Bill and Cheri Buchbinder don’t have cats or dogs or rabbits.
They have Donald.
The gray- and brown-speckled rock pigeon became a fan of the couple’s birdbath and feeder last May, and that fondness quickly spread to the Leelanau couple themselves.
It may have been that birdseed that led to Donald’s first meeting with Bill.
The Michigan native found Donald, green feathers glinting, perched on the railing of his deck one spring afternoon.
“I’ve never seen a pigeon on my back deck before,” said Bill, owner of Blue Water Sail & Canvas. “So I say, ‘Hey, pigeon.’ And he looked at me and started cooing, like pigeons do, and following me around.”
Bill, intrigued, ventured into the garage for some loose sunflower seeds the couple kept for their birdfeeders.
“I come out and he flew over and landed on my head,” he said. “So he’s there, eating sunflower seeds, and he walks onto my shoulder and down my arm.”
Donald, named after Bill’s pigeon-raising father, found a home in the couple’s garage rafters and the Buchbinders’ days were brightened by their odd houseguest’s shenanigans.
“He’s like a dog — follows us everywhere we go,” Cheri said. “When I garden in the summer, I’d bend down to pull weeds and he’d land on my back. Then he’d sit on my hat.”
And Donald stuck around, even as the days grew shorter and reds and yellows overtook their tree-dotted neighborhood like wildfire. Bill asked around the neighborhood, but found no one missing an incredibly friendly pigeon.
“We’d leave the back door open and he’d come and go as he pleased,” Bill said.
The pigeon enjoyed, too, the birdseed and sunflower seeds left in the garage for him daily.
Donald likes to “wrestle” with Bill, Cheri says, pecking at his fingers.
He’s sweet to her, though.
“He’s real friendly to me, he lets me pet him. He talks a lot, coos,” she said. “But he absolutely adores my husband — he gets really excited if he hears his voice or footsteps.”
The couple grew accustomed to their feathered friend’s greetings. Until one October afternoon, when Donald didn’t provide his usual hello.
Instead, Cheri returned from work to find her dear friend limping and cooing in the driveway.
She scooped him up and rushed Donald to the Grand Traverse Veterinary Hospital and Dr. Marianne Jossens.
It earned a few odd looks.
“Most people just shoot ‘em, use them for target practice. That’s what they said at the vet,” Cheri said. “I said, ‘He’s not a regular pigeon. He’s a pet pigeon.’”
Donald survived his encounter with another animal — Cheri and Bill suspect it was a hawk or owl attack — with an injured wing, a broken leg and some missing tail feathers.
The family left the vet, Donald with a carefully wrapped white cast. He’s recovered well in the weeks since, Cheri said, and she expects he’ll be cast-free within the next month.
“And he’s able to fly now — he wasn’t able to (at first),” Bill said.
“He learned to perch with one foot,” Cheri added.
Rock pigeons, or rock doves, are the most common species of the bird, and have a history of use as homing pigeons.
They’re found throughout Europe, Africa and Asia, and were introduced to the Americas centuries ago, where they’ve also become commonplace.
The Buchbinders don’t think Donald is a lost homing pigeon because, well, showing up at their home wouldn’t make him a very good one.
Donald instead proves to be a loving, if a bit odd, pet.
He returned to his old personality a few days after the ordeal, and lets the Buchbinders pet and handle him just like before.
He’s even back to wrestling with Bill.
“I’ll stick my hand in his cage and he just loves to peck my hand, so I let him do that and I’ll ruffle the feathers on his head,” Bill said. “I don’t think he and I are at odds. But that’s why I think he’s a male.”
“It’s more of a playtime,” Cheri added. “I think that’s the only reason he survived the hawk attack at all — he’s in good shape from his exercise with my husband.”
For now, Donald’s new home is a straw-floored cage in the Buchbinders’ basement — Cheri said he’ll remain safely indoors until spring. The couple let Donald out for a few hours each night, and he’s happy to again follow them around and test his wings.
The Buchbinders aren’t interested in risking another attack.
“I don’t know how to protect him from hawks — we’ll have to think about that in the spring,” Cheri 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.
