by Pigeon Patrol | Sep 14, 2015 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News
EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP — Overgrown weeds and grass at Atlantic City International Airport may give the impression the lawn mowers are broken or the groundskeepers have been laid off.
But the airport’s unkempt appearance is part of a strategy to outwit some bird-brained intruders. Airport officials want to discourage birds from congregating on the sprawling property and creating a danger for aircraft.
The tall vegetation on parts of the airfield is seen as a deterrent because birds like to survey their surroundings. One bird expert says they avoid high weeds, because they fear predators could be hiding nearby.
“It’s certainly true that larger birds, like geese and gulls, don’t like the fact that predators, including foxes, could be lurking there,” explained Mike Crewe, program director for the Cape May Bird Observatory. “The other problem for them is, if you think of geese or gulls, they are short-legged for the bulk of their body, so walking through that type of vegetation is cumbersome.”
So far this year, there have been 25 bird strikes with aircraft at the Atlantic City airport. None resulted in any injuries or serious damage, according to the South Jersey Transportation Authority, the state agency that owns the airport.
Overall, the Federal Aviation Administration reports there are more than 10,000 airplane bird strikes a year in the United States. Globally, wildlife strikes have killed more than 250 people and destroyed more than 229 aircraft since 1988, the FAA says.
In recent years, the best known case of an airplane bird strike is the “miracle on the Hudson,” the forced landing of US Airways Flight 1549 in New York in 2009. Canada geese ingested in the jet engines caused the plane to lose power and ditch into the Hudson River. The crash was labeled a miracle because no one was killed.
Knowing that bird strikes could be catastrophic, the South Jersey Transportation Authority and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are using a number of tactics to keep geese, gulls and other feathery interlopers off the Atlantic City airport grounds.
Flocks of birds descend on the 5,000-acre airport site to forage on the insects that are abundant this time of year. But the transportation authority has a contract with the Department of Agriculture to make the airport inhospitable for birds, including setting off fireworks or even shooting them if they become a serious nuisance.
“Wildlife harassment techniques are implemented as needed, including loud noises or pyrotechnics. When necessary, birds are taken in accordance with the airport’s bird depredation permit,” said Kevin Rehmann, a transportation authority spokesman.
Rehmann could not immediately say just how many birds have been shot this year or what types. In previous years, the airport disclosed that hundreds of birds have been killed, particularly the aggressive laughing gulls that often appear in large numbers.
Crewe said he hopes the airport kills birds only as a last resort. He would like to see a compromise that allows the birds to forage and nest on the airport grounds, as long as they don’t pose a danger to aircraft.
“I would say it’s unfortunate,” Crewe said of sharpshooters killing the birds. “I would say it should be a last recourse when you try everything else.”
Other airports across the globe have struggled with bird populations. Some have used dogs to patrol the airfield for birds. Others have relied on trained falcons to chase away intruders. Crewe said one airport in Europe has been experimenting with a robotic peregrine falcon, created from a 3-D printer, to fly around the grounds as a bird deterrent.
Strangely, the roar of jet engines isn’t enough to scare the birds. Crewe said the birds simply have adapted to the noise and are unfazed by the planes. So they persist.
“They get used to it. That’s the long and short of it,” Crewe said. “They’ve come to think, ‘This thing’s kind of noisy, but it doesn’t harm me.’’’
Gulls and other birds come to the Atlantic City airport from their breeding grounds in the salt marshes of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge about five miles away in Galloway Township. Insects found at the airport are a tasty morsel for the adult gulls and their chicks waiting back at the nests.
Years ago, the airport grounds were mowed very short, similar to a golf course. But that attracted Japanese beetles. The beetles like shorter grass for their egg-laying. Swarms of beetles would then attract flocks of gulls and other birds looking for food.
But since 1993, airport officials have been allowing the grass and weeds to grow high during the summer. The hope is that there will be fewer beetles for the birds to snack on, forcing them to bypass the airport to search for food elsewhere.
Rehmann noted that the grass and weeds will be mowed once the summer growing season is over. Although large sections of the grounds remain overgrown, mowing continues near the runways, taxiways and other areas of the airport where navigational aids for aircraft are located.
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 Pigeon Patrol | Sep 13, 2015 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services
A self-proclaimed bird rescuer has condemned the use of netting to deter nesting seagulls after spotting 14 dead birds trapped on a supermarket roof.
Outraged Steven Ault, 40, of The Crescent in Bridlington, was in the Boyes café on Chapel Street when he saw the birds tangled in netting on the roof of Iceland.
“I couldn’t believe what I saw. It is appalling and that is the view from the cafe,” said Mr Ault, who regularly checks netting in Bridlington for birds in distress.
He was quick to act, asking staff at Iceland to remove the dead birds and informing the RSPCA. However, he was informed the supermarket staff were not authorised to go on the roof.
He said: “I think bird netting should be made illegal. Looking at that roof it is a great roof for birds nesting. I can’t see that they would cause any trouble on there. It is very vindictive. The netting causes more trouble than the birds ever could.”
And it is not the first time he has witnessed upsetting treatment of seagulls, as he has seen two gulls shot in Fairfield Road.
“People are scared of them and when you are scared you lose all your compassion towards them,” said Mr Ault.
A spokesperson for Iceland said: “We apologise for any distress caused by the netting and associated problems on the roof of our Bridlington store. Our store colleagues are not permitted to climb onto the roof to clear it themselves for health and safety reasons, but we are working with a qualified company to clear up the area ASAP and will strive to keep this area as clear as possible.”
A spokesperson for the RSPCA said: “The RSPCA is opposed, in principle, to killing or taking wildlife – in circumstances where there is a proven case for controlling wild animals, we advocate
the use of non-harmful methods of deterrence where possible.
“Bird deterrent netting can be an effective means of keeping birds off structures as it can prevent problems without needing to resort to other measures such as killing birds.
“However, it’s vitally important that any netting is properly installed and maintained.
“Problems arise when netting is incorrectly installed or when it becomes damaged and is not repaired, leaving gaps where birds are able to enter and become trapped. If the netting is not checked or maintained, there is a risk that birds may suffer and die from injury or starvation.”
The RSPCA acts swiftly once a trapped bird – alive or dead – is reported and sends a letter to the building owner requesting the problem is rectified.
The spokesperson continued: “Unfortunately however, there are situations where we do not hear back from the owner, or we are informed by the public that nothing has been done to fix, remove or replace the netting. In these incidents, we will send reminder letters and escalate the situation as necessary.”
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 Pigeon Patrol | Sep 12, 2015 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News, UltraSonic Bird Control
PEOPLE who want to feed pigeons in a Bradford suburb should have a designated place to go to, according to one councillor.
