Pigeon Patrol

Large pigeon lost to science for 140 years rediscovered in Papua New Guinea

by Pigeon Patrol | Sep 11, 2023 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Animal Deterrent Products, Pigeon Control, Pigeon Droppings, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Predators, Pigeon Spikes

A team of scientists and conservationists has rediscovered the elusive black-naped pheasant-pigeon, a large, ground-dwelling pigeon that only lives on Fergusson Island, a rugged island in the D’Entrecasteaux Archipelago off eastern Papua New Guinea. Like other pheasant-pigeons, the black-naped pheasant-pigeon has a broad and laterally compressed tail, which along with its size, makes it closely resemble a pheasant. The photographs and video are the first time the long-lost bird has been documented by scientists since 1882, when it was first described. Ornithologists know very little about the species but believe that the population on Fergusson is very small and decreasing.

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The research team photographed the pheasant-pigeon with a remote camera trap at the end of a month-long search of Fergusson.

“When we collected the camera traps, I figured there was less than a one percent chance of getting a photo of the black-naped pheasant-pigeon,” said Jordan Boersma, postdoctoral researcher at Cornell Lab of Ornithology and co-leader of the expedition team. “Then as I was scrolling through the photos, I was stunned by this photo of this bird walking right past our camera.”

The expedition team–which included local Papua New Guineans working with Papua New Guinea National Museum, Cornell Lab of Ornithology and American Bird Conservancy–arrived on Fergusson in early September 2022. They spent a month traveling around the island, interviewing local community members to identify locations to set up camera traps in hopes of finding the pheasant-pigeon. The steep, mountainous terrain on Fergusson Island made searching for the bird extremely challenging.

“It wasn’t until we reached villages on the western slope of Mt. Kilkerran that we started meeting hunters who had seen and heard the pheasant-pigeon,” said Jason Gregg, conservation biologist and a co-leader of the expedition team. “We became more confident about the local name of the bird, which is ‘Auwo,’ and felt like we were getting closer to the core habitat of where the black-naped pheasant-pigeon lives.”

The expedition was the first-ever camera trapping study conducted on Fergusson Island. The team placed 12 camera traps on the slopes of Mt. Kilkerran, Fergusson’s highest mountain, and deployed an additional eight cameras in locations where local hunters had reported seeing the pheasant-pigeon in the past.

“When we finally found the black-naped pheasant-pigeon, it was during the final hours of the expedition,” said Doka Nason, the member of the team who set up the camera trap that eventually photographed the lost bird. “When I saw the photos, I was incredibly excited.”

A local hunter named Augustin Gregory in the village of Duda Ununa west of Mt. Kilkerran provided a breakthrough lead on where to find the bird. Gregory reported seeing the pheasant-pigeon on multiple occasions in an area with steep ridges and valleys and described hearing the bird’s distinctive calls, which is similar to other species of pheasant-pigeons.

Following Gregory’s advice, the team set up cameras in an area of dense forest. A camera placed on a ridge at 3,200 feet (1000 meters) near the Kwama River above Duda Ununa eventually captured the black-naped pheasant-pigeon walking on the forest floor two days before the team was scheduled to leave the island.

Several members of the team have attempted to find the black-naped pheasant pigeon before. A two-week survey in 2019 by Boersma, Gregg and Nason didn’t find any traces of the bird, though it did gather reports from local hunters of a bird that could have been the pheasant-pigeon. The results from that survey helped to determine locations for the team to search in 2022.

“The communities were very excited when they saw the survey results, because many people hadn’t seen or heard of the bird until we began our project and got the camera trap photos,” said Serena Ketaloya, a conservationist from Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea. “They are now looking forward to working with us to try to protect the pheasant-pigeon.”

The team’s findings suggest that the pheasant-pigeon is likely to be extremely rare. The rugged and inaccessible forest where they rediscovered the species could be the last stronghold for the black-naped pheasant-pigeon on Fegusson.

The expedition was supported by American Bird Conservancy and the Search for Lost Birds, a collaboration between BirdLife International, American Bird Conservancy and Re:wild. The Search for Lost Birds identified the pheasant-pigeon for an expedition after a global review revealed it was one of a few bird species that have been lost to science for more than a century.

The full expedition team consisted of Jason Gregg; Jordan Boersma; Doka Nason of Porotona village; Serena Ketaloya of Porotona village; Elimo Malesa of Basima village; Bulisa Iova from Papua New Guinea National Museum; Cosmo Le Breton, University of Oxford; and John C. Mittermeier from American Bird Conservancy. The expedition was funded by a grant from Cosmo Le Breton to American Bird Conservancy and the Search for Lost Birds.