Six ’emaciated’ pigeons were dumped in a box and abandoned by the side of the road.
One of the birds had already starved to death by the time the grim discovery – on Cherry Tree Drive in Hazel Grove, Stockport – was made on Saturday.
The other birds were so skinny that their bones were visible.
A resident found the pigeons at the side of her driveway and alerted the RSPCA after realising they were not in good health.
Inspector Heather Morris was sent to the scene and found the five surviving birds were very unwell. They were emaciated, lame, had pigeon pox and were very dirty.
They were taken to the RSPCA’s Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre where a vet assessed them and decided the kindest thing to do would be to put them to sleep to end their suffering.
Inspector Morris said: “It is really unusual to have pigeons abandoned and it was so sad to see them in such a sorry state.
“Whoever allowed to them to get like that would have known they were unwell and emaciated – that doesn’t happen overnight. Their bones were visible they were so thin.
“I believe they were in this box for 24 to 48 hours and during that time the starving birds were without food and water.
“It is so cruel to just dump animals like this, if they are ill they should be taken to the vets to be put out of their misery but not left to suffer a lingering death.”
She said one bird was ringed but the details were out of date. There was a name on the rings which read “Behrooz”.
The cardboard box was also distinctive with the words ‘Private Reserve Fries’ written on the side.
Inspector Morris added: “I would like to appeal to anyone who recognises the name on the ring or knows of this type of pigeon in the area to come forward.”
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.
The TV star looked shocked as one of the creatures flapped its wings in his face before pooing on Susanna Reid’s notes and going rogue in the studio earlier today.
Earlier this month, Piers was mocked by his son Spencer who compared him to the Pigeon Lady from Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
Today, the 53-year-old star, had two pigeons sit on his head and shoulder as they visited the studio during Richard Arnold’s I’m A Celebrity segment.
However, as they moved off him, one shocked the presenter when it flapped its wings in his face.
The same bird then pooed on 47-year-old Susanna’s script before proceeding to fly into crew members.
As the pigeon handler struggled to round up the pigeons, the studio was thrown into chaos.
Even weather girl Laura Tobin, 36, tried to help catch them.
Eventually the man was able to scoop them up into a net.
Shots showed him walking off with the bird in his hand.
Earlier in the show, Piers slammed David Beckham as “weird” for kissing daughter Harper on the lips.
The TV star criticised the footballer on Good Morning Britain earlier today after the sports star shared a sweet pic of him with his seven-year-old girl while ice-skating.
Yesterday, the 43-year-old father-of-four was trolled after he shared the innocent snap to Instagram.
Today Piers called him “creepy” and “weird” for how he showed affection to his youngest child.
The presenter said: “It’s just weird right? Who does that with their kids? Who kisses their kids on the lips.”
Later on in the show Piers added that it was “quite creepy”, while co-host Susanna Reid suggested celebrities shouldn’t post pictures like that online if they didn’t want “the scrutiny”.
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.
My last column dealt with introduced species of birds such as the Mandarin duck and game birds such as pheasants and turkeys. On the Sunshine Coast we have four other species that qualify as introduced, that is, they arrived here with a helping hand from humans. In reality the distinction between species that arrive with a helping hand and those that arrive on their own initiative can be a little muddy.
House sparrows and starlings were both deliberately introduced to North America from Europe in the 19th century, while the most recent colonizer, the collared dove, escaped from an aviary in the Bahamas, crossed over to Florida and subsequently conquered the continent.
The history of starlings and house sparrows in North America is well known. Immigrants all over the world have often felt the need to introduce species from their homelands and there were a couple of unsuccessful introductions of starlings to the U.S. before the famous April 1890 introduction of 80 birds to Central Park in New York City. By 1928 the species had spread west to the Mississippi River and to California in 1942. House sparrows were also introduced to New York in 1852, originally as an attempt to control the linden moth. Both of these species were supremely adapted for a rapid spread in their new homeland.
House sparrows flourish around human habitation, both in urban environments and wherever there is cultivation. They are not common on the Sunshine Coast but a few can be found in downtown Sechelt and urban Gibsons.
Starlings congregate in large flocks and feed on rough pasture, often around livestock. They also wander to mudflats and shorelines in the summer.
