by johnnymarin | Nov 12, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
Twenty-one white doves emerged from white wicker baskets on a recent afternoon in downtown Detroit and launched themselves into the air, drawing applause from people gathered below.
The birds, which are actually selectively bred homing pigeons, initially began heading south. Then their inborn navigational systems kicked in — call it Mother Nature’s GPS — and the birds turned around and flew north, back toward their home 100 miles away in Saginaw.
It wasn’t long after that Phyllis Stevens, co-owner of Saginaw-based Dreamers White Dove Release, got into her car and started the same return journey. But she relied on I-75 and her smartphone’s GPS. By the time Stevens arrived home two hours after the release, 10 of her 21 birds were already there, waiting on the roof of their pigeon loft in her backyard.
“Every time I see it, it always amazes me how they know to get home,” Stevens said.
The white dove release business is reaching new heights of popularity in Michigan.
Bird handlers and business owners are doing multiple releases every week from spring to fall for weddings, funerals, public events and special ceremonies — even high school proms. The latest trend is “gender reveals,” where partygoers look for a blue or a pink-painted dove to find out whether the expected baby is a boy or girl. (Handlers say the special paint is safe and soon washes off.)
The most common bird release in Michigan is for funerals, these owners said, and this service is particularly popular among black families.
“That lasting image of a dove taking off is far nicer I think than a shovel full of dirt,” said Joan Luther, owner of Winged Occasions dove release in Flat Rock.
There are roughly a dozen small and large dove release operations in Michigan. The price for a dove release starts about $150 and varies based on the number of birds, weather conditions and the event’s distance from their home. The further the distance, the higher the risk that not all pigeons will return.
For well-trained birds, the greatest danger isn’t getting lost but being attacked by a hawk. That is why some handlers have already stopped flying their birds over long distances for the remainder of 2018.
“The hawks come out and they are very vicious because they are looking for food. They want to get fat for the winter,” Stevens said.
Come spring, there is a heightened risk that some birds — especially the males — will get sidetracked on their flights by short-term love interests, shacking up for days or weeks with what Stevens calls the “bum pigeons that hang out on the overpasses.”
But even those waylaid birds often return home.
“They’re kind of like children. If you put a roof over their head and you feed them, they usually come back,” said Michael Phillips, owner of West Michigan White Dove Release in Hudsonville.
Bird handlers say they can legitimately call their service white dove releases because homing pigeons descended from rock doves.
“We call them doves because would you like to have some ‘pigeons’ released at your wedding?” said Luther of Winged Occasions.
Where there is controversy, it often concerns the dove releases that use real doves. Those birds, known as white ringneck doves, lack the survival and navigational instincts of homing pigeons and therefore won’t fly home and will likely die.
Handlers who raise and train white homing pigeons consider it unethical to release ringneck doves. It is thought that only a handful of outfits in Michigan use these throwaway doves.
“If you use doves, doves don’t come home. Those birds are just going to die,” Phillips said. “And after a funeral, you don’t want that thought in your head, ‘My nephew died, and they threw some birds up in the air, and they all died.’ ”
Still, some activists including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals consider any type of bird release problematic because the events can be stressful and life-threatening, even for homing pigeons that safely make it home.
“Is this their preference? To be caged, released and forced to do this repeatedly? Certainly not,” said Stephanie Bell, a director in PETA’s cruelty investigations unit.
A YouTube video surfaced last year of a white dove release during a funeral near a highway in which one of the birds flew directly into the path of a tractor-trailer, eliciting gasps from the gathered mourners. It is unclear where that incident occurred.
High return rate
Bird handlers interviewed for this article said the return rates for their birds are 90 percent or higher.
All 21 birds released last month in downtown Detroit made it back to Saginaw. There was one straggler, Stevens said, who eventually showed up four days later.
The Oct. 26 release was the finale for the Detroit Police Department’s “Stop Domestic Violence” event marking Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Police Sgt. Kyla Williams said the department had ended the event in previous years with a balloon release and decided to try something different this year.
“Doves symbolize love, hope and peace, and love, hope and peace have meaning for domestic violence survivors,” said Williams, who found the visual spectacle of the release to be deeply moving.