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2,300 pigeons killed, 635,000 kg of bird poop cleared in bridge fix: Saskatoon

by Pigeon Patrol | Sep 11, 2023 | Bird Spike, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons, Pigeons in the News, Raccoons, Sparrows, UltraSonic Bird Control

SASKATOON — The City of Saskatoon says about 2,300 pigeons have been killed as part of a project to rehabilitate a major bridge.

The city says the dead birds have been removed from the Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge along with 635,000 kilograms of pigeon poop.

It says the birds and the poop had to go because they posed a health risk and the weight of the droppings — equivalent to 356 medium-sized vehicles — could compromise the structure of the bridge.

The city says a specialized pest control company was hired to trap and humanely euthanize the pigeons and barriers are now in place to prevent birds from roosting in the same areas again.

Killing the birds, removing the droppings and building the barriers cost $800,000.

The bridge was completed in 1966 and spans the South Saskatchewan River. (CTV Saskatoon, The Canadian Press)

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Estimating site occupancy and detectability of the threatened partridge pigeon (Geophaps smithii) using camera traps

by Pigeon Patrol | Sep 11, 2023 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Law, Bird Netting

Since European settlement, many granivorous birds of northern Australia’s savanna landscapes have declined. One such example, the partridge pigeon (Geophaps smithii), has suffered a significant range contraction, disappearing from at least half of its pre-European range. Multiple factors have been implicated in this decline, including the loss of traditional Aboriginal burning practices, grazing by large exotic herbivores and predation by feral cats (Felis catus). While populations of partridge pigeon on the Tiwi Islands may be particularly important for the long-term persistence of this species, they too may be at risk of decline. However, as a reliable method to detect this species has not yet been developed and tested, we lack the ability to identify, at an early stage, the species’ decline in a given location or region. This severely limits our capacity to make informed management decisions. Here, we demonstrate that the standard camera trapping approach for native mammal monitoring in northern Australia attained an overall probability of detecting partridge pigeon greater than 0.98. We thus provide a robust estimate of partridge pigeon site occupancy (0.30) on Melville Island, the larger of the two main Tiwi Islands. The information presented here for the partridge pigeon represents a critical first step towards the development of optimal monitoring programmes with which to gauge population trajectories, as well as the response to remedial management actions. In the face of ongoing biodiversity loss, such baseline information is vital for management agencies to make informed decisions and should therefore be sought for as many species as possible.

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HOW CAN I KEEP PIGEONS OUT OF MY FACTORY?

by Pigeon Patrol | Sep 7, 2023 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Law, Bird Netting, Bird Spikes

Pigeons are always on the lookout for a source of food and buildings with plenty of high nooks and crannies to roost and nest in, and your factory might just fit the bill.

But if pigeons get into your factory, it’s a serious problem. These pest birds and their guano (poo) carry and spread some nasty diseases, and they can also damage property. This is bad news for any business, but if food is manufactured, packaged, and stored in your factory, it can be disastrous.

Before your reputation and your profits take a serious hit, read our advice on how you can keep pigeons out of your factory.

How to prevent pigeons from getting into your factory

First, eliminate any sources of food

Any sources of food will be very attractive to pigeons, and eliminating them will make your factory less desirable to roost or nest in. Keep your factory scrupulously clean and don’t leave food ingredients or waste lying around, inside or outside of the premises.

It’s also a good idea to talk to nearby businesses if their poor waste management or housekeeping practices are attracting pest birds to the vicinity.

Second, use deterrents

When you are trying to prevent pigeons from nesting or roosting in or on your property, deterrents like bird spikes, bird wire, and netting can be effective at keeping them at bay.

Third, fix up your factory

If there are holes in your factory roof or walls that you haven’t got around to fixing, you could inadvertently be providing pigeons with the perfect nesting place. Make sure you fix them up-deterring pigeons is all about making your factory much less attractive to them.

Finally, deal with the guano

As we mentioned earlier, pigeon droppings can contain some harmful bacteria, so we would recommend that you don’t try to clean it up yourself.

If pest pigeons have made a mess of your factory, call in the professionals. We will blast away guano with the right equipment and products so your premises is clean, safe, and hygienic again.

Do I need professional pigeon control for my factory?

As birds are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, it’s illegal to poison or shoot them if you don’t have a license. If you put poison down, you could harm other birds and end up in legal trouble. And not only that, if you’re a food business, you won’t be able to use toxic bird control methods anyway as you could contaminate your product.

If you hire professional pest control, you can get your pest problem dealt with fast. We can deal with any existing infestation, install effective bird-proofing and deterrents, and give you expert advice on preventing any problems in the future.

To protect your business, customers, and your reputation, professional pigeon control is your best bet.