Pigeons are semi-domesticated, generally found in close association with humans, though not directly dependent upon them. Correctly known as rock pigeons, they congregate in flocks where there is a constant food supply such as at a bird feeder. Many people have noted the flock that roosts on the power line in Selma Park, and another flock frequents the power lines at the Sechelt Marsh where they glean food from the ducks being fed.
Pigeons and doves have a long and close association with humanity, and in the last ten years or so the Eurasian collared dove has colonized the Sunshine Coast and indeed much of North America. That story will have to wait for a future column.
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.
In a memorable segment, Anne fought through fish guts, a shower of cockroaches and an operating theatre filled with pigeons to bring back the stars.
The team gave Anne some motivation before she went off to undertake the trial and put all their faith in her to bring home the bacon.
Singer Fleur East said: “Anne’s grown so much as a person since she’s been here, she’s braver and makes me think she’ll do better than we think she’ll do.”
Anne then joined Dec Donnelly & Holly Willoughby to have her task explained: “This is the Hellish Hospital, your aim is to find the 11 stars that are hidden inside the gruesome vaults, you’ve got 11 minutes to find the stars and each one is worth a meal for camp.”
The first room of the hospital did not phase her as the quiz champ, star of ITV’s The Chase, picked up a star from beneath a snake and soon found another in a chest of drawers.
Anne then opened a wardrobe in the room and it was full of spiders.
After deciding to give the spiders a miss and moving on to the next room she was faced with a star hidden in a pile of offal and fish guts, before a shower of cockroaches fell onto her head.
The next room was an operating theatre full of pigeons which Anne was surprisingly fine with. She rummaged through some more offal and fish guts and found a star.
After finding another three stars she looked for the exit to enter the final room but found she could not go on any longer after discovering a large tunnel with a lizard inside.
She said: “I thought ‘Oh dear’, I’ll be on my hands and knees and just no.
“I said if I got 7 I’d feel like that was enough.” said Anne. “It’s incredible, you should be super proud.” said Holly.
After her victorious return from the trail she said: “The previous trial I was so panicked and the critters were so revolting this time I was able to keep it together a bit more. Having seven stars will mean we get a decent meal tonight.”
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.
Zee TV’s popular show Guddan… Tumse Na Ho Payega (Ved Raj’s Shoonya Square Productions) will see a cute track involving a pigeon who will become Guddan’s (Kanika Mann) pet and confidante in quick time.
As we know, Guddan has been given the responsibilities of the house and she has been careless at her job.
Soon, a pigeon will make an entry into the house and into Guddan’s heart. The pigeon will turn to be Guddan’s saviour whenever she would do a mistake. The pigeon will basically safeguard the house keys that Guddan handles.
As per a reliable source, “The pigeon will no doubt help Guddan but a few problems will also get created because of its presence. In one instance, it will dirty Akshat’s (Nishant Malkani) suit and this will anger him. And Guddan will be given the duty of cleaning it up in quick time.”
We hear that two cute pigeons have been given shelter on the set of Guddan Tumse Na Ho Payega for this particular track.
“They have become the centre of attraction on the set in quick time,” a source from the set says.
Aww!!
Are you all excited to see Guddan’s saviour the ‘khabootar’ in action?
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.
X-rays show that the dove was a fracture of the humerus. The staff of “AVETA” have decided to enlist the help of colleagues from other veterinary clinic specialist in the diseases of birds. There are doctors along operated the dove. The fracture was closed. The bone fragments of fixed spokes. According to veterinarians, Frank on the same day began to eat, drink and waving to the sick wing.
Five weeks after surgery, the needle from the wing removed, but doctors have not yet released the dove to freedom – he needs to work out before the serious flights. Soon, Frank will be sent to Omsk pet store where, as I hope the experts he can find their owners. Doctors suggest that early bird lived in a dovecote.
We will remind, in the river on the left Bank, local residents noticed unusual pigeon. Bird traveled on the roof of the car, not flying. The incident took video of one of the drivers. The vehicle speed is not very high, as he was driving in a residential area of the city.
Users liked the antics of the birds. Some joked that the dove should be fined for ticketless travel. Others suggested that he was a superhero, which in this way of “racing to save the world.
