Beautiful bird-navigation theory skewered by ugly fact!

Beautiful bird-navigation theory skewered by ugly fact!

Scientists have thought for a decade that iron-bearing structures in the homing pigeon’s beak help the bird find its location by “reading” Earth’s magnetic field. Now, it turns out that this iron occupies cells that battle infection, rather than nerve cells.

The new results leave a chasm in our understanding of bird navigation, says Charles Walcott, an expert on the subject at Cornell University, who was not involved in the study. “It’s astonishing that we have what seems like a terribly simple-minded problem. Take a homing pigeon any direction, and after circling a couple of times, it heads for home … and we don’t understand how these animals do this?”

Study leader David Keays, of the Institute for Molecular Pathology in Vienna, did not set out to debunk a beautiful theory, but rather to explore the nerve cells in the beak that supposedly register magnetism. “My background is in molecular biology and genetics, and I thought there must be some incredible biology involved. I wanted to get a handle on the molecules and create an artificial receptor.”

Because the “magnetic neurons” in the beak contained iron, Keays applied a blue stain that gloms onto iron. Christoph Treiber and Marion Salzer generated one-quarter million slices for microscope slides, each one-hundredth of a millimeter thick.

(Makes us dizzy … Didn’t they outlaw slavery?)

Iron in cells in the pigeon’s beak are stained blue; cell nuclei are pink. These cells, previously thought to be nerve cells, are actually macrophages, a type of immune cell.

A fly in the ointment!

Although the magnetic neurons were said to number just six, iron-rich cells showed up all over the beak. One beak had about 108,000 blue-stained cells while another had just 200, Keays says. “This did not make sense. If these were magnetoreceptors, we would expect a similar number in birds of the same age and sex.”

When the scientists treated the samples with stains that attach to neurons, there was almost no overlap with the iron-bearing areas.

As questions accumulated, the researchers got a lucky break. One bird’s infected beak attracted blue cells that resembled macrophages, immune cells that fight infection (and also process iron). “You could see the cells’ tentacles engulfing other cells,” Keays says.

Stains that attach to immune cells overlapped heavily with the iron stain, Keays says; further evidence that the iron was inside macrophages, not neurons.

The study is “quite interesting and convincing,” says Walcott, and it explains why scientists have found no connection between the iron crystals and the nervous system. “If this is going to be seen as a sense organ, I think the two ought to be connected.”

Paradigm paranoia

Although the new study overthrows the accepted explanation for the pigeon’s magnetic mastery, Walcott says magnetism isn’t the whole story in navigation; birds also use vision, memory and smell.

Looking at the sun can help the bird figure out direction, but magnetic methods are needed to find a location on the globe.

The amazing homing ability of the homing pigeon found use in World War I, when the British Army drafted a London bus as a pigeon loft. Pigeons carried messages from the front to the loft in the rear.

Confusingly, birds seem to have a mechanism in the eye that detects Earth’s magnetic field. But because this works only when the sun is shining, it’s unlikely to explain nighttime navigation.

Keays says attitudes have changed since he “released a cat among the pigeons” at a conference a year ago. “Half of the audience wanted to hug me, they had been very skeptical, but the other half wanted to kill me.”

Since then, however, “We were able to persuade some big players in the field that the original reports were wrong. I think the great thing about science is that it is a self-correcting enterprise. If we get it wrong, somebody is going to come along and work out what the truth is.”

At this point, though, mystery rules. “It’s absolutely clear that birds, pigeons, can detect magnetic fields,” Keays says, “but the way they do that is the mystery.”