Cllr Mohammed Shafiq said droppings are making life a misery for many residents on a daily basis in the Bradford Moor neighbourhood where pigeons are being pampered.
Droppings are covering rooftops, porches and windows in some streets particularly in Wensleydale Road and a children’s play area at the back of Derby Place.
He is worried the droppings are not only a health hazard and could attract more vermin into the streets but are also damaging the look of the area.
Cllr Shafiq (Lab, Bradford Moor) says leftover chappatis and raw rice are being scattered early in the morning by people, some in the spiritual belief that by feeding the pigeons any problems they are experiencing within their families will be resolved.
He added: “Other might just be doing it to use up leftovers and be kind to the birds but there are those who believe it will help them personally – and their families.
“I have spoken to local spiritual leaders who tell me they are not encouraging this but the belief is there and people will keep doing it.”
Cllr Shafiq said that is why he is contacting Labour-run Bradford Council and its portfolio holder for the environment, Councillor Andrew Thornton asking it to designate a special pigeon feeding area on an area of scrap land, away from homes, where people could go and feed pigeons without a guilty conscious.
The lake in Bradford Moor Park is also getting filled with chappati scraps which is another problem that needs addressing by the Council, he added.
“It is about behaviour modification and I feel having a set area where people can go and feed the birds without feeling they are under the spotlight for doing something wrong,” said Cllr Shafiq.
“There are plenty pieces of scrap land in this area, there’s a derelict place just off Dick Lane.”
Most councils try to deter people from feeding wild pigeons due to the problems highlighted by Cllr Shafiq and in extreme cases can go further.
Earlier this year Birmingham City Council threatened to take a man to court after he was seen persistently feeding the pigeons despite being warned against doing so.
Cllr Thornton told the Telegraph & Argus last night: “We note the intention of Cllr Shafiq to raise this issue we’ll look at it and discuss it with him when he does.”
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 Pigeon Patrol | Sep 11, 2015 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes
There was an unwritten rule on my high school baseball team: When we were batting with two balls, two strikes and two outs, everyone in the dugout had to put their hat on and rub the bill with two fingers until the opposing pitcher started his delivery.
Then, once he had, you had to take off your cap and “roll the dice” — taking your hat off and flipping it over, wiggling it back and forth.
This, of course, guaranteed that the ensuing pitch would not result in the third out of the inning.
Every sport comes with a certain degree of superstition, but baseball takes it to an entirely different level. Pitchers know not to walk on the foul line in between innings, and if he’s throwing a no-hitter no one’s allowed to talk about it — to him or anyone else.
Batters know to take the same amount of time in between pitches to do the same readjustment of their helmet, batting gloves and cleats. Everyone knows that if you’re on a winning streak you don’t change anything — and I mean anything — in your routine, both on and off the field:
In one of the more famous conditioning experiments, B.F. Skinner put pigeons in a cage that would produce food at regular time intervals, regardless of the pigeons’ behavior. The pigeons, however, noticed that after executing some chance behavior the food arrived. Thinking that their behavior elicited the food, a number of the pigeons then started repeating those same behaviors in the hopes of getting more food. In essence, the birds “learned” that certain movements produced food, even though it simply wasn’t true. In essence, the birds became superstitious.
The exact same phenomenon occurs on the ball field, where there is a massive time interval between successes. Batters get hits at a relatively fixed rate, but there’s enough time in between those hits to ascribe irrelevant behaviors to them.
For example, here’s Nomar Garciaparra, who was one of the game’s best hitters when I was growing up. He was famous for three things: tracking down ground balls in the hole, flirting with a .400 batting average and ritualistically adjusting his batting gloves between every pitch.
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 Pigeon Patrol | Sep 10, 2015 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News
Hammad desert is the most sought-after location for falcon hunters in the Kingdom and Gulf countries. The hunters make a beeline for the desert located 100 km west of Arar city in the Northern Border province during the month of September every year when the hunting season opens. The month is marked with the arrival of large numbers of falcons including highly-priced varieties.
Falcons have been a passion for the people of the Arabian Peninsula since time immemorial. It is during the month of September that falcon lovers make their trips to the virgin desert looking for the rare varieties of the bird that make a stop over in the deep desert in the middle of their annual migratory journey. The Hammad desert is close to Hazm Al-Galameed town in the northern part of the Kingdom.
The price of a single bird of the rare varieties which are called by names such as Safi (Pure), Ashaal (Fiery), Fatih (light), Abyad (White), Farisi (Persian), and Sinjari have a starting price of SR315,000, according to the Saudi Press Agency. The falcon hunters strike up their tents deep in the desert where it is extremely cold during the night. They carry water and other rations to to sustain them in the desert for several days. They also have with them the latest positioning devices so as not to lose their way.
They sit around a fire close to the tents in the biting cold and narrate their past exploits in falcon hunting while sipping the simmering coffee. Arab passion for falcons is so deep-seated that some poets compose elegies to commemorate their lost bird. Poet Muhammad Al-Lamee recited a sad poem about the grief and anguish he has been suffering since he lost his bird Arqat on a nocturnal gathering of falconers in the desert. Falconers take special care to only go to locations where hunting is permitted.
They never resort to the indiscriminate killing of wild fauna or enter wild life sanctuaries to hunt down the animals for fear of the extinction of any kind of animal or bird. A veteran falconer in the Northern Border Province, Daham Al-Anazi, said the hunting season of the migratory bird starts on Sept. 1 and lasts until the beginning of the winter. He added that falconers come to Hammad to hunt several varieties of the bird including the Harr, a breed that is in high demand because of its beautiful feathers that can grow up to a span of 17 inches. Falconers require intense training before they can hunt. A hunting team has been known to have hunted six falcons in a single day.
Regarding the hunting techniques adopted by the hunters, falconer Tayyeb Hamoud said a traditional method is to fit a net to the back of a pigeon as bait and keep it ready for the falcons passing by early in the morning. Quails with similar nets and tied to some heavy objects are also used to catch the prized birds, he said.
Another method used to catch falcons that refuse to fall into the traps of pigeons or quails is to offer pigeons directly to the falcon without any net. Then the hunter follows the bird until it is tired and catches it while it rests in the shadows of a shrub. Some people hunt them at night using a metal net in the form of a cylinder-shaped basket after blinding the bird by aiming a strong beam into its eyes.
Another experienced hunter said most of the falcons pass out shortly after being hunted but a little sprinkle of water revives them.
The price of a falcon is determined by its speed, ability to hunt bustards, shortness of shanks, symmetry of the beaks, and fast flutter of wings. Even falcons with a lifespan of 20 years can become weak after a period of only 12 years, according to an expert.