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.
I recently took my niece and her partner, visiting from Montreal, on a downtown walking tour. We came off James North and headed along MacNab toward the Farmers’ Market.
And there in the grey sky to the west, we saw a falcon. We watched it dart and dive by the rooftop of the G.S. Dunn mustard milling plant. Finally we realized this was no creature of nature.
A couple of days later, I returned to the scene. There was the bird, still on patrol. I headed inside the Dunn plant.
It’s an old building, corner of Park and York, across from Jackson Square. When built more than 100 years ago, it housed the Perry Knitting Company. Through the 1920s and ’30s, Duro Aluminum/Metalwares operated there.
But for the past 60 years, it’s been home to G.S. Dunn, the world’s largest dry mustard miller. They distribute to more than 50 countries across six continents.
Go through the door, and you smell the mustard seed. It’s not unpleasant, but might take getting used to.
Kevin Whyte doesn’t smell it anymore. He’s Dunn’s operations manager and has been at the plant since the early ’80s.
That’s a long time. And all that time, there have been pigeons.
You’re not supposed to feed pigeons. They can be messy critters, splattering acidic goop everywhere. You sure don’t want them roosting in your rooftop heating, ventilation and air conditioning system.
The Dunn mustard seed arrives from the fields of Saskatchewan by rail, then truck. About 42 tonnes at a time, twice a day. Those trucks back up to a shiny drying silo, several storeys tall.
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.
Bizarrely, the man explained that he was trying to use the birds as bait to recapture his pet owl, which had escaped. He was caught in a public area of woodland near Wakefield and had his children with him at the time. The air rifle was seized by police and the owner reported for firearms offences.
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.
Author and naturalist Joel Greenberg will be the featured speaker on the fate of three birds — passenger pigeons, Kirtland’s warblers and whooping cranes – at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, at the Prospect Heights Public Library, 12 N. Elm St. The event is co-sponsored by the Prospect Heights Natural Resources Commission and the library. The look at the plight of three fascinating birds each experiencing a different fate at the hands of people has sometime heartbreaking outcomes that provide compelling lessons. The program is entitled “Hope is a Thing with Feathers: Americans and Three Birds.” Greenberg is a research associate at the Chicago Academy of Sciences Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum and the Field Museum with more than 25 years of experience on natural resource related issues in the Midwest. Admission is free, but guests are asked to register ahead of time at the library’s information desk.
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.
Doctors one of the clinics of Omsk (Russia) during the working day he heard a knock at the door. The doctors opened it and saw on the threshold of a pedigree white pigeon. The bird was not afraid of people and was given into the hands. X-rays show that the dove was a fracture of the humerus.
A bird named Frank, and was operated on, fixing the wreckage of a bird’s wing needle. According to veterinarians, Frank on the same day began to eat, drink and waving to the sick wing.
Five weeks after surgery, the needle from the wing removed, but doctors have not yet released the dove to freedom — he needs to work out before the serious flights. Doctors suggest that early bird lived in the dovecote.
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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.
Two Pakistani students on Monday rubbished claims by Indian police and media which accused them of having crossed the border and labelled them terrorists.
The students, who are enrolled in a madressah in Faisalabad, said this in a press conference along with the madressah head Shahid Aziz.
Aziz said that Nadeem and Tayyab had gone to attend the Raiwind Ijtemah in Lahore after which they went to see the flag-hoisting ceremony at Wagah Border. There they snapped pictures, which were taken up by the Indian police, who put up their posters and asked the public to remain cautious of the terrorists.
Two Pakistani students on Monday rubbished claims by Indian police and media which accused them of having crossed the border and labeled them terrorists.
“We want to assure people that the two men are our students and they haven’t even been to India,” said the head of the madrassah.
He remarked that the philosophy of their institution is that students should only focus on their education. “Our students do not engage in any political or religious activism. They are not a part of any organization. Books are their only friends,” he remarked.
One of the students, Tayyab, said that he took a picture with his friend as a memory. He said that he didn’t know how or when the picture went viral on WhatsApp. Indian news channel showing police putting up Pakistani students’ picture-Screengrab.