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

Mourning Dove

Mourning Dove

Named for its distinct, mournful cry, the mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) is a small, ground-dwelling bird that is found throughout the United States, southern Canada, Mexico, certain regions of Central America, Bermuda, the Greater Antilles, and the Bahamas (Seamans). The mourning dove is a member of the order Columbiformes, family Columbidae, which consists of doves and pigeons (ITIS). The genus name, Zenaida, originates from the name of French zoologist Charles L. Bonaparte’s wife, Princess Zenaide Charlotte Julie Bonaparte (Chipper Woods Bird Observatory), while the species name, macroura, is Greek for “long-tailed” (Boreal Songbird Initiative). There are two subspecies of mourning dove in the United States. The smaller, paler in color Z. m. marginella lives west of the Mississippi River, and the larger, eastern subspecies, Z. m. carolinensis, is the one found in Pennsylvania and the other states east of the Mississippi River (Vuilleumier).

Dove

Mourning doves are light, beige colored birds with small, dark beaks and red feet. They have pale blue skin surrounding their eyes and distinct black spots on their wings. Like many other doves and pigeons, mourning doves have iridescent plumage. Although quite subtle, this feature is more noticeable in males, who may have faint, blue coloration on the backs of their heads and a somewhat pinkish breast and neck (National Geographic). The iridescence of the feathers is actually caused by the barbules of each feather being flat, elongated, and twisted at the base. Each barbule is composed of a thick, keratin complex over a layer of air. The number of melanosomes in contact with the keratin cortex and the thickness of the cortex determine the hue of the feather. The color and intensity of the iridescence also varies depending on the angle that light reflects on the feather (Shawkey, et al.). Juveniles are dark brown with a lighter face and chest, and their feathers have an almost “scaly” appearance (National Geographic). On average, mourning doves are between 23 to 34 centimeters in length, with a 45 centimeter wingspan, and weigh between 85 to 170 grams. Females tend to be slightly smaller than males, but overall, there is little difference between the sexes (All About Birds).

Mourning doves mostly inhabit temperate, open areas, such as farmland, forest clearings, along roadsides, and suburban areas. It is most common for mourning doves to be found in areas with much open space and a few trees or other places to nest. Typically, they avoid heavily forested areas (Kaufman), and the species has actually become more abundant with deforestation (Boreal Songbird Initiative).

Mourning doves are not uniformly migratory—northern populations will be more inclined to migrate, while southern populations are significantly less migratory (Yarrow). Northern populations usually migrate in flocks in the colder fall and winter months during the day, when it is warmest (Kaufman). Some populations (usually doves living in the south) will not migrate, so they simply spend their winters in their breeding range. Northern populations typically winter in the southern United States, Mexico, Central America, and Panama (Seamans).

Dove

Mourning doves are herbivores—rarely will they ever feed on insects. Seeds are the primary food source for mourning doves. Almost 99% of the mourning dove’s diet consists of grass, grain, and weed seeds (Kaufman). Mourning doves actually play a key role in controlling weed populations by eating the seeds (Chipper Woods Bird Observatory). When food is limited, such as in cold northern winters, mourning doves compensate by feeding for longer periods of time and taking more risks, which increases the likelihood of predation. Since they feed in open areas at ground-level, mourning doves must prioritize take-off speed and wing growth before reaching maturity to reduce encounters with predators both on the ground and from above (Miller 2011). Like many other wintering birds, mourning doves are able to adjust their metabolic rates to adapt to colder environments. This is done through torpor (physical inactivity), change of usual habits and activity, and supplemental nutrition from humans. Northern birds may continue to spend winters in their breeding range due to human interference and other artificial food sources. Mourning doves are more likely than many other bird species to frequent urban settings for supplemental feeding. Because over time they have adapted to using feeders as a food source in the winter months, migratory birds such as the mourning dove will overall be less inclined to migrate and search elsewhere for food (Zuckerberg, et. al).

An interesting and notable characteristic of mourning doves is the distinct “whistle” their wings make when taking off. In some bird species, sounds produced by wing beats can not only be associated with courtship, but they may also be associated with a sort of alarm call or warning of immediate danger and a need to flee. Some species of birds, such as the mourning dove, produce a distinct, wing whistling sound which is different from regular flapping sounds during flight, and louder than the bird’s usual vocalizations. One study suggests that the mourning dove’s wing whistle is a non-vocal alarm call. Although the results consistently suggested that this sound functioned as an alarm call, the sample size was too small to further analyze the theory or replicate the experiments (Hingee and Magrath).