“I thought it was beautiful and just amazing to see one of God’s creatures soar,” she said.
Intensive training
Release birds don’t naturally know to return to their coop; they must be trained.
Stevens said it generally takes 16 weeks to train a bird before it is ready to fly all the way from Detroit. The training regimen involves placing the birds into a travel cage, loading the cage into her car, then driving out every day and releasing the birds from steadily increasingly distances.
A 50-mile maximum radius is common for release businesses. Stevens said that her flock can handle 100-mile radius flights because they inherited genes from her late uncle’s racing pigeons for strong navigational sense. The longest her birds have ever flown was 120 miles, she said.
Because proper training is a major time commitment, handlers and business owners such as Stevens are often in retirement or nearing retirement and just working part-time.
“You have to keep them in shape — they’re like little athletes,” said Stevens, who has 150 birds in her release flock.
How not to hold
Birds can be released by hand as well as by basket. But one must hold them properly.
There was once a bride who held her pigeon way too close to her wedding dress.
“And it pooed on her,” Stevens recalled. “But the wedding planner handled it beautifully — ‘Oh, you’re so blessed. This bird blessed you.’ And the whole crowd clapped, and she let the bird go.”
Peaceful closure
The number of birds per release is generally up to customers. For West Michigan White Dove Release, the standard funeral service has four birds.
“Three for the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. One more for the deceased,” Phillips explained.
Winged Occasions, in business since 1990, has released as many as 100 birds at high school graduations and once let go 50 during a wedding.
The most Stevens ever released was 30 birds. That occasion was a remembrance service in Detroit this year for a 30-year-old man who was the victim of a violent crime. The release took place at the side of a street in desolate part of the city where the man’s body had been discovered.
“A big reason that someone will call is they feel that this gives a peaceful closure at the end of the funeral and brings a sense of comfort to the family,” she said.
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 11, 2018 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
On Saturday, a flock of pigeons gathered inside of the Community Park Center, not just because it was the “coo” thing to do, but because it was part of the Jacksonville Area Pigeon Club’s 45th Annual All-Breed Pigeon Show.
For the uninitiated, a pigeon show is quite the sight. Rows and rows of cages contain beautiful pigeons of all shapes, colors, breeds, all being observed by judges and participants who, for one reason or another, fell in love with these feathered fellows.
“I was into it when I was a little kid, younger than (Cooper) is, and my mom had some birds and I just took a liking to them and then my kids followed in my footsteps,” Aaron Lorton said. “They’re really interesting. They have a lot of different genetic color patterns. They can come out all different colors so it’s a surprise when you get babies out of them. It’s a fun and unique hobby that not a lot of people do.”
The Jacksonville Area Pigeon Club, or JAPC, was founded in 1973 to foster greater interest in the hobby of pigeon breeding and care. Its goal, explained Sarah Brown with the JAPC, is to get more people into the hobby, especially younger kids that might be interested in 4-H activities.
This show, in particular, featured 27 different breeds of birds with over 200 entries into the competition. Not only was there the competition, but there were raffles, auctions, and meals to add to the excitement of a room packed with pigeons.
“I came on as secretary and found out that there were more people into pigeons than I thought,” Brown said. “They just didn’t know we were having the show so we’re kind of branching out.”
The show attracted people from all around the area with interest in pigeons. David Averbeck, a judge at the show that came all the way from St. Louis, said he has gone all the way to California for pigeon shows. There’s quite the interest, he said, but what the hobby needs more than anything is more young people getting interested in what is certainly a unique and interesting hobby.
“It’d be good to see younger people get into the hobby,” Averbeck said. “It’s a hobby that a lot of older people are in but it’d be great to see younger people get involved. Come to junior shows like this. Go to 4-H clubs, have the older people give a presentation out to 4-H clubs. Get the word out there.”
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 10, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
A petition has called on Ipswich’s MP and the Prime Minister to intervene on plans for a pigeon cull on the town’s Waterfront.
The petition was launched after Associated British Ports (ABP) informed nearby residents of a controlled killing planned for Sunday, November 18, between 10am and 1pm.