The students, who are enrolled in a madressah in Faisalabad, said this in a press conference along with the madressah head Shahid Aziz.
An Indian news channel can be seen showing the pictures and claiming that they are terrorists who have entered India to commit terror activities.
This incident indicates the jingoistic sentiments in India which is hell-bent upon maligning Pakistan. In past, India has also accused some ‘pigeons’ of espionage. Even fruit hasn’t been spared when Indian Punjab Police confiscated two apples on which Pakistan Zindabad was written.
Indian media is in a habit of sensationalizing events in a never-ending battle to increase their viewership. It’s better for the Indian media to verify its stories to avoid being embarrassed.
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.
Nuisance pigeons have ruffled a few feathers among diners at restaurants at Chatham Maritime.
And now site managers have chosen a humane way of getting rid of the pests – they have brought in a flying squad.
Trained falcons have proved successful in deterring the birds at Pier Five where there are a number of al fresco eateries.
The most common is the harris hawk, which are natural predators of pigeons and therefore their regular presence scares them away.
Chatham Maritime is home to several restaurants and with views across the water, is popular with diners wanting to sit outside and soak up the atmosphere.
But the food was also attracting birds looking for scraps.
Chatham Maritime Trustees have hired Rentokil Pest Control experts to eradicate the problem.
Rentokil’s operations manager Paul Catlin said: “The pigeons are a genuine problem for a number of the traders at Pier Five.
“A humane approach was the best way of dealing with them.
“Hawking represents a natural way to deter birds in urban areas without harm, while protecting visitors, residents and traders.”
The pigeons love of food has encouraged them to come into regular human contact, with some brazenly approaching customers around the marina area.
Rentokil has hired falconers to carry out the task.
Falconer Marc Bushell is a regular visitor with his hawk, Oliver.
The birds, which are trained at The Hawking Centre at Doddington, near Sittingbourne, protect landmarks and places of special interest throughout the south, including London.
Katie Kinnes, from Rentokil, said: “Hawking is becoming more and more popular and, with some areas being inaccessible, it is often the only way of resolving the nuisance.”
Liam Merrett, a supervisor at Pier Five and Kitchen, said it had proved quite a novelty see a falconer walking along the quayside with a hawk.
Mr Merrett said: “We are quite sheltered here and we have patio heaters, so our customers like to eat and drink out even in the winter months.
“It’s a nice setting looking out on to the marina.”
The regular presence of raptors alters the behaviour of pigeons and gulls, who learn to avoid areas where the birds of prey are frequently flown, moving on to nest or roost elsewhere.
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.
Among the most famous images of London’s Trafalgar Square is one of people feeding pigeons in its grounds. And closer to home, feeding these birds was a favourite pastime on the weekends around the Vidhana Soudha, when people flocked to it for a bit of relaxation in its gardens. But no more, as the pigeons are now as numerous in most parts of the city as they were once around it.
Far from feeding them, people have now taken to shooing them away as they invade their balconies and kitchens, building nests and dirtying them with their poop and feathers. Their numbers have become their downfall as they are no longer priced as pets either. Instead they are the flying rats of urban Bengaluru.
Observes one fed up Bengalurean, industrialist, Narendra Kumar, “Pigeons have adapted so well to our urban civilisation that they are driving other birds away. Cleaning pigeon droppings has become a huge problem today. People in high- rise buildings are the worst affected and even the plants on the balconies suffer as a result of their invasion.”
But what’s worse, the pigeon droppings are not just an eyesore, but also a health hazard, warn wildlife experts. With the pigeon population growing, they have been spreading diseases like avian influenza and castle fever through their droppings, according to them. “ The pigeon droppings contain bacteria and fungus, which can cause major lung disorders that can be fatal,” they explain.
It is also claimed that those who fall sick as a result of the pigeon droppings, find recovery hard despite downing antibiotics, because of the strong infection they transmit. Bird lovers too admit to being on their guard when it comes to these birds because of the infections and diseases they transmit.
The BBMP , which has received numerous complaints from people about the pigeon menace, is now planning to hold a meeting with wildlife experts, bird lovers , health experts and concerned citizens to deal with it, says Mr Sarfaraz Khan, BBMP joint commissioner (health).