Although they are ground-dwelling birds, mourning doves rarely build their nests on the ground (Boreal Songbird Initiative). Nesting pairs, who first bond by grooming, grasping beaks, and bobbing their heads in unison, will generally build their nests in man-made structures from ground level up to around 250 feet above ground (NestWatch). It is not unusual for mourning doves to reuse their own nests or even those of another species (All About Birds). They usually nest with two of three other pairs, but occasionally, small flocks will nest together. Any time between early April and late September, the eggs will be laid (The Bird Book). Females will raise anywhere from one to six broods a year, typically with two eggs per brood (All about Birds). Chicks are born altricial (NestWatch), meaning that after hatching, their eyes are closed, they are vulnerable with minimal down, and they must be fed by their parents. All passerines (“perching birds,” which make up more than half of the world’s bird population) are altricial. Precocial birds, on the other hand, are hatched with open eyes and down, and they are ready to leave the nest within two days of hatching (Stanford University). A trait fairly unique to mourning doves is the production of “pigeon milk,” known as “crop milk” in other species who produce this substance (Kaufman).

Mourning doves raised in large broods prioritized growth of wings to compensate for slower growth and development overall. As mortality rates in the nest increase, juvenile birds will grow faster and therefore fledge (grow flight feathers) at a younger age. Mourning dove nests often have high predation rates. The more juveniles that are present in the nest, the more competition there will be. With more competition, growth rates are slower and fledging age is at a later age. In contrast, single juveniles grow much faster and fledge sooner (Miller 2010).

Family of doves

In 2013, 250,700 mourning doves were harvested in Pennsylvania during the 2013 hunting season. Only 147,200 birds were harvested the following year. 1,007 birds with a known age were banded in 2013, while 993 doves were banded the next year (Seamans). However, populations are mostly increasing despite hunting and high mortality rate (Chipper Woods Bird Observatory).

In captivity, mourning doves can live up to 19 years (American Museum of Natural History), but the average lifespan in the wild is between one and three years. Most doves die before one year; mortality is mostly related to disease and starvation (Clemson Cooperative Extension). The most common diseases affecting mourning doves are avian trichomoniasis, toxicoses, and avian pox. These three diseases alone make up about 73% of all diagnosed diseases. Toxicoses were diagnosed most in the spring, avian pox was diagnosed most in the summer, and trichomoniasis was diagnosed most often in the spring and summer. Overall, diseases are more often diagnosed in the summer and spring months than in the autumn and winter. (Gerhold et al.). Avian trichomoniasis is caused by the protozoan parasite Trichomonas gallinae. The disease is usually fatal, and a common symptom is necrosis (cell death) in the upper digestive tract of the bird. This disease annually affects mourning doves and other members of the pigeon and dove family; this may contribute to recent population decline in the eastern United States. (Gerhold). Avian pox virus is in the Poxviridae family, which is characterized by large, double-stranded DNA viruses. The virus spreads slowly through both direct and indirect contact. Indirect contact may happen when a bird comes in contact contaminated food, water, perches, dander. Direct contact involves physical contact with affected birds, living or deceased. The virus enters through open wounds or mucous membranes. Mosquitoes are often carriers of the virus, which can easily transmit the virus to birds. Symptoms of avian pox include depression, anorexia, scabs, tumors, weakness, and poor endurance (Pledger).