ABP said the move was intended to prevent the pigeon population from endangering the UK’s food supply chain.
But a petition for MP Sandy Martin and PM Theresa May to step in looks set to reach 2,500 signatures just days after being launched by Brandon Orton at change.org.
The petition states: “The reason for killing pigeons is due to ‘public safety reasons’, so that it does not endanger the UK’s food supply chain.
“However, there have been many local residents and members of the public who have stated that they have never had problems with birds and have not seen many on the waterfront.”
ABP assured residents the culling would be completed quickly and humanely by trained professionals.
A spokesman said: “ABP is part of the UK’s food supply chain, and as such, we adhere to strict regulations regarding the control of pests at the Port of Ipswich.
“Measures are in place to prevent the spread of disease, stop serious damage to food and preserve public health and safety.
“We are committed to safeguarding the integrity of the UK’s food supply.”
The cull will be carried out by shooting – the quickest and most humane method, said ABP – and by trained professionals under licenses issued by appropriate government agencies.
According to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), land owners and people given permission by authorities or the Environment Agency are granted a general licence to cull certain wild birds.
The licence can only be used to preserve public health or to ensure public safety – not to simply cull birds that considered to be a nuisance.
ABP bosses said they had explored other avenues for managing the pigeon population.
A spokesman added: “We have examined all the possibilities in managing the pigeon population and we are now fulfilling our legal obligations in the most effective and humane way possible. These actions are necessary to protect the UK public.”
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 9, 2018 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
The noisy Diwali celebration not only affected residents but also animals and birds. Many animals were found injured and scared. Some were seen running helter skelter due to the loud cracker noises. As many as eight animals, including strays and pigeons, suffered injuries or were found in a state of shock due to the noise of crackers during four-day festival, said city-based NGOs. Recommended By Colombia While Pet Owners and Animal Lovers (PAL) had received three cases in which dogs and a pigeon were injured. “All the three strays that were rescued by PAL were either found in a state of shock and were shivering or they had suffered injuries because they were running around in fear. One of the dogs fractured his leg after he rammed into a motorcycle. Another one suffered injures on his paw and maggots were on it. If the wound does not heal then we will have to amputate it,” said Dr. Hemant Thange, a city-based veterinarian. Even Plants and Animals Welfare Society (PAWS) rescued four pigeons who were found in a state of shock. The helpline numbers of animal NGOs were ringing off the hook as many feeders and pet owners were asking for advice. “We came across four pigeons who were found in a state of shock as they are vulnerable to loud noises. We kept them in a cage that was covered with a cloth. They were kept in isolation so that they could calm down. Once they were stable, we shifted them to a shelter home,” said Nilesh Bhanage, founder of PAWS.
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 8, 2018 | Bird Deterrent Products
PARIS — They were messengers, spies and sentinels. They led cavalry charges, carried supplies to the front, comforted wounded soldiers and died by the millions during World War I.
Horses, mules, dogs, pigeons and even a baboon all were a vital — and for decades overlooked — part of the Allied war machine.
Researchers have been hard-pressed to find official accounts of the services rendered by animals during the Great War. But if their labors once were taken for granted, four-legged and winged warriors have been acknowledged more recently as unsung heroes.
France recently decided to recognize their wartime role. And in 2004, Britain installed a huge memorial on the edge of London’s Hyde Park to “all the animals that served, suffered and died alongside the British, Commonwealth and Allied forces in the wars and conflicts of the 20th century.”
Here’s a look at how they contributed.
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WHAT THEY DID
An estimated 10 million horses and mules, 100,000 dogs and 200,000 pigeons were enrolled in the war effort, according to Eric Baratay, a French historian specializing in the response of animals to the chaos, fear and smells of death in the mission that man thrust upon them.
World War I marked the start of industrial warfare, with tanks, trucks, aircraft and machine guns in action. But the growing sophistication of the instruments of death couldn’t match the dog tasked with finding the wounded, the horses and mules hauling munitions and food or the pigeons serving as telecommunications operators or even eyes, carrying “pigeongrams” or tiny cameras to record German positions.