The civic agency is reportedly considering taking a cue from other countries, which have effectively dealt with the growing population of pigeons without harming the ecology and is also planning a study on their impact on humans, animals and other bird species.
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.
One bedazzled pigeon will live to shine another day after getting lost last week.
The pigeon was wearing a flight suit with rhinestones when he was found on a woman’s back porch in Phoenix, Arizona. The bird was then taken to a local rescue called Fallen Feathers, which knew he had to have an owner because of his fancy suit.
It turned out the pigeon, named Olive, had flown out of Marlette Fernando’s car window a few days earlier.
The rescue started posting photos of the bird, while local news reporters tried to help locate his owner.
“I had a friend on Instagram send me a link to one of the news channels,” Fernando told KPHO. “He was freaking out. He was like, ‘You’re not going to believe this.’ Then I click on the link, I saw that Olive was pretty much everywhere online on [the] news.”
The bird is now back home.
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.
Birds of a feather were brought back together in Peoria Tuesday afternoon.
Olive, a pet pigeon, flew the coop from its home in north Phoenix on Nov. 7, its owners say. It spent several days on its own until it was found in Glendale in its rhinestone-studded vest and turned in to Fallen Feathers rescue center in Peoria on Nov. 11.
A Fallen Feathers Facebook post and a Reddit thread aimed to help return the bedazzled bird to its nest — the owner had about a month until Olive would be put up for adoption.
Luckily, the reunion wasn’t a wild goose chase: On Tuesday, owners Marlette Fernando and her husband, Norman, recovered their bedazzled companion after one of Marlette’s friends notified her through Instagram of Olive’s whereabouts.
Yes, Olive also has an Instagram account.
With Olive nestling into her shirt, Marlette said it’s been a long couple of weeks without a member of the family around.
“I love this bird, and I’m so happy to have her back home,” Marlette said. “I never thought I’d see her again.”
Norman said receiving the good news brought Marlette to the ground out of pure relief.
“We thought we won the billion-dollar lottery,” he said.
They thanked Jody Kieran, director of Fallen Feathers, who tended to Olive while it was away from its nest.
“We are so ecstatic because, unfortunately, we do get birds in sometimes that we can’t find the owner for,” Kieran said. “So whenever we do, this is, like, a big celebration.”
Decided to ‘go explore’
The Fernandos said they originally didn’t think Olive would fly away. She got along with their four dogs, one cat and a snail; they’ve also taken her outside on multiple occasions.
But one day, Marlette said, Olive decided to “go explore” after Marlette took her along to drop her son off at school.
Olive flew around the house several times and just decided to leave, Marlette said.
Norman remembers the exact time she left: 7:17 p.m.
“We felt comfortable that she was never going to fly away, but we are told, now that she’s a teenager,” Norman said.
Kieran, with her decades of experience with birds, said teenage pigeons have a tendency to rebel.
Norman, a poet, knew Marlette was having a hard time without Olive around, so he wrote a poem about Olive to make the days fly by a little smoother.
A part of the family
Olive, like most pigeons, has more character than one might think.
“People need to love pigeons. We love all of our pets, but (Olive) has more character than any of them,” Norman said.
Marlette said Olive is a big part of the family — so much so that her diamond-studded vest comes from her owner’s affinity for shiny things.
“She takes my earrings, she loves the bling as much as I do … she’ll go up to my shoes and stand next to the shoes and peck at them and it’s really cute.”
The vest was originally supposed to look like a tuxedo, Marlette said. But Olive didn’t approve — thus came the iconic rhinestone vest.
“But she didn’t like the bow or the flower on the tuxedo, so she pecked them all off,” Marlette said. “And I replaced it with bling.”
A bedazzled male pigeon was picked up near 61st Avenue on Sunday. It is currently being cared for at Fallen Feathers in Peoria. The Republic
Olive isn’t Marlette’s first pigeon — she once cared for and raised one when she was 9.
Although they’ve only known each other since September, Marlette’s still not yet sure of Olive’s gender. She loves Olive — or Olivia, or Oliver — just the same, she said.