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7 Harmless Ways to Keep Birds Away from Your Vegetable Garden

by Pigeon Patrol | Sep 7, 2023 | Bird Spike, Pigeon Control, Pigeon Droppings, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Predators, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons

Nature-loving homeowners like to put out feeders and plant certain flowers and shrubs, to lure birds into their backyards. That’s because birds not only lend more vigor and melody to the life of a garden, but they are also responsible for pollination and pest control.

Indeed, birds-caping – or designing your garden to entice local birds – has become increasingly popular among home gardeners these days.

But not every gardener wants birds sauntering onto their garden plots. Pigeons will devour entire heads of cabbage in the afternoon. Crows destroy corn crops by the acre in the countryside, and bluejays will loot your berry bushes almost completely bare of fruit.

The Right Way to Keep Birds Out of Your Vegetable Garden

Still, the wise gardener understands that birds perform an important function in the ecosystem. We recognize why we should ensure that avian populations don’t dwindle any faster than they are dwindling now.

So, below are seven ways to protect your backyard harvests without harming unwanted birds.

1. Scarecrows

Scarecrows, of course, are an obvious solution against birds. But if your makeshift sentry has been posted in the same spot for an extended period now, then birds will have already concluded that he’s harmless.

You need to move your scarecrow’s post a few times around each week. You have to change his clothes, too, to convince the birds that he’s not just a stationary defense tactic, but an actual, mobile threat.

Some gardeners use reflective objects such as old compact discs to keep local birds away. You should also move and rearrange those frequently. Birds catch on surprisingly quickly despite the connotations of the term “bird-brained.”

2. Butterfly Netting

Barriers are among the most effective ways to deter birds from your garden. Butterfly netting protects crops from birds while allowing smaller beneficial insects access to your crops to ensure pollination.

Experts suggest that you keep your netting pulled taught, and use netting with holes smaller than one centimeter to avoid injuring birds.

Be sure you invest in high-quality, UV-resistant netting materials. They may be a bit more expensive, but higher-quality netting will last a lifetime. Cheaper netting tends to fray and deteriorate, becoming a potentially dangerous snag for birds.

3. Chicken Wire

Charles Barnard, an English ironmonger, invented chicken wire in 1844 as a cheap and easy way to keep small animals and poultry penned in one area. You can use the same principle and material to keep birds out of your vegetable plots.

Pin chicken wire to the ground to protect newly-planted seeds or freshly-sown tubers from birds or even chickens scratching and pecking at the soil. As your seedlings start to grow, you can lift the wire off the ground on stakes for additional protection.

4. Garden Fleece

Gardeners often install garden fleece to protect crops from frost in cold weather months, but you can also use it year-round to shield your crops from birds. Drape the fine, white material over your vegetable patch to keep the birds in your neighborhood from harvesting your greens.

Weigh the sides down with rocks or pegs. You can always roll back the fleece when harvest season comes around.

5. Protective Plants

Pigeons, be they wood or rock doves, are rapacious devourers of vegetables in the cabbage family. They are quite persistent and will return to your patch every day until your entire crop is gone. If you don’t have a devoted terrier to shoo them away, you need another plan.

If you are simply not a fan of netting and cages, you can try confusing pigeons by surrounding your cabbage patch with annuals. Plant a dense barrier of calendulas, nemophila, cornflowers, field poppies, and other shorter-growing wildflowers around your plot.

The look is pleasing, inconspicuous and, as a deterrent against pigeons, the strategy does work. Pigeons do not like to wade through lush flowers. They are naturally wary of what may lurk underneath.

6. Toy Predators

Decoy predators – such as toy owls, falcons, or other birds of prey – can help deter birds from ravaging your garden’s harvests. However, like the scarecrow, if these stationary decoys are not relocated often, birds will soon learn that they are harmless.

Moving your toy owls and decoy predators around in the garden will keep neighborhood birds from swooping in to consume your harvest. Decoys that move or make a sound are even better at deterring birds.

7. Stick Barriers

Push sticks and small twigs into the ground around your vegetable patch to create a small forest of sticks. Birds will likely notice the menacing sticks barring their way instead of the vegetables you want to protect.

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Next Entries »

Large pigeon lost to science for 140 years rediscovered in Papua New Guinea

2,300 pigeons killed, 635,000 kg of bird poop cleared in bridge fix: Saskatoon

Estimating site occupancy and detectability of the threatened partridge pigeon (Geophaps smithii) using camera traps

HOW CAN I KEEP PIGEONS OUT OF MY FACTORY?

7 Harmless Ways to Keep Birds Away from Your Vegetable Garden

The Right Way to Keep Birds Out of Your Vegetable Garden

1. Scarecrows

2. Butterfly Netting

3. Chicken Wire

4. Garden Fleece

5. Protective Plants

6. Toy Predators

7. Stick Barriers

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