by Ryan Ponto | Nov 17, 2016 | Pigeon Spikes
It is 8am on Friday. Traffic activity begins to pick up as cars zip by the Jai Karnataka auto rickshaw stand, located at the junction of MG Road and Brigade Road, just under the Metro Rail line. Driver Syed Yaseeen rolls to a stop in his auto rickshaw. He comes out carrying a sack, full of gram. He walks on, to a spot which is blocked off by yellow police barricades. He opens the sack, takes a handful of seeds, and tosses it into the enclosure. Within minutes, a huge flock of pigeons appears, seemingly out of nowhere. For the better part of the next hour, the enclosure is full of birds, feeding while cars honk and drivers rage about the traffic all around them..
It may be hard to believe – but for the greater part of the past decade, more than a 100 pigeons have made their home at the auto stand, right on MG Road. They gather there twice a day, every day, and are fed grains by attentive auto drivers. A few birds have been named, and respond to whistles and are beloved pets for some drivers.
“It all began in mid-2005 when traffic was restricted on MG Road due to the construction of the Metro Rail. The girders erected for rail work became seating space for lot of birds including pigeons and parrots. Some birds became friendly as we started to feed them,” says Yaseen, who along with other bird-loving drivers, decided to create a permanent space for the birds alongside their auto rickshaw stand.
Over 15 member-drivers from the auto stand approached the Bengaluru Traffic Police brass to seek permission for an enclosure to protect and feed birds. “Even though it was an unusual request, especially for such a busy stretch of road, we got the required permissions. After the rail line was completed, we then isolated the area with six iron barricades in a way that pedestrians can see the birds and even feed them, if they want to,” says auto driver Murali.
The drivers take turns in buying grains and fruits for the pigeons . The pigeons are fed twice a day, at 8 am and 4 pm every day. “We spend most of our time in this stand and it is a nice feeling to have the company of these birds who have become a part of us. Sometimes when one dies, the whole stand grieves,” says Wasim.
The drivers claim that pigeons who are comparatively bigger in size are the regulars to the spot and a few have been named.
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 Ryan Ponto | Nov 16, 2016 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent
A stubborn pigeon has been filmed refusing to move in a busy city road, forcing every car to go around him or stop before a pedestrian finally dragged him out of the way.
The video shows seven vehicles swerving into the adjacent lane while going around the pigeon as he refused to move on a road in Birmingham on Friday.
The eighth vehicle stopped dead in its tracks so as not to run over the bird.
A pedestrian rushed into the centre of traffic to resolve the stand-off, removing the pigeon himself.
The pigeon was caught on camera dodging traffic on the bustling Pershore Road, near Calthorpe Park, during the lunch time rush hour.
But the bird but somehow survived on a wing and a prayer.
The unflappable character refused to move for man, beast or car, the Birmingham Mail reports.
His actions caused numerous drivers to slow down and swerve.
After a few minutes, a good Samaritan spotted the plucky pigeon, scooped it up and placed it in the safety of the road side.
A man called Alex filmed the episode.
He said: “I only noticed it sitting in the road as I walked past.
“I thought it was a bit funny of the pigeon.
“It’s as if the pigeon was having a lone protest, possibly for food.
“I only noticed when a car blew his horn for a car which had stopped, then everyone was just driving around the pigeon to avoid hitting the little guy.
“It’s possible the pigeon was weak but it’s also possible it was stubborn and simply refused to move for anyone or any vehicle.
“It’s not the kind of reason you’d expect to have a tailback on a busy road in Birmingham.”
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 Ryan Ponto | Nov 15, 2016 | Animal Deterrent Products, Pigeon Spikes
KEARNEY, Nebr. (NTV) — Pigeons are splattering gooey droppings on downtown Kearney. Now, business owners are putting pressure on the Downtown Improvement Board to make sure the poop doesn’t cut into profit.
Assistant City Manager Paul Briseno says there are several flocks of pigeons throughout Kearney, but it’s the one by the tracks downtown that have some running for cover.
