by johnnymarin | Nov 29, 2018 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
Among the most famous images of London’s Trafalgar Square is one of people feeding pigeons in its grounds. And closer to home, feeding these birds was a favourite pastime on the weekends around the Vidhana Soudha, when people flocked to it for a bit of relaxation in its gardens. But no more, as the pigeons are now as numerous in most parts of the city as they were once around it.
Far from feeding them, people have now taken to shooing them away as they invade their balconies and kitchens, building nests and dirtying them with their poop and feathers. Their numbers have become their downfall as they are no longer priced as pets either. Instead they are the flying rats of urban Bengaluru.
Observes one fed up Bengalurean, industrialist, Narendra Kumar, “Pigeons have adapted so well to our urban civilisation that they are driving other birds away. Cleaning pigeon droppings has become a huge problem today. People in high- rise buildings are the worst affected and even the plants on the balconies suffer as a result of their invasion.”
But what’s worse, the pigeon droppings are not just an eyesore, but also a health hazard, warn wildlife experts. With the pigeon population growing, they have been spreading diseases like avian influenza and castle fever through their droppings, according to them. “ The pigeon droppings contain bacteria and fungus, which can cause major lung disorders that can be fatal,” they explain.
It is also claimed that those who fall sick as a result of the pigeon droppings, find recovery hard despite downing antibiotics, because of the strong infection they transmit. Bird lovers too admit to being on their guard when it comes to these birds because of the infections and diseases they transmit.
The BBMP , which has received numerous complaints from people about the pigeon menace, is now planning to hold a meeting with wildlife experts, bird lovers , health experts and concerned citizens to deal with it, says Mr Sarfaraz Khan, BBMP joint commissioner (health).
The civic agency is reportedly considering taking a cue from other countries, which have effectively dealt with the growing population of pigeons without harming the ecology and is also planning a study on their impact on humans, animals and other bird species.
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 johnnymarin | Nov 27, 2018 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
Birds of a feather were brought back together in Peoria Tuesday afternoon.
Olive, a pet pigeon, flew the coop from its home in north Phoenix on Nov. 7, its owners say. It spent several days on its own until it was found in Glendale in its rhinestone-studded vest and turned in to Fallen Feathers rescue center in Peoria on Nov. 11.
A Fallen Feathers Facebook post and a Reddit thread aimed to help return the bedazzled bird to its nest — the owner had about a month until Olive would be put up for adoption.
Luckily, the reunion wasn’t a wild goose chase: On Tuesday, owners Marlette Fernando and her husband, Norman, recovered their bedazzled companion after one of Marlette’s friends notified her through Instagram of Olive’s whereabouts.
Yes, Olive also has an Instagram account.
With Olive nestling into her shirt, Marlette said it’s been a long couple of weeks without a member of the family around.
“I love this bird, and I’m so happy to have her back home,” Marlette said. “I never thought I’d see her again.”
Norman said receiving the good news brought Marlette to the ground out of pure relief.
“We thought we won the billion-dollar lottery,” he said.
They thanked Jody Kieran, director of Fallen Feathers, who tended to Olive while it was away from its nest.
“We are so ecstatic because, unfortunately, we do get birds in sometimes that we can’t find the owner for,” Kieran said. “So whenever we do, this is, like, a big celebration.”
Decided to ‘go explore’
The Fernandos said they originally didn’t think Olive would fly away. She got along with their four dogs, one cat and a snail; they’ve also taken her outside on multiple occasions.
But one day, Marlette said, Olive decided to “go explore” after Marlette took her along to drop her son off at school.
Olive flew around the house several times and just decided to leave, Marlette said.
Norman remembers the exact time she left: 7:17 p.m.
“We felt comfortable that she was never going to fly away, but we are told, now that she’s a teenager,” Norman said.
Kieran, with her decades of experience with birds, said teenage pigeons have a tendency to rebel.
Norman, a poet, knew Marlette was having a hard time without Olive around, so he wrote a poem about Olive to make the days fly by a little smoother.
A part of the family
Olive, like most pigeons, has more character than one might think.
“People need to love pigeons. We love all of our pets, but (Olive) has more character than any of them,” Norman said.