Dove

Hunters kill more than 20 million doves a year, which is more than any other animal in the country. Doves are also sometimes used as live targets. They are not overpopulated and pose little threat to crops or human structures (The Humane Society of the United States). A small proportion of doves shot by hunters ingest lead pellets, but doves may ingest multiple pellets and die faster. Lead is absorbed through gastrointestinal tract, into blood, soft tissues, and bone tissue. Mostly liver and kidney tissues are infected, leading to lead toxicosis. Doves may accidentally ingest lead while feeding in areas where hunters deposit spent lead pellets and eventually die of lead poisoning. This issue could be solved by banning lead pellets and replacing them with nontoxic alternatives (Schulz, et al. 2007). Nontoxic shot alternatives include bismuth, iron, tin, nickel, and tungsten. Millions of mourning doves die of lead poisoning each year; nearly all doves that have ingested lead fall victim to lead poisoning. Lead pellets have been banned for hunting of waterfowl in the early 1990s, but not for hunting of mourning doves and other game birds. Most dove hunters are not in favor of a ban on the use of lead pellets (Schulz, et al. 2006).

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

How to Get Rid of Pigeons

How to Get Rid of Pigeons

It may sound hard to believe, but pigeons are actually a bit of a nuisance to human populations, no matter how attractive these pests can be. Pest control measures frequently include pigeon deterrent procedures due to the risk of disease and property damage that pigeons can bring.

When getting rid of pigeons, practical traps and repellents are the best options to utilise to ensure the birds are repelled from your property. Falconry, anti-bird spikes, parallel wires, bird netting, bird gels, decoy kites, and lasers are all effective in ridding pigeons from your property.

This article will go over some basic tips about pigeon behaviour as well as a range of ways to help keep pigeons away. Read on to discover more. If you are interested in our pigeon control services  then please contact us for a quote.

Pigeon Behaviour

Pigeons have long been a bird that is renowned for its beauty but feared for its nuisance behaviour. The types of pigeons that regularly cause concern for home and business owners are known as feral pigeons.

Pigeons will typically gather together in a behaviour known as roosting, which is easily seen by detecting large groups of pigeons congregating on rooftops and the eaves and sides of buildings. Even if you go to great lengths to never feed pigeons to help get rid of them, most people usually feed pigeons inadvertently by dropping grain-rich foods on the ground and leaving the lids of waste bins.

Similar in the way that cockroaches and bed bugs are dependent on humans for food and shelter, it can be said that pigeons share the same trait. These pests have come to rely on grains for survival, which is why pigeons are a staple of the surrounding environment of agricultural sites, feed processing plants, as well as parks, large recreation areas, and restaurants located within cities.

This may not sound alarming, but pigeons regularly drop waste on sidewalks and buildings, which can damage the exterior look of structures over time. Additionally, people can slip and fall when walking through pigeon waste, and feral pigeons can actually carry a range of diseases.

With this in mind, considering how to get rid of pigeons is a valid question to ask.

How to Get Rid of Pigeons Without Hurting Them

It is illegal to kill pigeons or any other wild bird species due to the wording of the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981. This means that the birds can only be repelled, and by far, the best way to scare pigeons and keep nesting pigeons away is to use falconry.

Falconry

There are some products that you can use to deter pigeons (more on these below), but the use of birds of prey is great because this natural method directly triggers the fight or flight response within pigeons.

Our method is to allow our birds to circle and fly over the problem area on a regular basis. Pigeons soon get the message that the territory is occupied by a predator, and will take wing and move on.

Using a natural threat like this is the most humane and effective way to rid your property of pigeons on a long-term basis. Falconry can deter pigeons and prevent pigeons from becoming a nuisance to your property, and you do not have to worry about utilising spike strips or other pigeon deterrents to get rid of pigeons.

Additional Procedures to Take to Keep Pigeons Away

When it comes to figuring out how to get rid of pigeons, falconry is the most natural and effective form of pest control you can use. Precautionary measures like removing bird feeders or leaving food and water out of bird feeders can be effective, but it will likely take more than refraining from the urge to feed pigeons to break up the habit of roosting.

In all of the following procedures, you have to make sure that whatever form of pest control you take, the pigeons may become accustomed to the devices, and therefore, you may have to change up the procedure from time to time to get rid of pigeons and keep them away.