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 Pigeon Patrol | Sep 9, 2015 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes, UltraSonic Bird Control
Feathered diners at a McDonald’s restaurant in Wellington have driven a customer to lay complaints with the city council.
Wellington man Vinod Mistry is a fan of the fast-food franchise, but does not want to share his table and fries with a pigeon.
The Lambton Quay McDonald’s was a haven for hungry pigeons and the Wellington City Council needed to force the fast-food giant to keep them out of the indoor dining area, Mistry said. The birds make their way to the second floor via an internal escalator.
However, the council said it was up to the company to deal with the pigeons and it has repeatedly asked for the issue to be dealt with for six years.
McDonald’s said it was working with the council to fix the problem.
Mistry said he made two separate complaints last week about the pigeons in the restaurant.
The council appeared to swoop on a small business if there was a squeak of a mouse, rat or spider in their premises, he said.
But it appeared that, when it came to the feathered vermin, the council was turning a blind eye.
“Pigeons are just as much of a health risk as other animals. You never know when one flying around the restaurant or sitting on table could put droppings in your food.”
Council’s public health operations team leader Andrew Taylor confirmed there was a health risk, but only if diners inadvertently ate pigeon poo with their meal.
“Bird poo can contain bacteria such as salmonella, so it is not safe. But the person would have to ingest some of the bacteria through direct contamination or hand contact,” Taylor said.
The council had been trying to get McDonald’s to keep pigeons out of the premises since 2008, he said. “Every time we’ve spoken to them about the pigeon issue, we have been told by management that they will address the issue.”
The restaurant had tried different methods, such as a distress-call speaker at the entrance and lowering the entry-space height to the food premises, but none had proven to be effective, Taylor said.
Council staff would be contacting McDonald’s this week to discuss how they proposed to rectify the matter so “these ongoing complaints cease”.
McDonald’s spokesman Kim Bartlett said pigeons were a widespread issue in the Wellington CBD and the Lambton Quay McDonald’s had taken a number of measures to address the problem, including “working with an external company on effectively managing the presence of the birds”.
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 Pigeon Patrol | Sep 8, 2015 | Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News, UltraSonic Bird Control
NOBLE SQUARE — A new survey on the future of the Polish Triangle reveals people want Nelson Algren in, the pigeons out and somewhere for people to sit down.
A grassroots coalition hoping to revitalize the Triangle put out a call for opinions with an online survey, residents weighing in on what they would like to see at the intersection of Milwaukee, Avenue and Ashland avenues.
Kapra Fleming, a member of the Polish Triangle Coalition, said the survey, which lasted for three weeks and ended on Friday, brought in 1,257 responses on how to improve the transit-friendly patch that serves as a gateway to four neighborhoods.
Remove or Keep the Nelson Algren Fountain?
Sixty-six percent of survey respondents want to keep the fountain as-is but “refresh” it, Fleming said.
Should the pigeons be relocated?
Seventy-two percent of respondents want to “relocate the pigeons,” if possible.
“Some love pigeons, but some thought this was an impossible task on the nay-sayer side,” Fleming said.
The long-discussed pigeon relocation plan, which would require financing and city permits, would involve building a structure just east of the triangle where pigeons could nest, and their eggs were replaced with fake eggs to reduce the population.
“We can’t get rid of the pigeon feeders — the people that want to feed the birds will do that. But we want to get [the birds] off the triangle and somewhere else,” said Fleming, who owns the House of Two Urns, a bed and breakfast at 1239 N. Greenview Ave., around the corner from the triangle.
Should the CTA install a traditional canopy design or a modern design above the CTA Blue Line Division “L” underground entrance?
Kapra said 69 percent of respondents preferred a traditional canopy design over a contemporary design.
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 Pigeon Patrol | Sep 7, 2015 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeons in the News, UltraSonic Bird Control
They tried almost everything to shoo away the pigeons that had taken over the entire apartment complex. They laid nets along the building, employed a worker to drive away the roosting pigeons and got iron grills for their windows.
But none of these devices deterred the adaptive “blue rock” pigeons which had made Spartan Apartments on Richmond Road their abode here.
The residents have now found a way to keep the rock pigeons at bay. Some residents were aggravating the situation by feeding the pigeons which proved to be a force multiplier for avian.
Finally, the apartment owners, with the help of bird experts, tried something unique.
They fixed an acoustic box emitting sounds of different birds and it worked. When sounds like pigeons in distress, or predator birds like falcons started coming out of the box, the pigeons flew away, scared by the alien sounds.
The box emits the sounds for one minute; then there’s a gap of three minutes before it starts blaring out once again.
The residents’ association in this apartment building have now launched a massive awareness drive, asking people not to feed the pigeons, which would encourage them to nest in the shafts.
“The acoustic boxes have helped somewhat but some of the birds try to come back, knowing that the box will not harm them. Now the developers of the box are trying different sounds so that the birds are kept at bay,” they 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 Pigeon Patrol | Sep 6, 2015 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeons in the News
Residents in a coastal Moray town are terrified of losing their bank because more than 100 pigeons have been left to run the “dilapidated” building into the ground.
The Bank of Scotland branch on Grant Street in Burghead is only open for two hours a week, but for an ageing Burghead community, who are not technologically savvy, those two hours are critical.
However, the windows on one side of the building were broken and boarded up, and more than eight inches of pigeon waste covers the attic floors.
Burghead Community Council chairman, Bill Davidson, said that the building had been a problem for a long time and he couldn’t understand why the owners and Moray Council let it go to “rack and ruin”.
Council secretary John Gordon said it was sad to see the “dilapidated state” of the bank and labelled it a health hazard.
Mr Gordon added that environmental health contacted the owner to arrange for a local tradesman to board up the windows so that the pigeons could no longer enter the bank.
Janet Glendinning and her husband, Patrick, who have voluntarily cleaned the entire outer area of the bank since 1991, said they hope the owners will step up to the crease and get professionals in.
Mrs Glendinning said: “We sincerely hope to see this beautiful building restored to its former glory, and cleanliness returned to this area of Burghead.
“I personally know how important this branch is to elderly people in Burghead.”
Heldon and Laich councillor Chris Tuke said: “It is one of the nicest architectural buildings in the town, and everybody would like to see it cleaned up, but it’s really down to the owners. Unless environmental health identify a serious health problem, it’s hard to tell any owner of a vacant property what to do with it.”
Co-owner of the building, Donald Gormley, said he felt the concerns of the local community and hoped to sell the property in the near future.
Mr Gormley said: “The co-owners of the property empathise with the discontentment of the Burghead residents at the dilapidated condition of the property and the colonisation of same by the feral rock pigeons.