“It’s been some sort of a problem for a long time,” said Linda Seals, owner of K-Town Cakes & More.
Briseno says the city estimates as many as 400 pigeons are flying, perching and pooping in downtown Kearney.
“We’re just having a lot of problems with the pigeons making messes on the sidewalk and in front of the store, and it’s not very appealing to your customers,” said Seals.
K-Town Cakes & More has been in the heart of Kearney for the past four years, and Seals says the pigeons sit inside awnings to stay warm.
“They had made a home, their little nest there. That was their place to go,” said Seals.
That has forced her and other businesses to install bird spikes to keep the pests from landing.
“We thought that would probably be the most humane thing to do to keep them away,” said Seals.
Other business owners brought their concerns to the Downtown Improvement Board.
“One of them was a hair salon, and they mentioned how a lot of times when their clients would leave the property, sometimes they would have to navigate through the pigeons defecating, if you will, on the ground as they left,” said Briseno.
Briseno says the board has taken the first step to getting rid of the muck.
“We took some bids, and are looking at some humane approaches to taking care of the matter,” said Briseno.
Briseno says once a bid is accepted, the board will know exactly when the birds will be pushed out.
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 Ryan Ponto | Nov 14, 2016 | Pigeon Spikes, UltraSonic Bird Control
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — If any further proof were needed that geopolitical intrigue can stalk the humblest of Pakistan’s inhabitants, consider the recent cases of two Pakistani birds.
The first is a pigeon, a species that people all over the country raise on their rooftops as a simple, inexpensive pleasure and a brief escape from their daily struggles with poverty, corruption and clogged streets below.
Some weeks ago, tensions were running especially high between Pakistan and its perennial next-door rival India. The source was Kashmir, the disputed border region where Muslim protesters had been blinded with pellet guns and Indian soldiers had been burned to death in a late-night attack by insurgents.
Into the fog of belligerent rhetoric between the two nuclear powers wandered a white pigeon, which was caught and caged by Indian security forces in a border district adjoining Kashmir.
I realize I am sticking my neck out but would the Indian authorities please set the poor captive pigeon free?
According to Indian news agencies, the bird was suspected of having “Pakistani links” and was carrying a warning message for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The arresting officer posed with his feathered prisoner, and the image soon circulated on social media.
Around the same time, Indian authorities in Kashmir said that they had also discovered 150 dehydrated pigeons stuffed into a car and that they suspected the birds had been smuggled for purposes of espionage. An official was quoted as saying the pigeons had suspicious multicoloured rings attached to their feet. All were turned over to an animal welfare agency while police investigated the case.
Irfan Husain, a columnist for Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper, suggested that the avian seizures were a sign that India remains “a deeply insecure country” despite its large size, rapidly growing economy and military might. “I realize I am sticking my neck out,” he wrote, “but would the Indian authorities please set the poor captive pigeon free?”
No such outcry has yet been raised about the potential plight of another Pakistani bird, the houbara bustard, a grey-speckled, pheasantlike creature mostly found in North Africa. In Pakistan, this rare variety of bustard is considered an endangered species, and hunting it is banned in some regions.
KARIM SAHIB/AFP/Getty ImagesA falcon, right, tries to catch a houbara bustard during a falconry competition in Hameem in 2014.
This past week, the bustard too ran afoul of international politics, this time at the hands of Pakistan’s friends. Parties of Middle Eastern royals often bring trained falcons to hunt smaller birds in Pakistan’s northern mountains and southern deserts. For years, among their favourite targets have been bustards.
Last year, wildlife groups petitioned Pakistani courts to ban bustard-hunting, and the Supreme Court granted their request. But the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appealed, arguing it had “adversely affected the country’s diplomatic ties with the Middle Eastern countries” and noting that hunts by “foreign dignitaries also bring in considerable funds.”
One of the Sharif government’s closest allies is Qatar, and last month, a Qatari prince came to the prime minister’s rescue in a corruption case before the Supreme Court, where political opponents have accused him of hiding assets abroad, including a group of luxury apartments in London.