Marlette said Olive is a big part of the family — so much so that her diamond-studded vest comes from her owner’s affinity for shiny things.
“She takes my earrings, she loves the bling as much as I do … she’ll go up to my shoes and stand next to the shoes and peck at them and it’s really cute.”
The vest was originally supposed to look like a tuxedo, Marlette said. But Olive didn’t approve — thus came the iconic rhinestone vest.
“But she didn’t like the bow or the flower on the tuxedo, so she pecked them all off,” Marlette said. “And I replaced it with bling.”
A bedazzled male pigeon was picked up near 61st Avenue on Sunday. It is currently being cared for at Fallen Feathers in Peoria. The Republic
Olive isn’t Marlette’s first pigeon — she once cared for and raised one when she was 9.
Although they’ve only known each other since September, Marlette’s still not yet sure of Olive’s gender. She loves Olive — or Olivia, or Oliver — just the same, she said.
“I don’t see her as just a pigeon, she’s definitely a family member,” Marlette said. “She gets along with our dogs, our cats — we all love her.”
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 johnnymarin | Nov 24, 2018 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
Bird fanatics swooped to the Liverpool exhibition centre to meet like-minded people and take part in the Royal Pigeon Racing Association’s UK Olympiad this weekend.
The event, which brought people from all over the country, gave ‘twitchers’ a chance to see the birds which will be taking part in the 36th Pigeon Olympiad in Poland next year.
The RPRA, which has existed since 1896, is the UK’s governing body for the sport and it managed to attract dozens of people to the showcase.
Racing usually runs in families as a tradition. A member of the promotions team at RPRA and pigeon racer, Richard Chambers, 33, from Staffordshire told JMU Journalism: “I’m the third or fourth generation of pigeon flyers. My dad had them, my grandad had them and my great grandad had them.
“My main encouragement was my dad and he won the national in 1997, the Midland National Flying Club from Bordeaux which is 553 miles, and 1,500 pigeons went to that. He came first which is quite a prestigious thing.”
Homing pigeons are smart creatures who can never actually get lost as they will always return to their home. They even carried messages during world wars and were regarded as heroes for the vital role they played.
One of the event organisers, Ian Evans, 44, from Wales told JMU Journalism: “Recently there was research saying pigeons are very intelligent animals. If you think about it you can take it hundreds of miles away from its home somewhere it’s never been before and it can get home at an average of 50/60 miles an hour.”
The RPRA has a rich history with both the former Prince of Wales and the Duke of York starting the royal tradition in their club. Even the Queen herself has continued the family connection.
A new initiative called ‘young fanciers’ looks to get youths involved in pigeon racing and to put their energies into something positive. The RPRA visits schools and reaches out to the disabled as officials believe it can be therapeutic for people suffering with disabilities.
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 johnnymarin | Nov 23, 2018 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
It seems the internet loves a fashionable animal, and this week — following the discovery of the social media star that is ‘Hot Duck’ (aka a Mandarin duck that lives in Central Park) — a sassy new contender has stolen our hearts.
He’s gorgeous, he’s majestic, he’s fabulous — he is Bedazzled Pigeon.
According to Gizmodo, Jody Kieran, the owner of a bird rescue and rehabilitation centrein Arizona revealed that the style-savvy male pigeon was rescued last week after someone reached out to her about a bird found near their home that seemed to be wearing something strange.
They told the caller to bring in their new feathered friend. “I said, ‘Okay we’ve got to see this.’ I kind of rolled my eyes.” she says. “I open it up, and there he is, wearing a flight suit,” Jody told the website.
In case, like us, you have NFI what a flight suit is, apparently it’s kind of a bird nappy so they don’t sh*t everywhere while outside their cage (pretty useful tbh). But clearly, this bird’s rhinestone-adorned number is much more extra than your average bird diaper.
“I have been doing bird rehab for over 20 years now — I take in over 2,000 birds a year — and normally wild birds arriving with clothing is enough proof to me that this bird was owned and loved,” she said, adding that she’s still searching for the previous owner.
However, if no one comes forward, she’ll rehome him to a new family — and apparently, there’s already a waiting list for this handsome fella.