“Councillor Tuke expressed his gratitude to the owners for the recent steps taken to address any potential environmental health/safety concerns and for their continued monitoring of the situation.
“Imminently, the property will be advertised on the open market for sale which will hopefully secure a buyer to develop the property for residential or alternate use.”
A Bank of Scotland spokeswoman said: “Bank of Scotland does not own the section of the property which is being renovated and therefore has no control over how it is maintained. We understand the frustration of residents and can only apologise to customers for any inconvenience caused.”
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 Pigeon Patrol | Sep 5, 2015 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News
The proliferation of rock pigeons (Columba livia) on high-rise buildings all over the world seems to coincide strangely with the disappearance of house sparrows. Both are synanthropic birds that crave to be around human dwellings, the sparrows indoors and the pigeons outdoors. But the patterns of human habitats and lifestyles seem to influence urban wildlife profoundly.
There are three types of rock pigeons: the ancestral rock pigeon in the wild, the domesticated ones, and the feral ones. They can interbreed; they are all but one species. Doves are different from pigeons. The wild rock pigeons live on rocky mountain cliffs and the seashore. They are said to have originated 5,000 to 10,000 years ago in the eastern Mediterranean region.
The Sumerians of Mesopotamia (what is southern Iraq today) seem to have started domesticating them from about 3000 B.C., breeding an amazingly wide diversity of fancy breeds. The Mughal emperors (who ruled from 1526 to 1858), particularly Akbar, fancied them. Akbar’s keepers reared for him about 20,000 pigeons. Of these, they used to carry along about 500 fantails, his favourites, on his camps.
Charles Darwin had a dovecote (pigeon house) in the garden of his country estate at Down House in Kent during 1850-1856. This was no hobby. He conducted breeding experiments to produce bewildering varieties (breeds) to study artificial selection and natural selection in survival and evolution. Some of the domesticated ones might have escaped as runaways back into the wild, as ferals in search of cliffs. But they seem to be returning to our cities, which are providing them ‘concrete cliffs’ on high-rises.
Air-conditioned apartments in these ‘cliffs’, with closed doors and windows, windows with broad ledge-like bases outside, window sills above to ward off rain and shine, provide excellent niches for these feral pigeons for courting, roosting, and even nesting and breeding. Unfortunately, changed urban architectural designs and lifestyles have deprived our conservative sparrows of their humble habitats of tiled houses, driving them away far from cities. Flocks of these feral pigeons comb every bit of grain and seed off the ground, as if in a feeding competition. They leave none for sparrows.
Right now, feral pigeons on apartments, heritage buildings and architectural showpieces are detested as pests or vermin. In some advanced countries they are contemptuously referred to as ‘rats with wings’. Their droppings cause defacement and stench, and many consider their constant cooing, moaning and flapping of wings a nuisance. Feeding pigeons in the open is forbidden by law in some countries.
Changes in architectural features on the exterior of high-rise buildings that often do not leave any flat ridges, and also running cables over possible perching sites keep feral pigeons away. Community dovecotes may be constructed in protected public places such as parks and playfields. Feral pigeons, unlike sparrows, are largely unaffected by pesticides, because they feed their squabs (young ones) with ‘pigeon milk’ or ‘crop milk’, not pesticide-contaminated insects as sparrows give their nestlings. Unlike long-distance homing pigeons or passenger pigeons, feral pigeons do not seem to be affected by electromagnetic radiation from cellphone towers.
Rock pigeons have incredible cognitive capacity. This, coupled with their amazing navigational skills, enable them during aerial sorties to scout for suitable cliff-like structures in cities. Pigeons can fly at speeds of 75 to 100 km an hour for distances of 800 to 1,000 km at a stretch. They are known to recognise the residents of their block by their facial features, voices and calls. They can recognise them by their photographs! That was how carrier pigeons delivered messages to soldiers on the warfront during World Wars.
If the pigeons too, like house sparrows earlier, are chased away from our habitats back into the wild, the next invaders on to our habitats in India may be the common crow or the squirrel. The choice is ours.
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 Pigeon Patrol | Sep 4, 2015 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes
EAST HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH)– An East Haven man says his neighbor is feeding pigeons, but it’s getting out of hand, leaving behind a gross mess. In fact, the bird food is attracting so many pigeons the health department has gotten involved.
Bill Parker says three years ago his neighbor started feeding the pigeons, but his love for birds has gotten out of control.
“Probably a half a bag of bird feed on the ground and he is actually on town property over here so it’s not even his own property,” said Bill Parker.
The birds are being fed at a tree directly next to Parker’s neighbor’s property. It’s an empty lot that is now turning into a pigeon sanctuary, leaving behind feathers, feces, and food. Parker estimates that there could be two or three hundreds birds on a given day.
“I know there is a lot of disease in the pigeon droppings and he is not really cleaning up,” said Parker. “He is just feeding them and more and more are coming.”
Parker says he has been trying to get the health department to do something to make the man stop because the bird feces, food, and feathers are disgusting.
Friday, we tried to talk to his neighbor, nobody came to the door. However, we did notice a card from the health department in the doorway. We then stopped by the health department. They told News 8 they are investigating, but that there is no law against feeding the pigeons, unless, like in this case, it’s getting out of hand.
We also brought a doughnut as bait to see if we could get the birds to come down from their perch so we could see first-hand the feeding frenzy that neighbors say happens. None of the birds took the bait. Instead, they all stay perched on the power lines above his Parker’s neighbor’s home, where they know there will always be meal waiting.
Bill Parker says he is moving.
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 Pigeon Patrol | Sep 3, 2015 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes
When pigeons rule the roost, everything beneath them will be coated with their droppings.
And when a sidewalk runs under their perch, it’s 100 per cent certain that some of the people strolling along it will be victimized by a wet and disgusting bombing.
So if it is true that to be pooped on by a bird is good luck, then fortune must be smiling on the victims who walk along the Parkside Dr. underpasses beneath The Queensway and the Gardiner Expressway.
A reader posted a complaint about it on SeeClickFix, saying pigeon droppings in the underpasses are among several things that make for an unpleasant journey.
“It’s a scary bit of roadway for pedestrians who are quite close to traffic while heading down to the (Sunnyside) pool under three overpasses,” said the reader.
“It can be very loud and big vehicles pass quickly and very close to the walkways. Hugging the walls as you walk through is not possible because of the droppings.
“I’m sure little children cry if an unknowing parent drags them through those underpasses at a bad moment.”
We went there and found that the thunder of big trucks made a booming sound that is indeed unsettling, but that’s life in the city. There’s no fix for it, other than to move to the country.
