by johnnymarin | Jun 5, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
A disease in pigeons and doves gained infamy in 2006 after it decimated the UK’s greenfinch bird population by half a million within that year. In 2012, the bird’s population had plummeted to 2.8 million from an estimated 4.3 million. A new study has now found a protozoan parasite that was implicated in the disease in common mynas in Faisalabad, Pakistan.
The disease, avian trichomonosis, is an emerging infection more colloquially called frounce or canker. It wreaks havoc on both endangered and common wildlife populations. The parasite responsible for causing it, Trichomonas gallinae, is known to normally affect pigeons, doves and the birds of prey that eat them.
But in 2005, it jumped species and devastated the UK’s garden songbird populations of greenfinches and chaffinches. Some earlier studies have pointed out that they probably had a major role to play in driving the passenger pigeon to extinction, and that they are causingpopulations of the endangered Mauritian pink pigeon to fall. (Interesting aside: a T. gallinae-like protozoan had commonly infected the dinosaurs as well.)
Trichomonosis affects the upper respiratory and gastrointestinal tract of birds. Affected birds develop lesions in the mouth and/or oesophagus and show signs of lethargy and laboured breathing. Some of them drool saliva and have wet plumage around the bill. T. gallinae can’t survive outside the host and is vulnerable to dehydration. The parasite is transmitted when infected birds share their food and water with others.
Common mynas roost with the blue rock pigeon, the latter a species that hosts T. gallinae in their bodies without harm to themselves. Since mynas are also known to eat pigeon and dove fledglings, researchers already suspected that the disease had jumped species.
Mynas are highly adaptable and live and breed in a wide range of climates. They are also known to evict other resident birds from their nests, earning them the sobriquet ‘kalahapriya’, Sanskrit for ‘quarrel-lover’. Though native to Asia, the myna has thrived in new environments to which it has been introduced.
In fact, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), it’s one of the three bird species on the ‘world’s 100 worst invasive species’ list. Given its runaway success in occupying new territory, the myna’s ability to spread diseases to other susceptible domestic and wild avian species in other parts of the world is a matter of grave concern.
The global distribution of the common myna. Blue indicates its native range, red the regions in which it was introduced. Credit: Biatch/Wikimedia Commons
The researchers, from the University of Agriculture in Faisalabad, the King Saud University in Riyadh and the University of East Anglia, Norwich, captured 167 mynas across eight sites in Faisalabad to screen for T. gallinae. They used a binomial sequence-based genotyping system, where genetic variation is measured in predetermined DNA sequences, and found that about 20% of the birds were infected with the disease.
The infection rates were lowest in places where the contact between mynas and blue rock pigeons was limited. At the same time, the infection itself was widespread: there were infected mynahs in all the surveyed sites.
The study’s authors have inferred that the disease in mynahs was endemic, i.e. restricted to a particular region. Farah Ishtiaq, a disease ecologist at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, who was not involved in the study, thinks this is a bold claim to make because it has not been explored elsewhere and because there has been no evidence thus far for this claim.
According to Kevin Tyler, a cellular microbiologist at the University of East Anglia and one of the authors of the study, the genetic subtype, or strain, affecting the mynas was different from the one affecting European finches.
He also said in response to Ishtiaq’s comment that the subtype had been found at all sites at a similar level at different times. Together with the fact that T. gallinae did not appear to be causing severe disease, “our interpretation … is that this is consistent with the disease being endemic in this region rather than a recent outbreak.”
Spencer Greenwood, a professor at the University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, who was not part of the study, also found the endemism claim reasonable given they had only found one genetic subtype and that most birds had not shown evident signs of the disease.
Then again, only 11 out of the 33 infected mynas had exhibited signs of poor health, suggesting they were able to carry the infection without fatal consequences to themselves while potentially being able to spread the disease to other species. However, more studies will have to be conducted before we’re sure whether mynahs are a reservoir or a dead-end host. This is because the mynas have the potential to be a reservoir for this disease. Though the authors have found infection, the study does not address transmission to and from mynas as hosts.
The infection incidence was higher among male mynas than female ones. Nicholas Clark, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, who has studied avian malaria in mynas, said, “Perhaps the males are more likely to come into close contact with pigeons and doves.” He added that researchers would have to study the behavioural ecology of males and females in the nest to know more. He was not involved in the study.
However, Ishtiaq said that mynas have no sexual dimorphism – so sexes can’t be told apart without surgical or molecular testing. So it would be easy to over- or under-estimate the number of birds of either sex.
But Tyler is confident about being to use subtle differences in morphometric measurements to their advantage. In this study, the researchers were familiar with the captured mynas and could confidently ascribe sex. Nonetheless, he and his colleagues remain unsure as to why mostly male mynas were infected with trichomonosis.
Greenwood said other aspects, such as a myna’s roosting behaviour, weather conditions, availability of food, closeness to breeding season, etc. need to be considered to figure out why more males seem to be infected.