It’s also reminded us of other animal fashionistas who totally ~worked~ these wild looks. Remember Ikea Monkey?! Winter style goals, tbh.
Or there’s Remix the Schnauzer, who rocks the hipster look better than half of the Inner West.
Or there’s Hamlet the Piggy, whose eclectic and avant-garde style has earned her a whopping 346,000 followers on Instagram.
Basically, all these animals are absolute #StyleGoals who are just living their best, most fashionable lives, and are living proof that fashion can be fun for anyone — no matter what species you may be.
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 johnnymarin | Nov 21, 2018 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
It began as a pastime: Javed Iqbal, pushing 50s, had a small cage on the rooftop of his home where he kept a horde of pigeons. Soon it became an obsession with him.
Today, at the smallish shop he has had for the past almost 25 years now, he deals in the common breed of pigeons, while the “most sought-after breed” — the “Teddy Sethwala kabootar” — is kept fondly back at his residence in China scheme, Lahore, in dedicated cages.
In an exclusive meeting with TNS, Iqbal says that he offers only the “common pigeons” for sale. These include Ferozpuri, Sialkoti, Rampuri, and Kamaggar kinds, which are most popular with the customers. Their prices range from Rs100 to a few hundreds.
According to Iqbal, “Teddy Sethwala Kabootar is a much-loved bird, not only in Pakistan but also abroad, especially in the UAE. This [specie] attracts the lovers of pigeons, for a variety of reasons: primarily because it is suitable for the flying competitions that are held in summers, considered to be the best time for such activities.
“Teddy Sethwala flies like an ace athlete,” he declares. “Of course, its beautiful features are the added attraction.”
The price of Teddy Sethwala starts at Rs50,000 and may go up to rupees one lac, or even more. “My friends in Karachi have often bought these from me, and then sold them to their Arab clients. Every once in a while I receive orders [of this variety] from the UK and other countries.”
People reach out to him through his friends and friends of friends. Among his local clients are professionals as well as those who just buy the birds for hobby’s sake.
Iqbal reveals that veteran film actor (the late) Yusuf Khan was also one of his regular clients. “He had a large number of pigeons on the rooftop [of his home],” he says.
People from different walks of life visit Iqbal and request for pigeons of their choice. “I have over 500 pigeons of the Teddy Sethwala specie in my home,” he reveals. “I may be among the very few people around who boast this huge a collection.”
He makes a special mention of a breed of pigeons that is still used as ‘messengers’: “We call them ‘qasid’ (messenger); they are sometimes used for espionage. They are trained for six months or so. Teddy Sethwala is the best breed for the purpose.Rearing the pigeons is quite a job, and Iqbal makes sure that the birds get proper diet and are well taken care of. Every now and then he gets them vaccinated to keep them healthy and fit. As such, he is always on his toes.
“The qasid pigeons fly linear unlike any other breed of pigeons,” he adds.
Iqbal is all praise for Seth Ashraf who introduced the variety (named after him) through cross-breeding.
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 johnnymarin | Nov 18, 2018 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
Associated British Ports (ABP) had told residents living near the Waterfront, Ipswich, that it would carry out the action on Sunday.
It had raised concerns that the birds around its grain stores were a danger to the food supply chain.
But after a petition, which gathered 3,000 signatures, ABP has now suspended the cull.
Ipswich MP Sandy Martin said he would ask the company to look at alternatives.
The online petition, launched four days ago, called on the Labour MP and Prime Minister to intervene in plans for the cull.
Mr Martin said: “Frightening the pigeons away, making sure they can’t get hold of any grain… those are the sorts of things they might be able to do.
“I am going to have a discussion with Associated British Ports and see if they have tried every possible alternative.”
Animal lover Molly Potter, 21, had helped to set up the petition and was also organising a protest during the proposed cull.
“I have a rescue pigeon and seeing how intelligent he is, it completely broke my heart.,” she said.
“We want to find a more peaceful solution.”
In a statement, ABP said it had decided to “suspend the proposed pigeon cull, whilst we take advice from the appropriate environmental organisations on the latest alternative solutions”.
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)
