by Pigeon Patrol | Aug 31, 2021 | MBCA, pet bird, Pigeon Control, Pigeon Droppings, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Predators
A new study of pigeons shows that, like human gamblers, they love to gamble on the off chance they will win big rather than taking a smaller, but more certain payout.
Research by psychologists Thomas Zentall and Jessica Stagner of the University of Kentucky in Lexington found pigeons given a choice of a light that would deliver three pellets of food every time or one that gave them a big “win” of 10 pellets 20 percent of the time consistently chose the latter. When averaged out, these results meant the pigeons were preferring a payout of two pellets for each peck rather than three.
Zentall said similar results had been observed in monkeys, and the reason may be that the larger payout is a surprising change from their expectations, and we learn from these departures from the norm. The same motivation could explain why some humans gamble, ignoring their losses and focusing on the less regular, but more surprising big wins.
In humans many other factors are involved, such as the atmosphere of the gambling location, with colorful and noisy surroundings, and by the possibility of losing what you already have. By using pigeons Zentall and Stagner could study the phenomenon without at least some of these added complications.
The researchers trained eight pigeons to peck at keys that caused a vertical or horizontal light to be displayed on a screen in yellow, blue, red or green colors. In return they received food rewards. If they pecked at the key that presented a horizontal line (yellow or blue) three food pellets were dispensed each time, which therefore represented a non-gambling option. If they pecked on the key for the vertical line, it was one color (say green) 80 percent of the time, in which case no food was delivered. The remaining 20 percent of the time the line was the signal color (say red), in which case 10 pellets were dispensed. The vertical line therefore represented a gambling option. (Color combinations were changed for different birds to avoid any bias.)
After Zentall and Stagner had trained the birds to understand what the lines and colors meant they then carried out many trials to see which the birds preferred. The results were that the pigeons chose the riskier 10 pellets or nothing option in over 80 percent of the trials, even though on average they would receive 50 percent more food if they chose the other option.
In a later experiment they trained seven new pigeons, but this time both red and green colors triggered the release of 10 pellets 20 percent of the time and nothing the rest of the time. The yellow and blue colors still resulted in three pellets being released. In this case the pigeons chose the yellow/blue option for a sure payout of three pellets.
Zentall said the findings suggest the pigeons in the first trials put excess weight on the excitement on the windfall that resulted from a red light, and evening out the odds on red and green detracted from the excitement. He commented that in human gambling watching a winning pattern appear on a slot machine, for example, precedes winning the money, and suggested gamblers would not wager as often if there were no signals for their winning — so slot machine players could not see the wheels, and roulette players could not see the ball.
Zentall said if the pigeons were hungry they tended to gamble more than if they were already satisfied, despite having more to lose, and this has parallels in human gambling studies, which have shown that people who are dissatisfied with their lives and have less money tend to gamble more than those who are wealthier and more satisfied.
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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 | Aug 31, 2021 | pet bird, Pigeon Control, Pigeon Droppings, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Predators, Pigeon Spikes
You don’t get a lot of pigeons in Brighton – seagulls rule the roost down here – and certainly not many snowy white ones who fly at your backdoor, and then stand there, waiting for you to open up.
That was what greeted us at breakfast one morning last week. My daughter opened the door. The bird was clearly tame and, judging by the rings on its legs, a homing pigeon. We watched as it hopped into the kitchen and, right in front of us, crapped on the floor. It was unceremoniously shown the door.
When I got home from work that evening I was told that the pigeon hadn’t left the garden all day. That it had come into the house several times. That the kids had fed it. And that it had taken a dump on our floor again. It was clearly lost, confused and badly house-trained.
The following morning there was a suicidal crash at the window. We threw the bird some Rice Krispies and called the Royal Pigeon Racing Association, who asked for the number on the bird’s ring.
No 25257 belonged to Mr Pile in Barnstaple, Devon. “I was wondering where he had got to,” he said. “Don’t know what he’s doing in Brighton. He was on his way to Weymouth.” What does he want? “Some grub, of course. He’s hungry. Beans. Corn. Seeds.” So, if we feed him, he’ll fly home? “Might do. Then again, he might decide to stay.”