Let’s explore some methods to get rid of pigeons:

Anti-Bird Spikes

Anti-bird spikes or ‘spike strips’ are a set of attachable spikes that can be fastened to a surface to prevent pigeons from perching or nesting in areas you want to keep bird-free. The spikes will not necessarily harm the birds, which is good in order to stay on the right side of the law; however, the spikes will deter the birds from setting up shop wherever the spikes are laid.

Parallel Wires

Bird-proofing with parallel wires is a great way to keep pigeons away from your roof or other areas of your home that are attractive to the birds. This method works by using parallel wires that run across the structure that prevents pigeons from landing and nesting.

Bird Netting

Bird netting is somewhat unsightly but is very effective at keeping pigeons out of certain places. This mesh netting works much like the previous examples and creates a net barrier that prevents the birds from nesting.

Bird Gels

A sticky trap, or sticky gel, is a bird repellent that keeps pigeons at bay by using a chemical that creates a translucent barrier across structures that causes a bird’s feet to become stuck to the surface, which makes the bird struggle to get free. A pigeon would not want to go through the experience of having to break free of the sticky chemical a second time and therefore, will avoid landing on structures that contain the gel.

Decoy Kites

Decoy kites can get rid of bird populations by using a kite-shaped decoy bird image to sway in the wind to deter a pigeon from landing in a certain area. This method can be effective, but it may not work since decoys can sometimes be easily overlooked, which makes this method problematic to get rid of pigeons.

Lasers

Lasers used against pigeon populations can be effective due to the piercing light that blinds the pigeons once they scout an area for nesting or roosting. This method can be initially effective, however, the pigeons may become accustomed to the lasers over time and simply get out the way.

What Do Pigeons Hate?

Pigeons hate the sight or presence of other domineering birds, such as birds of prey. This is what makes falconry such a successful deterrent in getting rid of pigeon populations.

Additionally, pigeons do not like strong smells, such as cinnamon or hot pepper juice or spray. If you can safely reach the areas where the pigeon colony is roosting and nesting, you can spray and apply these substances to help drive the birds away.

How Do I Get Rid of Pigeons On My Roof?

Pigeon colonies look for places to hide and nest and there is no better area better suited for this than the roof. When it comes to figuring out how to scare off pigeons from your roof, the best method is to figure out methods that will keep populations away from the roof.

A good pigeon repellent to consider using for your roof is bird netting or parallel wires. These two methods need little upkeep on your part and can work around the clock to keep the birds firmly off of your roof.

If you are wondering how to scare pigeon colonies from roof structures, decoy kites require less installation, but you have to make sure the birds do not become used to the sight of the decoy kite.

Falconry is the easiest method to consider since our birds mimic the same basic patterns of flight and acclimating to heights as pigeons.

What Smell Do Pigeons Not Like?

As previously mentioned, strong and repellent scents and smells like pepper or even essential oils may deter pigeon populations for a time. To get rid of pigeons completely with smells, you would have to consistently spread the scents all over their roosting and nesting spots to make the habitat unlivable.

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

Pigeons’ homing instinct is all down to smell

Pigeons’ homing instinct is all down to smell

Scientists have discovered the secret of pigeons’ remarkable ability to navigate perfectly over journeys of several hundred miles. They do it by smell.

Research found that pigeons create ‘odour’ maps of their neighbourhoods and use these to orient themselves. This replaces the idea that they exploited subtle variations in the Earth’s magnetic field to navigate.

‘This is important because it is the first time that magnetic sensing and smell have been tested side by side,’ said Anna Gagliardo, of the University of Pisa, who led the research.

The discovery that birds have an olfactory positioning system is the latest surprising discovery about bird migration. Birds know exactly when to binge on berries or insects to fatten themselves for long flights, and some species recognise constellations, which helps them to fly at night. Birds also travel immense distances: the average Manx shearwater travels five million miles during its life.