“They were quasi-combatants,” said Serge Barcellini, comptroller general of the Armed Forces and head of Le Souvenir Francais — The French Memory — in a recent speech devoted to the role played by beasts of war.
Indeed, gas masks were fitted to the muzzles of four-legged warriors braving noxious battlefield fumes.
In France, as in Britain and elsewhere, horses and mules were requisitioned.
One typical sign posted in southern Paris ordered citizens to present their steeds and mules to the Requisition Committee by Nov. 14, 1914, or risk “prosecution by the military authority.” It was becoming clear there would be no quick end to the war that ground on for four more years.
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FEATHERED HEROES
Cher Ami, or Dear Friend, the carrier pigeon who wouldn’t quit, lived up to her name, saving the lives of 194 American troops of the “Lost Battalion” of the 77th Infantry Division, isolated behind enemy lines during the 1918 Meuse-Argonne offensive in eastern France.
About 550 men had held their ground against a far larger German force for days before coming under fire from American troops unaware the trapped soldiers weren’t the enemy.
On Oct. 4, Maj. Charles Whittlesey sent Cher Ami into the skies with a final message giving the U.S. battalion’s location, followed by a plea: “For heaven’s sake stop it.”
Cher Ami lost an eye and a leg from German gunfire, but kept flying, around 25 miles (40 kilometers) in about a half-hour, according to the United States World War One Centennial Commission. Survivors of the “Lost Battalion” returned to American lines four days later.
Another carrier pigeon named Vaillant, assigned to the French military, also performed extraordinary feats during the war.
On June 4, 1916, he was released into the sky with the desperate message, “He’s my last pigeon.”
French Commander Sylvain Eugene Raynal, encircled by Germans at the Fort de Vaux near Verdun, was counting on Vaillant to save his men.
The feisty bird flew through toxic gas and smoke, reaching the Verdun pigeon loft choked by fumes. With no help arriving despite Vaillant’s courageous effort, Raynal and his men surrendered three days later.
Both Cher Ami and Vaillant were awarded France’s Croix de Guerre, or War Cross.
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ROUND ‘EM UP
Horses are ancient warriors, but most of those conscripted during World War I weren’t war-ready. They died by the millions, from disease, exhaustion and enemy fire, forcing the French and British armies to turn to America to renew their supply. A veritable industry developed with more than half a million horses and mules shipped by boat to Europe by fall 1917, according to the American Battle Monuments Commission.
So important was the commerce that the Santa Fe Railroad named a station Drage, after British Lt. Col. F.B. Drage, the commander of the British Remount Commission in Lathrop, Missouri, a major stockyard for the future beasts of war.
“So the war business in horses and mules is good,” read an article in the December 1915 issue of The Santa Fe Magazine, for employees of the railway system. Good for the farmer, contractor, supplier and railroads, it said, but “not good for the animals.”
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SERVICE BY EXOTICS
Among the more exotic animals called into service was a baboon named Jackie, who served with the 1st South African Infantry Brigade in then British-occupied Egypt and later in the trenches in France and Belgium. His acute hearing and keen eyesight helped warn soldiers of enemy movement or possible attacks when he would screech and tug on their clothing.
Jackie was wounded in Flanders Fields when the South African brigade came under heavy shelling in April 1918 and his leg had to be amputated.
Lt. Col. R.N. Woodsend, of Britain’s Royal Medical Corps, described that procedure: “He lapped up the chloroform as if it had been whiskey, and was well under in a remarkably short time. It was a simple matter to amputate the leg with scissors.”
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DOGS OF WAR
Man’s best friend helped soldiers survive. Dogs served, firstly, as spotters of the wounded, learning to identify ally from enemy. They also served as sentinels, messengers, transporters and chasers of rats — the bane of the trenches along with lice and fleas. The French military created a service devoted to dogs of war in December 1915.
Less official, but crucial to soldiers’ morale, was the role of dogs and other creatures in the trenches, and as mascots. Stray dogs running from fighting were adopted as companions along with other animals, including a Royal Air Force fox mascot adopted by British pilots.
These dogs and other mascots helped soldiers “think of life … and the life they hoped to find again,” said Baratay, the French historian, in a speech last month in Paris.
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)