There are 60,000 pigeon-fanciers in the UK and thousands of their birds get lost each year. “It’s the peregrine falcons,” said Pile. “Them and the sparrowhawks. They attack them and so they fly off in any direction. It’s getting so bad that many are giving up the sport.”
After four days, No 25257 disappeared. I called Pile. “No, he hasn’t turned up yet. But a friend of mine lost one once. Ten years later, it came back.” Pile has promised to call me when 25257 finally returns. I hope he does.
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 | Aug 26, 2021 | Pigeon Predators, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons, Pigeons in the News, Raccoons, Sparrows
Birds brighten our lives. We find joy in their songs, inspiration in their soaring flight. They connect us with nature. But sometimes birds connect us a bit too directly with nature.
Park under the wrong tree – one where a flock of starlings or grackles comes to roost – and nature may be painted in white on your car so thickly that it takes a trip or two through the carwash just to see through the windshield again.
Aside from helping you decide where not to park next time, this messy event raises a scientific question: Why is most of the bird poop we see white? The answer lies in the fact that birds, unlike mammals, don’t produce urine. Instead they excrete nitrogenous wastes in the form of uric acid, which emerges as a white paste. And uric acid doesn’t dissolve in water easily. Hence its ability to stick to your windshield like blobs of white plaster.
It appears that drivers of some cars might be asking for trouble. A study in England found that red cars are most likely to be the target of bird droppings, followed by blue and black. Green was the least likely. So be careful where you park. And give that red Mustang a wide berth.
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 | Aug 26, 2021 | MBCA, pet bird, Pigeon Control, Pigeon Droppings, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Predators
A young woman in Fredericton is singing on the street to call attention to the disease that made her blind.
Erica Richards lost her sight last year after developing Cryptococcus meningitis.
Cryptococcus meningitis is a potentially fatal swelling of the membranes surrounding the brain. The disease is caused by fungus that lives in the guts of pigeons and other birds, such as chickens.
People can breathe it in if they’re exposed to pigeon droppings.
The 24-year-old was living in a house that had a pile of pigeon feces in the attic, and she also had a compromised immune system from chemotherapy .
“A reverse migraine — I needed light, I needed sound. I needed neck massages. Couldn’t lay down, couldn’t sit up. Couldn’t eat. I was vomiting. And then I started having double vision, quadruple vision, then seizures. And then I ended up in hospital,” she said as she described her symptoms.
Richards sings to supplement her $135 a month disability payment.
Kevin Forward is an infectious disease specialist who teaches at Dalhousie Medical School in Halifax.
“I think it’s pretty common sense. Move to avoid being in a situation where there are a lot of pigeon droppings, particularly if you’re disturbing them, cleaning them up, sweeping them,” Forward said.
“Those kind of situations should certainly be avoided. But if you’re in the park that has some pigeons around, I think the risk is infinitely small.”
Pigeons are part of the urban landscape, but they are known to carry a long list of disease-causing organisms — such as Chlamydia and salmonella.
That, along with complaints about them damaging roofs, led Fredericton to add pigeons to the city’s animal control bylaw last year.
Property owners are now prohibited from spreading feed or anything else that would attract pigeons.
Richards wants to make sure people know the risk of coming into contact with pigeon feces.
“To draw attention, to raise awareness so people will ask questions, so they will know what the symptoms are,” Richards said. “So that way, they can be warned ahead of time, before what happened to me happens to them.”
Next month, she’ll be going to a school sponsored by the Canadian National Institute for the Blind to finish high school and to get matched with a seeing-eye dog.
She hopes to go on to study law.
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 | Aug 17, 2021 | pet bird, Pigeon Control, Pigeon Droppings, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Predators, Pigeon Spikes
If I say the word ‘pigeon’, it will conjure up an image in your head. In an urban environment this will probably be a ‘rat with wings’. However, if I say the word ‘dove’, you may well think of the second day of Christmas or Pablo Picasso’s ‘Dove of Peace’, a modern interpretation of an Early Christian symbol. Doves are seen as positive, but pigeons need to work on their public image.
The truth is many of what we Londoners call pigeons are in fact doves. The feral pigeons we see in Trafalgar Square are actually rock doves. To quote the RSPB, “there is no strict division between pigeons and doves.”
