats, dogs, cattle, monkeys, sheep, camels, budgies, parrots, cockatoos, aquarium fish, and even dolphins, on many occasions”
This is confirmed by the UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer who stated that there was no risk to human health when asked in the House of Commons, about the 7000+ feral pigeons that congregate daily in Trafalgar Square.
In exceptionally rare cases, people have been known to get ill with mild flu-like symptoms, after coming into contact with the fungus from pigeon droppings. It can be passed in contaminated water droplets or soil. Expert Professor Hugh Pennington maintains this is incredibly rare in the UK and good hand washing hygiene should prevent transmission.
People with compromised immune systems should avoid contact with all bird droppings.
Why Have Pigeons got a Bad Reputation
The Mayor of London launched a bid to prevent feeding the feral pigeons in Trafalgar Square as he felt so strongly about their nuisance value.
Although they pose no major risk to public health, the mess they create and the havoc they wreak makes feral pigeons public enemy number one.
Their bad reputation might be exaggerated, but the sheer amount of pigeons that flock together can be overwhelming. The weight of the birds and their droppings can damage property.
Worst of all, pigeons in towns, gardens, and parks, can bully all of the songbirds that we love, resulting in them looking for other places to feed and nest.
Are Pigeons Good for Anything
If you have ever watched a flock of pigeons, you will have surely noticed that they are not particularly fussy about what they eat. Chips, crisps, and the remnants of burger boxes in the street are a feast for a feral pigeon. They are unpaid street cleaners.
If only chewing gum and cigarette butts were edible, there’d be virtually no need for road sweepers!
Final thoughts…
Are pigeons dirty? No more so than any other wild animal, but the fact that they are so prevalent in almost all parts of the country makes us more aware of them.
Avoiding their droppings, or cleaning it up as quickly as possible, followed by a thorough hand wash, is enough to keep us safe.
If the domestic pigeons are happy to fly around with the feral pigeons and not come into contact with disease, then surely, we needn’t worry too much either.
Source
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.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products ten years in a row.
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
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