“I don’t see her as just a pigeon, she’s definitely a family member,” Marlette said. “She gets along with our dogs, our cats — we all love her.”
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.
I’m surrounded by people who root for underdogs. Iran winning the World Cup? My cousins can dream. A career in engineering? I’d bet money that my mother still holds out hope I’ll have one. Deciding 2016 is the time for a protest vote? We need to have a talk, buddy.
But just about no one is with me on pigeons.
When I look at them, I see curious birds that choose to bumble around with missing toes instead of fly and yet, still manage to survive almost exclusively on the vast human waste we brought them to. When others spot them, they’re shooed away with a fierce glare or avoided altogether with a longer route.
The more I’ve observed this attitude in a city setting, the more I find myself as the Resident Pigeon Defender. Almost no one agrees. (To my simultaneous appreciation and horror, Mike Tyson — whose first fight reportedly began over a pigeon — is one of the few.) Because ultimately, these birds are misunderstood, resilient creatures who elicit a tellingly similar reaction as people facing street homelessness — and we should really think hard about why.
To be fair, it’s likely that I don’t instantly recoil at the sight of pigeons because, well, they were my pets at some point in elementary school. Along with a handful of chickens, my family had four show pigeons that we fed, kept in good health, let fly around the suburbs of Orange County, and watched as the respective alphas got into compulsory fights on the daily.
City pigeons, on the other hand, are a bit rough around the edges. They get flak for being dirty, leaving feces everywhere, clustering in open spaces, and just generally being a nuisance.
As Nathanael Johnson concluded in a chapter dedicated to “the majesty of pigeons” in Unseen City, what he first saw as filth and pestilence was really societal failings that produce poverty and waste. That obviously applies first and foremost to humans, who sometimes develop a connection to birds out of emotional survival.
“Perhaps we’d feel differently about pigeons if we were better at dealing with our own species,” Johnson wrote. “It is our own filth that has created the conditions that enable pigeon populations to swell to slum densities.”
A flock of pigeons gathers near some people sitting in a corner at the 16th and Mission Street BART plaza on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. Benches were removed during a recent remodel of the plaza. (Kevin N. Hume)
In fact, we can draw a pretty direct line from human actions to the pigeons we know today. Pigeons were even once signs of wealth and touted around by aristocrats, Johnson wrote. After Samuel de Champlain, the French colonial governor of Quebec, brought them to North America, the New World’s increasing density proved to be a successful habitat for once-wild pigeons who became commonplace.
When food became abundant after agriculture boomed, pigeons picked up the crumbs and multiplied in numbers to a fault. We now see them aggressively fight for those crumbs, sometimes thrown by well-meaning or lonely folks, while diseases spread in crowded nests.
To dispel some of that disgust, we ought to at least know a little more about them before we write them off. If pigeons seem like they’re in their own world, it’s probably because they can see in ultraviolet, sense the Earth’s magnetic field, and pick up atmospheric changes far beyond humans in elevators.
Pigeons are also quite skilled at hiding their young — if you’ve ever seen a baby pigeon, consider it a deep honor. Squabs, as they’re known, stick their heads in their parents’ throats and thrust around for nutritious milk for the first two months of their lives. You can recognize a juvenile pigeon if you look for an oversized beak and brown eyes, rather than the gleaming, reddish-orange eyes seen in adults.
Better yet, take a moment to notice the green and purple on their necks. Though most pigeons are gray and black, others are white. This begs the question: What makes them so different from doves, that symbol of peace that people release at weddings? Not much besides color and location, as they’re all in the same Columbidae family of birds.
As I repeat these unsolicited points to friends and family, this pigeon advocacy of mine has had some small victories. My years-long housemate — who absolutely hated all birds when I first met her — began to feel wistful about no longer hearing the coos of pigeons that took refuge in the backyard stairway of our former Parkside home.
Another listened in horror as our landlord casually told us he crushed a bunch of their eggs, as if they were parasites. But many people remain unable to see the same majesty I do, and that’s their loss.
At the very least, it’s one less thing to spend energy hating in a stressful world. At most, it’s a chance to observe another species in all its glory while we’re occupied with fear and disgust for the downtrodden.
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.