It’s easy to see why a rock dove would find our urban environment attractive. In many ways, our high-rise office buildings are a perfect substitute for a cliff face. This makes them ideal places to roost and nest and, being in an urban environment, they are also protected from many of their natural predators.
Are Pigeons Dangerous?
When you hear a pigeon coo it is hard to imagine that they can present a threat to human health. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case.
The British Pest Control Association recently published a study that found nearly 50% of feral pigeons were carrying Chlamydia psittaci. This can lead to ornithoses in humans, a nasty disease with symptoms that include chills, fever, sweating, severe weakness, headache, blurred vision, pneumonia and, in extreme cases, possible death.
In January 2019, pigeon droppings were also thought to be a “contributing factor” in the death of a child at a Glasgow hospital. Other pigeon related diseases include Histoplasmosis, Toxoplasmosis, and infections related to the Campylobacter, E. coli and Salmonella pathogens.
Pigeons are not themselves dangerous, but the pathogens contained within their faecal waste can be dangerous to humans.
What Are the Chances of Getting These Diseases?
In fact, pigeon-related diseases are uncommon in the UK, which is not the case in other countries, including the US. Unless you are directly dealing with pigeon nests or waste, it is unlikely you will encounter the pathogens that cause the diseases. When we deal with pigeons, we always wear the right personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure we are protected from these pathogens.
For most Londoners, the main problem is that pigeons are a nuisance. Roosting birds defecate down buildings, making them look dirty. For a business, this doesn’t give the right impression. Imagine you must choose between two restaurants – one is clean and the other has pigeon guano down its front – you are going to choose the clean restaurant because its façade suggests an attention to detail and cleanliness.
Pigeon waste can also create a slipping hazard. Businesses and property managers have a duty of care to ensure their buildings and surrounding areas are safe. A pavement covered in guano can be slippery, which could result in injury.
How Do We Get Rid of Pigeons?
Firstly, it is important to remember, “all wild birds and their eggs in the UK are rightfully protected by law under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.” It is strongly recommended that you do not attempt to deal with the problem yourself.
Secondly, these birds are often roosting in inaccessible places as a form of protection. It is therefore dangerous to try to reach them without the proper equipment and specialised training.
There are two main things you can do to protect your property from pigeons.
- Cut off their food supply – pigeons like an easy meal and so if you remove food sources they will move elsewhere. In your garden, this means removing food that has fallen on to the floor, ensuring bin lids are shut and covering compost heaps. Also, discourage people who think it is okay to feed them!
- Stop them roosting – there are multiple methods available, including netting and spikes. The intention isn’t to harm the bird, simply to make them move somewhere else.
Again, it should be emphasised that accessing the places where bird proofing measures need to be installed can be difficult and dangerous. It is therefore highly advisable to seek fully insured, well-trained professional help if you have a pigeon problem.
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 | Aug 17, 2021 | MBCA, pet bird, Pigeon Control, Pigeon Droppings, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Predators
1. Reuters used them: The world’s most famous news agency was founded in 1850 and employed 45 feathered messengers.
2. They read maps: Their homing skills are still a mystery, but a 10-year Oxfor university study concluded they use roads to navigate, even turning corners at junctions.
3. They were the original email: in the early 1800s, the Rothschilds set up a network of pigeon lofts at all their European financial houses.
4. The Queen loves them: Not only does Her Majesty fancy them, but Mike Tyson is a fan. Plus, Maurizio Gucci once spent $10,000 on an American pigeon.
5. They’re clever: Pigeons are one of the only nine amimals (and the only non-mammal) that can recognise itself in a mirror.
6. They bob their heads for a reason: Their side-mounted eyes give them monocular vision, unlike the binocular vision of humans and owls, so they bob for depth perception.
7. They’re holy: Many religious groups, including Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs, feed pigeons for religious reasons. Remember that the next time you shoo one.
8. They’re heroes: Several pigeons have been decorated in wartime, saving thousands of lives by delivering urgent messages under fire.
9. Their waste is invaluable: in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries pigeon excrement was a valuable fertiliser protected by armed guards.
10. They’re precious: The world’s most expensive pigeon was bought by a British stud farm for £106,000.
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