But there’s a sickening amalgam of dried leaves and bird feathers at the point where the sidewalk meets the west wall of the underpass, glued together by pigeon poop.
An attractive mural was painted along the east side of the underpass not long ago, which partly explains why the mess is limited to the west side.
Metal bird screens were installed many years ago above the sidewalks in the underpass rafters, but holes have developed along the west side, allowing pigeons to get in and do their business above the sidewalk.
STATUS: We’ve asked Rick Helary, who’s in charge or road operations in that area, if he can arrange for the sidewalk to be cleaned and the screens replaced.
What’s broken in your neighbourhood?
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 Pigeon Patrol | Sep 2, 2015 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Spikes
WENATCHEE, Wash. (AP) – A BB gun that triggered a lockdown last week at a Wenatchee medical center was meant to scare pigeons.
The Wenatchee World (http://is.gd/v20P9o ) reports that officers from local law enforcement agencies locked down the busy Confluence Health’s Wenatchee Valley Medical Center after a witness reported seeing a man with a rifle butt extending from under his coat. The incident ended after 90 minutes with no injuries or arrests.
Wenatchee Police Chief Tom Robbins says the BB gun was brought to the medical center by an employee of the facility’s maintenance department. Robbins says scaring away pigeons is not the staffer’s primary job, but pigeons had become a maintenance issue on the roof.
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 Pigeon Patrol | Sep 1, 2015 | Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News, UltraSonic Bird Control
ANDERSON, S.C. — The Anderson City Council plans to consider Monday how to deal with a pigeon problem in the pavilion at Carolina Wren Park.
The council is expected to vote on whether to hire an animal control company to install a net inside the pavilion, which is downtown.
According to the agenda for Monday’s evening, a “recurring nuisance with pigeons nesting in the rafters” has developed at the pavilion.
“There have been some attempts to cease their interest in the pavilion through cleaning and installing an ultrasonic bird repellent with a strobe light,” according to the agenda. “But those efforts have been unsuccessful.”
City staff said the pigeons and their waste can cause property damage and pose a health risk, and cleaning up after them can be costly.
The city sought bids from pest control companies, to see how much it would cost to install a net inside the ceiling of the pavilion.
Orkin Pest Control bid $28,000, Trehel Corp. bid $16,899 and the low bidder was Animal Control Experts at $11,385.
If the council approves the expenditure, the money to pay for it would come from hospitality tax revenue the city collects.
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 Pigeon Patrol | Aug 31, 2015 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, UltraSonic Bird Control
WEST CHESTER >>Chester County employees and visitors to the county’s Justice Center have been greeted by squawks and screeches, chatters and chitters, cawing and cackling over the past 
few weeks, all in the name of pigeon-proofing the county-owned parking garage there.
Thanks to the installation of a sonic bird repellent system in the garage, those parking their cars hear something vaguely reminiscent of a bad Tarzan jungle movie sound track, or something not too far from the noise in the shower scene of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho.”
The sounds that come from the system’s speakers – one on each of the floors two through six in the multi-level structure – are designed to mimic sounds of fright from pigeons and calls of impending avian doom from predator raptors.
And as much as the system seems to be working – one county employee described seeing pigeons perched on the concrete rafters of the garage scattering like roaches after a light is turned on when the system is activated –it also has caused some consternation in the neighborhood adjacent to the garage on West Market Street.
When the unit – a Electronic Bird Repeller Model 110 db purchased by the county’s Facilities and Parks Department for $1,104 from a retailer in Frazer – was installed three weeks ago, the manufacturer advised that it should be operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for the initial break-in period, a county spokeswoman said.
That did not sit well with those whose homes surround the garage.
“At first I thought it was a mockingbird,” said one resident, who asked not to be identified. The screeching noises were easily heard in the night, what with windows open in the cool, fall-like weather, and kept the light sleeper awake. “I wondered where it was coming from, and finally decided it was coming form the garage.”
The contours of the system dictate that the recorded sonic bird bombardment goes on and off at irregular intervals, lasting for a minute or so. “I could hear it all night, even after I closed the windows,” the resident said. “I lost a lot of sleep.”
Rebecca Brain, county public information officer, said last week that the system had been switched to run only during the daytime hours from now on, although what constitutes daytime is open to interpretation. One observer said he heard the artificial birdcalls begin at 6:15 a.m. Saturday.
Brain said the system was installed to attempt to control the population of pigeons that had taken to roosting in the garage. The birds were not only a nuisance – spoiling the hoods and roofs of cars parked beneath them with their droppings – but also a public heath hazard because of the amount of guano they left behind.
“We looked at various options, and this was determined to be the most cost-effective and humane,” Brain said. A similar system had been in place at the county’s former Hazlett Building on North Walnut Street, and is now installed on the tower at the Government Services Center in West Goshen.
The need for a permanent electronic system became evident when the pigeons natural predator – a Peregrine Falcon that had taken up hunting the birds last fall – went elsewhere, having diverted the pigeons away from the garage. “The falcon left its perch and the pigeon population came back,” Brain said.
The soundtrack of the system is unnerving when one first encounters it, said one county employee who was bombarded one night when leaving the office late. But others say that unless someone points it out, the noises are just part of the background hum of life in downtown West Chester.
“When you hear it during the day, it is not nearly as bothersome as it was at night,” said the neighbor whose sleep was disturbed. “Although it is still not pleasant.”
To contact staff writer Michael P. Rellahan call 610-696-1544.
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 Pigeon Patrol | Aug 30, 2015 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes, UltraSonic Bird Control
WICKER PARK — Members of a grassroots coalition who are hoping to revitalize the pigeon-plagued intersection of Ashland, Milwaukee, and Division known as the Polish Triangle are soliciting feedback on how to improve the transit-friendly patch that serves as a gateway to four neighborhoods.
Inaddition to polling residents about what they’d like to see on the triangle, such as food trucks and seating, the short online survey released Wednesday asks, “If possible, should the existing fountain be removed?” and “If possible, should the pigeons be relocated?”
The long talked about pigeon relocation plan, which would require financing and city permits, would involve building a structure just east of the triangle where pigeons can nest, as their eggs are replaced with fake eggs to reduce the population.
“We can’t get rid of the pigeon feeders — the people that want to feed the birds will do that. But we want to get [the birds] off the triangle and somewhere else,” said Kapra Fleming, who owns the House of Two Urns, a bed and breakfast at 1239 N. Greenview Ave., around the corner from the triangle.
Fleming is one of 12 core members of the Polish Triangle Coalition, a group of leaders from local businesses and community groups who want to improve the small but significant spot that serves as Wicker Park’s southern gateway and a bridge to West Town enclaves East Village, Pulaski Park and Noble Square.