The bird was wearing a specially made vest decorated with gold and silver rhinestones. It was turned into a shelter, which posted a photo of it and its bedazzled outfit — trying to locate the owner.
The other day, a woman in Peoria, Ariz., found an unusual bird in her backyard – not some exotic breed. No, this was just a gray pigeon, but it was dressed to impress. The bird was wearing a specially made vest decorated with gold and silver rhinestones. The woman turned it into a shelter, which posted a photo of the bird and its bedazzled outfit, trying to locate the owner. They say they want the pigeon to get home for the holidays. But based on what it was wearing, maybe the pigeon had somewhere else to go.
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.
Bird fanatics swooped to the Liverpool exhibition centre to meet like-minded people and take part in the Royal Pigeon Racing Association’s UK Olympiad this weekend.
The event, which brought people from all over the country, gave ‘twitchers’ a chance to see the birds which will be taking part in the 36th Pigeon Olympiad in Poland next year.
The RPRA, which has existed since 1896, is the UK’s governing body for the sport and it managed to attract dozens of people to the showcase.
Racing usually runs in families as a tradition. A member of the promotions team at RPRA and pigeon racer, Richard Chambers, 33, from Staffordshire told JMU Journalism: “I’m the third or fourth generation of pigeon flyers. My dad had them, my grandad had them and my great grandad had them.
“My main encouragement was my dad and he won the national in 1997, the Midland National Flying Club from Bordeaux which is 553 miles, and 1,500 pigeons went to that. He came first which is quite a prestigious thing.”
Homing pigeons are smart creatures who can never actually get lost as they will always return to their home. They even carried messages during world wars and were regarded as heroes for the vital role they played.
One of the event organisers, Ian Evans, 44, from Wales told JMU Journalism: “Recently there was research saying pigeons are very intelligent animals. If you think about it you can take it hundreds of miles away from its home somewhere it’s never been before and it can get home at an average of 50/60 miles an hour.”
The RPRA has a rich history with both the former Prince of Wales and the Duke of York starting the royal tradition in their club. Even the Queen herself has continued the family connection.
A new initiative called ‘young fanciers’ looks to get youths involved in pigeon racing and to put their energies into something positive. The RPRA visits schools and reaches out to the disabled as officials believe it can be therapeutic for people suffering with disabilities.
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.
It seems the internet loves a fashionable animal, and this week — following the discovery of the social media star that is ‘Hot Duck’ (aka a Mandarin duck that lives in Central Park) — a sassy new contender has stolen our hearts.
He’s gorgeous, he’s majestic, he’s fabulous — he is Bedazzled Pigeon.
According to Gizmodo, Jody Kieran, the owner of a bird rescue and rehabilitation centrein Arizona revealed that the style-savvy male pigeon was rescued last week after someone reached out to her about a bird found near their home that seemed to be wearing something strange.
They told the caller to bring in their new feathered friend. “I said, ‘Okay we’ve got to see this.’ I kind of rolled my eyes.” she says. “I open it up, and there he is, wearing a flight suit,” Jody told the website.
In case, like us, you have NFI what a flight suit is, apparently it’s kind of a bird nappy so they don’t sh*t everywhere while outside their cage (pretty useful tbh). But clearly, this bird’s rhinestone-adorned number is much more extra than your average bird diaper.
“I have been doing bird rehab for over 20 years now — I take in over 2,000 birds a year — and normally wild birds arriving with clothing is enough proof to me that this bird was owned and loved,” she said, adding that she’s still searching for the previous owner.
However, if no one comes forward, she’ll rehome him to a new family — and apparently, there’s already a waiting list for this handsome fella.
It’s also reminded us of other animal fashionistas who totally ~worked~ these wild looks. Remember Ikea Monkey?! Winter style goals, tbh.
Or there’s Remix the Schnauzer, who rocks the hipster look better than half of the Inner West.
Or there’s Hamlet the Piggy, whose eclectic and avant-garde style has earned her a whopping 346,000 followers on Instagram.
Basically, all these animals are absolute #StyleGoals who are just living their best, most fashionable lives, and are living proof that fashion can be fun for anyone — no matter what species you may be.
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.