Sharif, who has vowed to resign if found guilty, said he had broken no laws but was struggling to explain how his family had acquired the apartments without a money trail or tax bill. Suddenly, the Qatari prince provided a letter stating that his family had given them to the Sharifs as part of an old business settlement.
This week, a Qatari prince from the same family was issued a special permit to hunt 100 bustards in northwestern Khyber-Paktunkhwa province. According to Dawn, the province’s wildlife conservator objected, saying it was a protected species. The matter has not been resolved, but the paper reported that another Qatari royal had recently “faced some resistance” while attempting to hunt bustards in Balochistan province.
“He immediately called the prime minister on the phone,” Dawn reported Sunday, “and things were sorted out.”
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 Ryan Ponto | Nov 13, 2016 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products
No matter your own personal feelings about street pigeons, a visit to a major European city just wouldn’t be the same without encountering the ubiquitous winged urbanites in overwhelming droves: bathing en masse in fountains, teetering upon — and defecating from — the ledges of historic buildings, congregating in public squares in such great numbers that the pavement morphs into a filthy, squawking sea of feathers, beaks and imperious attitudes.
Similar to London, Venice and Paris, Barcelona has long struggled with taming its own sizable — and seemingly perpetually multiplying — feral pigeon (Columba livia domestica) population. City-dwelling descendants of the wild rock dove have all but taken over — and left their unsightly mark on — some of the Catalan capital city’s most popular and iconic plazas and public spaces including Plaça de Catalunya, Plaça Reial, Plaça de Sant Jaume, Parc Güell and the stressfully pigeon-heavy area around Font Màgica.
Joining animal control authorities in neighboring municipalities, Barcelona officials have signaled that it’s high time that they ramp up their pigeon control game by employing what might seem like a most unusual tactic — a tactic that’s been heralded by animal welfare activists as being exceptionally ethical when compared to other more gruesome methods of curbing feral pigeon populations.
They’re putting pigeons on the pill.
Avoiding the cull
Citing a recent article published by El Mundo, Motherboard reports that animal control authorities were initially going to go the quick and dirty route: a large-scale culling in which hundreds of birds would be rounded up and killed. However, the government was ultimately persuaded by numerous animal rights groups to consider a just-as-effective method that, ideally, will not result in a single pigeon death: providing the birds with birth control.
Following an extensive pigeon census that will help officials better understand exactly how many pigeons they are dealing with (current estimates in Barcelona hover around 85,000), 40 bird feeders stocked with contraceptive-laced pellets will be installed in particularly pigeon-heavy areas. The pellets will contain nicarbazin, an anti-parasitic drug first used to treat poultry. While effective as a coccidiostat, a well documented side-effect of the drug is that it renders female birds infertile by halting egg formation. In turn, nicarbazin has emerged as an increasingly popular choice amongst animal control experts looking to control pesky bird populations — feral pigeons and Canadian geese, in particular — without resorting to gratuitous slaughter.
A spokesman with the Barcelona city council tells the Daily Mail that officials anticipate that by providing the scourge of street pigeons with birth control, the population could drop by as much as 20 percent within just one year. Within just a few years, the population could be reduced by 70 to 80 percent.
Considering the rather harrowing current state of pigeons in Barcelona, a reduction of 80 percent will likely be viewed by most as welcoming news. But while Barcelona’s wealth of historic building and monuments will be less poop-stained and its residents and visitors less inconvenienced/intimidated thanks to such a dramatic drop in numbers, one does wonder about a virtually pigeon-free city. For better or worse, the birds are part of the urban fabric in Spain’s second largest city. Would a pigeon-free — or pigeon-lite — Plaça de Catalunya have the same authentic charm as a Plaça de Catalunya that’s swarming with hundreds of birds? Will another bird take over in the pigeons’ absence? And what will become of those little old Spanish pensioners who never, ever leave home without a small paper bag filled with breadcrumbs?
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)