In addition to offering an entrance to the underground CTA Division Blue Line “L” station, the transit-oriented triangle has a stop for the CTA’s No. 70 Division bus.
The neighborhood’s only cab stand is located along the Milwaukee Avenue side of the triangle.
The most pressing question in the survey involves the uncovered stairway leading to the underground “L” station. The CTA is planning to add a canopy over the entrance as part of “Your New Blue,” a $492 million project that will modernize several stations.
“There is nothing protecting the steps from wind, snow and ice. Installing canopies has been on our wish list. The CTA said they would listen to community input. They are looking to see if people prefer a more contemporary or traditional look for the canopies,” Fleming said.
Fleming said some of coalition’s members met with CTA representatives in September to discuss the canopies and are scheduled to discuss the topic again in November.
The survey also polls residents on whether they would like to see the Polish Triangle’s fountain removed or replaced.
“Some people like the fountain; some want to get rid of it and redevelop the entire space. We want to get broader feedback,” Fleming said.
The survey will remain online through Oct. 24. The results of the survey will be posted on the coalition’s website in November.
Early Thursday, Greg Garrod, a worker at Sweet Cakes Bakery, 1223 N. Milwaukee Ave., which overlooks the triangle, said he would like to see the area improved.
“Every time I walk by it, I think it’s a focal point, they should do something more [with it], make it more community-oriented. Yesterday was a nice day and I would like to see places to sit. I sit on the fountain edge and get bombarded by pigeons,” Garrod said.
Take the Polish Triangle Coalition’s survey here.
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 Pigeon Patrol | Aug 29, 2015 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Bird Netting, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News, UltraSonic Bird Control
CHENNAI: It may not be the worst idea to carry an umbrella, if you’re at the airport, wearing your Sunday best. After all, you wouldn’t want it soiled with pigeon droppings right before you board an enclosed plane with 180 or so others. Even after trying to get their ‘pigeon hole’ problem sorted out, Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials are stumped at how these birds keep finding their way into th
e high-rise terminals. A Jet Airways ticketing staff even laughed about how pigeons were always on night-duty and were the first to ‘meet’ them when they enter the terminal at 3.30 am every morning.
Recently, a group of pigeons were seen enjoying the bliss of the terminal near the passenger waiting area, on the soft carpets paid for by AAI. “It was quite funny actually. Some of the sweepers tried to shoo them away, but they just hopped off and continued to preen themselves on the carpet. Maybe they wanted air-conditioning,” said Reena Makhija, who posted a photo of the pigeons on a social networking site. “Personally, I’m not complaining. It was great fun for the kids to watch the pigeons up close,” she added
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After several complaints about how pigeons were dropping their ‘uric acid’ pellets on unsuspecting passengers, AAI decided to deploy nets to cover the openings in the roof — but these were found to cause a different problem. “They are dirtying our floors and carpets as well. But by closing the skylights with nets, the lighting became a problem, so we are working out a solution for the trusses,” said an official. The ceiling was cleaned a month ago and several partial nests were cleared. But this has not impeded the entry and exit of the pigeons.
AAI had even consulted an expert about this issue last year, but we’re unable to find a viable solution. Ornithologist N Sankar pointed out that the openings in the ceiling and the high beams provided a perfect place for birds like pigeons to nest. “In an airport, there are firecrackers on the tarmac nearby used to scare birds away from the planes, so this will seem like a safe place to them,” he reasoned. He added that getting them to vacate after they had nested was a difficult task.
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 Pigeon Patrol | Aug 28, 2015 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Spikes, UltraSonic Bird Control
In a scene reminiscent of a terrifying Alfred Hitchcock movie, a hospital in Drogheda has had to spend almost €20,000 on specialist netting to protect its workers from flocks of angry birds.
Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital bought the equipment last year to shield maintenance workers from feathered assailants in the vicinity of rooms containing vital hospital equipment, located on the roof of the public hospital.
A total of €18,435 was spent on three specialist roof nets to protect staff from the threat of nuisance birds, according to documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.
The hospital is situated close to Drogheda Port and around five miles from the Irish Sea.
The netting was required to protect staff from flocks of seagulls while carrying out maintenance work on ventilation systems and other machinery.
In addition, a pest control company was employed to remove a number of bird nests from the roof in July and August last year.
Nets
The cost of the specialist nets is part of a €35,152 spend on pest control by the hospital during the past five years.
“A decision was taken to purchase roof netting by Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in order to address bird activity and nesting in the vicinity of the hospital,” said a spokesperson for the Health Service Executive.
@The roof netting has been put in place to provide safe access for maintenance staff to the hospital’s plant rooms located on the hospital roof. “The plant rooms house hospital systems such as the main ventilation systems for operating theatres and intensive care areas.”
The spokesperson added that the netting has “proven successful in providing safe access to the staff to carry out their work in the plant rooms”.
The three roof nets cost over €6,000 each.
However, the hospital is examining additional methods of bird control to protect its staff from their feathered foes.
A proposal to install an ultrasonic bird repellent is currently being considered by management. In July the spread of seagulls was raised in the Seanad where Senator Ned O’Sullivan said they had “lost the run of themselves”.
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 Pigeon Patrol | Aug 27, 2015 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services
We’ll never recover our reputation for being a tough, brutally “Darwinian” city after you hear what goes on at the Wild Bird Fund, tucked behind a glass storefront on Columbus Avenue between 87th and 88th streets.
It’s astonishing.
Birds, all kinds of birds, from sparrows to seagulls, pigeons to falcons, to chickens, and even, for that matter, turtles, are brought in in boxes, injured, by New Yorkers, famed for being too rushed to notice anything but their iPhones, or their next meeting or date. Not true.
Not when an injured bird is spotted.
When I arrive, an attorney, “rehabber,” and friend of the Wild Bird Fund (WBF), Helen Lukievics, has arrived with a pigeon she expertly caught, near Wall St., and brought to the Upper West Side by taxi. Soon three medics (rehabbers) are bent over the bird, whose feet are a tangled mess, and will need to have a toe amputated. I am invited to watch, and we go downstairs.
Rita McMahon, WBF’s director, dressed in black slacks and T-shirt, with sparkling blue eyes welcomes me into the team, with trust. It feels like M.A.S.H, only for birds. Just an elemental, daily fight, under less than ideal conditions, to fix what is broken, ease pain, negotiate with life, against death, and when the fight is lost, to at least make death dignified, each creature assisted with love over the bridge.
McMahon must surely be the reigning Bird Whisperer of New York—she seems to know at first glance what the birds are suffering from. She can see from the hue of a pigeon’s foot or the pattern of shades on their feathers, what exactly is wrong. From lead poisoning to malnutrition, to broken bones, to a litany of other hazards—most of which are treatable.