Research into navigation has included an experiment in which robins were released with a patch over one eye – some on the right eye, some on the left. The left-eye-patched robins navigated well, but those with right-eye patches got hopelessly lost. ‘It is a very strange finding,’ said Graham Appleton, of the British Trust for Ornithology . ‘It is clear the cues robins use to navigate are only detectable in one eye. Why that should be the case, I have no idea.’

In the Pisa experiments, Gagliardo, working with Martin Wild of the University of Auckland , followed up experiments done in 2004, which showed that pigeons could detect magnetic fields. She argued that this did not mean they actually did.

So in 24 young homing pigeons she cut the nerves that carried olfactory signals to their brains. In another 24 pigeons she cut the trigeminal nerve, which is linked to the part of the brain involved in detecting magnetic fields.

The 48 birds were released 30 miles from their loft. All but one of those deprived of their ability to detect magnetic fields were home within 24 hours, indicating that it was not an ability that helped them to navigate. But those who had been deprived of their sense of smell fluttered all over the skies of northern Italy. Only four made it home.

Gagliardo and her team conclude that pigeons read the landscape as a patchwork of odours.

Every spring, hundreds of millions of birds head north in order to exploit new resources. Gulls head to the Arctic to make use of the 24 hours of daylight prevailing there, while swallows and other birds leave Africa to exploit the British summertime.

The navigation involved in these long journeys is still a cause of considerable debate among scientists. Among the main theories are suggestions that some birds remember visual maps of the terrain they fly over; that they follow the lines of Earth’s magnetic field; and that night-time flyers remember star maps of the sky.

However, the discovery of pigeons’ prowess at exploiting smells is considered important because their navigational abilities are some of the most acute in the natural world. Pigeons excel at getting home when released in unfamiliar locations. That they achieve such accuracy using smell is all the more surprising.

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

Don’t Feed the Pigeons Here. But Over There, O.K.

Don’t Feed the Pigeons Here. But Over There, O.K.

“Safe pigeon-feeding zones” may be designated around the city as part of the negotiations between animal rights groups and the Brooklyn city councilman who has proposed fining pigeon feeders as much as $1,000 as strategy to control New York’s pigeon population.

Fines, which had been used successfully in Basel, Switzerland, to limit pigeon proliferation, were the most concrete proposal in a pigeon report issued by Councilman Simcha Felder’s office in November. Other ideas in the report included pigeon birth control and a pigeon czar.

But the report and the proposed fines brought out a number of pigeon proponents who defended the urban birds’ rights to co-exist with humans in New York’s sprawl. Since November, Mr. Felder’s office has been meeting with a number of groups over the fine-for-feeding legislation. In December, at one of those meetings, the Humane Society brought up the idea of safe pigeon-feeding zones with Mr. Felder’s office.

“If our idea was, there are too many pigeons around where people are walking, waiting for the subway, sitting in parks, etc.,” said Eric Kuo, a spokesman for Mr. Felder. “Someone brought up, if there are areas where people are not around, what’s the harm of allowing feeding there?”

The pigeon-friendly zones could include less-densely trafficked areas in Central Park and Prospect Park, Mr. Kuo said. The City Council’s lawyers who draft legislation have been asked to see if such a plan is feasible.

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

WHAT TO DO WITH PIGEON GEESE?

WHAT TO DO WITH PIGEON GEESE?

While most Canada Geese spend the spring and fall migrating back and forth between their winter and summer habitat, some sub-populations of the Canada Goose have sprung up in many urban and suburban areas, living there year-round. In many cities they have become quite the pest – hanging around popular areas, hissing at children, and leaving their infamous waste seemingly everywhere.

Our Senior Scientist Dr. Jeff Wells spoke with host Marc Montgomery on Radio Canada International’s The Link, a daily show that covers a wide range of news stories. Dr. Wells explains how these, as he likes to call them, “pigeon geese” came to be and how they are different from wild migratory geese. He also weighs in on New York City’s plans to kill hundreds, if not thousands of them, and ways to make good out of unfortunate situations…

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