But first you have to catch them. Helen is a pro.
“Oh it’s an acquired skill,” she said with a smile. “You should see me in Rome. My husband pretends he doesn’t know me.”
The WBF opened its doors in 2012, as New York’s first and only “wildlife rehabilitation and education center,” providing medical care, rehabilitation, surgery, detox and even physical therapy, to thousands of injured animals (mostly birds) a year.
Rita McMahon, Co-Founder and Director of the Wild Bird Fund, prepares to give a Canadian goose a bath on Aug. 28, 2014 (Samira Bouaou/Epoch Times)
Flyway
New York City, being on the North-South Atlantic flyway—a major migration path—is home to over 350 bird species, many stopping over in New York City on their way. For visiting birds, the expanding city is fraught with perils.
It all began about 10 years ago when Rita McMahon—formerly a television market research consultant—happened upon an injured wild goose on her way home from Connecticut. She took it to an animal hospital and paid out of pocket. It died the next day. “They knew nothing about birds,” McMahon said.
She had stumbled upon a huge void. New York City was the last major city in the United States not to have a wildlife rehabilitation center. She began treating and rehabilitating birds in her home, as did her friend, attorney Lukievics—once they were licensed to do so.
There were bird vets at the Center for Avian & Exotic Medicine, right across the street, which Rita and the other founders originally worked with, until they were able, after an “angel” donation, to open their own wildlife rehabilitation hospital.
Asked about some of the hazards for New York City’s birds, apart from the obvious ones, Rita says: “Hair extensions. That synthetic hair is so strong, it’s unbreakable. In some neighborhoods, this is becoming a huge problem for the birds. There’s also a repellent glue called Tanglefoot, that is supposed to be spread in a very thin layer on windowsills, but which people overuse.”
“They come in here just covered in it, immobilized,” she said. Birds also present frequently with lead poisoning, which requires weeks or even months of chelation therapy, respiratory infections, and of course, broken bones.
Bird Bigotry
I’m invited to witness the toe operation, and as we descend the stairs to the place where most of the birds are kept (waterfowl, complete with an eight foot pool, and the “nursery” of baby birds are upstairs) Helen, who loves pigeons, asks me to consider, in writing this, what I now call bird bigotry.
There are many kinds of wildlife here, and some of the birds are exotic and cherished. But pigeons are the main patient group. They rest in cages downstairs, their feet tagged with their names—the same as the name of the person who brought them in. They fly across the room, and the boys chase the girls in mating dances on the floor.
Helen warned me that pigeons—were I to emphasize them—could put people off, “ever since Woody Allen called them rats with wings.” (It was a character in “Stardust Memories” who said that.)
But then she started telling me, in tones of awe, why she loves them. “You know they dance. The males dance for the females—every time they see a female they start dancing. There was this male pigeon I will never forget. Well this guy, it was a snowstorm, a really bad snowstorm, and he was down by the Chelsea Pier, and he had no feet, just stumps, but he just started dancing this really wild dance for a female nearby him. It was as if he was saying, ‘Hey baby, come on, we’re all going to die anyway, let’s dance.’ It was just amazing. Pigeons are very stoic, exceptional animals.”
It wasn’t until I got home and did deeper research that I realized the abject moral failure in stigmatizing pigeons, and decided to lead this article with them, rather than try to sneak them in mid-text between cardinals and falcons. By the time I had done an elementary Google search, I was ready to get down on the ground and salute them.
Rita McMahon, Co-Founder and Director of the Wild Bird Fund, holds a Ring-billed gull at the center on the Upper West Side of Manhattan on Aug. 28, 2014 (Samira Bouaou/Epoch Times)
Heroic Birds
For starters, homing pigeons helped us win World War II.
The British PDSA Dickin Award honoring animals in war has been given more times to pigeons than any other animal. The medal was awarded 54 times between 1943 and 1949—to 32 pigeons, 18 dogs, 3 horses, and 1 cat. The first recipients of the award, in December 1943, were three pigeons—White Vision, Winke, and Tyke—all serving the Royal Air Force, and each of them delivered messages that rescued ditched air crews.
Then there was Gustav that on June 6, 1944, brought the first messages from the Normandy beaches. (Pigeons played a vital role at Normandy, as radios were too risky.) A single pigeon named G.I. Joe is credited with saving 100 lives of U.S. soldiers. (He served with the United States Army Pigeon Service.)
Flying Dutchman delivered messages from agents in the Netherlands who were missing in action, while Scotch Lass flew with 38 microphotographs strapped to her leg across the North Sea, despite being injured. The list goes on.
To this day, war historians and code-breakers are trying to crack the code found on a pigeon that got stuck in a chimney in Surrey and perished, while on a mission, in 1944. The bird was posthumously given the Dickin Medal and is thought to have been a member of the secret wing of the National Pigeon Service, which maintained a squadron of 250,000 pigeons during the war.
Messenger pigeons go back at least 3,000 years, and were used to proclaim the winner of the Olympics. India only dismantled its police pigeon messenger service in 2002, “due to the expanded use of the internet.”
There are competing theories about how pigeons navigate. They have iron particles on their beaks that align with true north, but they also use smell, hearing, and light refraction.
They came to New York City around 1600. Next time you see one, issue a quiet thank you for the freedoms we enjoy partly due to these “hated” birds.
Surgery
Downstairs in the cramped operating room, Rita, Helen, and a third rehabber get to work on the pigeon, sedating the bird, watching her vital signs, and performing the amputation. There is a moment of ER alarm as their voices rise. “I don’t like the way she looks,” Helen said. “I think she’s overwhelmed.” But the bird quickly recovers. “This is one of the few birds who seems to know I was trying to help her,” Helen said.
Rita applies “suture” glue, then binds the injured foot in tiny sky-blue bandages that she winds as expertly as a master surgeon, explaining precisely how a pigeon’s foot has to be set to heal properly.
A second pigeon comes in virtually paralyzed, and is quickly tested for lead, which comes up “high.” This one goes in for several weeks of chelation therapy to get the lead out. Lead poisoning is one of the most common afflictions for the city’s birds, especially pigeons.
WBF is working with Magellan, the company that makes lead testing machines, conducting a study on 300 pigeons to see where in the city lead is elevated. The results will be presented to the New York City Health Department in hopes of staving off children being affected as well.
She raises an eyebrow, “If this can happen to the lowly pigeon, what about the children playing in these areas?”
(Samira Bouaou/Epoch Times)
Raptors
“Please tell your readers we are so grateful, but we don’t need seed,” Rita said with a grin. “We need donations for medical equipment, more space, and more staff. More and more birds are coming in every day. We survive solely on donations.”
Rita is extremely gracious and doesn’t lord her knowledge or compassion, like so many animal saints do, as a means to cause people to feel ashamed. I notice this over and over. She and the others as well are extremely classy people. Sane, warm, smart, and efficient.
A male teenage kestrel falcon arrives in a box, brought in by a man named Charles, who offered not much information.
“How old is he, do we know?” Rita asks a rehabber in training.
“Nope,” she said.
“Yes we do,” Rita said, flashing her characteristic grin as her blue eyes sparkle. She points to his head. “See the baby down on the top of the head, the fuzz?”
It’s barely perceptible, but it means the bird is just left the nest—a fledgling.
Rita dons special “raptor gloves” and lifts him out, speaking to him tenderly. “Mind your head. Come on out.” Mesh screen covering the window serves to test both flight and perching skills.
“Looks good,” Rita said. “His weight is good for a youngster.” He is tested for hydration and given a clean bill of health. Most birds and other creatures are brought back to where they were found after they are rehabilitated, but not the raptors.
They’re extremely unpopular in Central Park with the other bird moms, as they eat the babies. Charles will go to a specialized facility in New Jersey called The Raptor Trust, which works closely with WBF.
Rita McMahon, Co-Founder and Director of the Wild Bird Fund, holds a Kestrel falcon at the center on the Upper West Side of Manhattan on Aug. 28, 2014. (Samira Bouaou/Epoch Times)
Death
On a typical day here, upward of 20 injured birds will be brought in, and roughly 50 percent will die or have to be euthanized, meaning there is no earthly way they can survive with their injuries. The staff do try everything, spending up to several months on a single bird if need be.
A woman sits in the lobby with a mourning dove in a box, which has just been examined by the vet. Not good news. “Splayed legs,” she tells me, and Rita explains how this, which is fatal for a bird, can happen. A dove will have two eggs, and one may roll away or die, which means the parents place their entire weight on the remaining one.
That sometimes causes these splayed legs. This is something they can’t fix unless the bird is under two weeks of age. The woman is given the sad prognostic news, and the vet asks her: “Would you like some time with him?” She nods, tears dripping off her nose.
“I finally had to steel myself,” Rita said. “You get used to it.”
Downstairs, amid rows of cages, birds, mostly pigeons, fly from one side of the room to the other. A cardinal sits perched on a computer. I return to the operating room to look for my notepad.
“You can come in,” Rita said, “but this is not a happy time.” I understand what she means.
One of the baby sparrows is being lifted from his small cage.
“His feet are dead”” Rita explained. The feet are very important. Landing gear, for one thing, or, in the case of a sparrow, what they use to grip.
“He’ll never survive,” she says, cradling him in her hand, as she places him under the glass dome that will put him first to sleep with gas.
“Turn the light off, it’s calmer,” she says. In the darkened room, my heart pounds.
“I gave him his favorite worms and he ate them all,” the assistant says to Rita, who smiles. I bite my lip, as we watch his tiny head droop under the glass dome.
Rita takes him out, turns him over, and injects something into what seemed to be the heart area.
I see that his feet were a mess. His feathers look clammy.
“I’m sorry, I’m getting my sweat all over you, sweetheart,” Rita said tenderly.
“It’s painless,” she explains, moving the bird into a box. “It’s like falling asleep, only they don’t wake up.”
Broken wing bones, as well as injured feet, can be fatal, especially to diving birds like seagulls, and raptors like hawks. They need every bone in their complex wings working right or they can’t fly right. If one of those birds breaks a wing bone it can mean death. Pigeons rely less on their wings for food.
Recovery
In the waterfowl room, there are two large chickens that were found walking down a street in Astoria, and a herring gull with a stripe of pink neon paint down his back, which came in very sick but is doing better now. (There is no such thing as a “seagull,” not even the famous Jonathan Livingston. “Pacific gull,” or “herring gull,” this kind or that kind of gull—but no such thing as a “seagull.” )
The gull is taken from his cage and happily released into the waterfowl pool. “This pool makes such a difference for the waterfowl, psychologically, ” Rita said. “As long as they are in water, the world is okay with them.”
This fellow had been suffering from a series of problems, respiratory distress and possible poisoning, but Rita and the team nursed him back to health over several weeks and now he is the picture of health, and slated to be returned home.
Now that I have peered closely into a pigeon’s eye and seen the color of the iris—a vivid root beer shade—and seen up close how a sparrow’s feet bones are delicate as mere threads, I can no longer bear the thought of an oiled bird, or a glue-covered pigeon.
That very night I walk to the supermarket and I see a pigeon on the curb who doesn’t look quite right. I spend an hour with a box and crumbs trying to catch him. Or her. I fail, as she retreats under an SUV time and again. Haunted, I return the next day and there she is. To my delight, probably dreading the sight of me as I approach again to try to catch her, she finally flies.
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 Pigeon Patrol | Aug 26, 2015 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, UltraSonic Bird Control
A campaign to rid a town centre of its pigeon problem has launched to help improve the area for visitors and businesses.
People are being urged not to feed the birds in and around Harrow Town centre as part of a project launched today.
The Harrow Town Centre Business Improvement District (BID) launched the campaign as part of its ongoing work to increase footfall to St Anns and Station Roads.
Louise Baxter operations manager for the Harrow BID said: “The day has been all about education of the public, explaining what we are trying to do and how we can improve the area.
“One of the biggest issues for businesses in the town centre, and the people who visit it, is the pigeons.
“A lot of the feedback we get tells us that people are put off from visiting because of the flocks of birds flying around and making a mess.
“We really want to make Harrow a vibrant place and a destination for people. And sorting this problem is a big part of our plan.”
Also at the launch was James Bradbury from BH Environment pest control with his Harris Hawk Max, demonstrating how his company goes about removing pigeons from town areas.
Jay Patel, who runs the Chocolate Room and is on the board of Harrow BID said: “This is a huge issue for all the businesses here.
“To me they are rats with wings and they make the area look scruffy which means people don’t want to come to the town centre.
“We want everyone to work together to make Harrow a more inviting place.”
Fellow trader Deivid Silva, of the Silver Rivet clothes shop said: “Some mornings we have had to clean the front step to our shop because of the bird mess.
“I understand if you want to feed birds in a park, but the town centre is not an appropriate place. They spread disease and are a general health hazard.”
The Harrow BID campaign is being supported by Harrow Borough Council which has also warned people that putting food on the ground constitutes littering and they could face an on the sport fine of £75.
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)
EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP — Overgrown weeds and grass at Atlantic City International Airport may give the impression the lawn mowers are broken or the groundskeepers have been laid off.