He also thinks that sampling the pigeons that share habitat with the mynas and determining what type of strains they carry would be important. “It would be interesting to see if they have the same subtype and if they do, at what prevalence do they occur compared to other subtypes.”
Protozoan parasites cause some of the world’s worst diseases. Because a lot of them are restricted to the developing world, studies such as this demonstrate the importance of studying emerging infectious diseases and their social and economic repercussions. “Mynas have already been implicated in the spread of bird flu through contact with poultry,” Tyler said, “so this could be of concern to poultry farmers.”
His team plans to work with groups in India and other places where mynas thrive.
Ishtiaq thinks that they have made a good start in understanding the host and geographical range of trichomonosis, and feels it would be good to test the common rosefinch for T. gallinae. This is the only finch species that migrates to South Asia and comes in contact with other resident birds. “I have seen many shared avian malaria parasites between resident finches and common rosefinch,” she said.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Jun 4, 2018 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
I read the article on pigeon control with great interest as in the UK several large cities have had similar problems. Their approach has been different but has had a high success rate.
Their approach was quite unusual. They first built nesting sites or dovecotes for the pigeons and these proved very attractive to the birds.
The next move was the radical one. Every day, an employee would visit each site and remove any eggs. No eggs, no new pigeons. In a surprisingly short time, the numbers dropped dramatically and are well under control.
A few enquiries would provide the names of the cities involved and could be very helpful with the problem in Malta.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Jun 3, 2018 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
BRIDGETON, Mo. – SSM Health DePaul Hospital has been trying to keep the disease-carrying pigeons away from its property, but they refuse to fly away. So the hospital hired Presto-X to remove them in the most humane way.
“Since they aren’t a native species, indigenous to Missouri, there is no regulation,” conservationist Dan Zarlenga said.
That means there isn’t a wrong way to get rid of them. However, hospital employees contacted Fox 2/KPLR 11 after witnessing a pest control employee drown the pigeons in water.
“We definitely recommend that whatever method is used to deal with them, that people do it in a humane manner for ethical reasons,” Zarlenga said.
Since there are no standard procedures for handling pigeons, Fox 2 reached out to another company to learn industry practices. Up until recently, many pest control companies used buckets of water when hired to catch and kill them. However, many are now starting to use more humane practices.
“It’s unfortunate to have any lethal method to control animals, so if that’s necessity by the situation, certainly doing it in the most humane way possible is what we would endorse,” Zarlenga said.
The hospital released the following statement on the matter:
“We received a complaint from an employee, the company denies the allegation. I think the key is that our express instructions were and are to capture and release the birds and to do them no harm. We do not want them ‘disposed of.’ We want them unharmed and released. BTW, while we have no evidence that he did this, we have asked that the technician accused of harming a bird not return to our campus.”
Meanwhile, Presto-X released a statement denying the action:
“Presto-X is a leader in its conscious approach to bird management. Because of the numerous diseases spread by birds, their droppings, and shed feathers; pest prevention and bird management are critical components of a comprehensive public health and safety strategy. Pigeons, in particular, can transmit over 60 diseases with some having devastating, life-long effects on humans. In this instance, pigeons were captured humanely and transported offsite for release in accordance with local and state regulations.”
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Jun 2, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
These include some 148 infant birds, 619 adult birds and 27 others.“This is the season for babies of birds such as Parakeets, Kites and Pigeons being born. Of late, there has been a significant spike in the number of cases of birds falling prey to dehydration and heatstroke. The infant birds are often ready for their first flight around this time of the year, but they get dehydrated and fall. AHMEDABAD: At a time when many of us fall prey to dizziness and dehydration merely after spending a couple of hours in the scorching sun, the plight of stray animals and birds is much worse. The situation has worsened so much that birds tend to fall and suffer head injuries, as they get dehydrated while flying.Nearly 800 cases of birds falling prey to heat-related illnesses were reported at Jivdaya Charitable Trust (JCT) in Ahmedabad in the first fortnight of this month.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Jun 1, 2018 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
SOMETIMES I think someone is filming “Wild Kingdom” in our neighborhood, especially this time of year.
Last week, I had the annual spring ritual of a bird falling down the chimney into the fireplace, which annoyed me to no end, but got the cat so excited he tried to jump through the glass doors.
I have a fish net to deal with such occurrences, one that surrounds the front of the fireplace and catches the bird when I open the door and he flies out.
This one I could not catch and he didn’t die in the fireplace. Somehow that little booger got out, doing a Houdini up the chimney.
That same day my daughter, who does not live in the neighborhood, was dealing with birds in her attic. I have occasionally told her she had bats in her belfry, but I never suspected birds in the attic.
My son, meanwhile, had pigeons in the attic of his downtown apartment. Crazy!
But back to my neighborhood. While I was dealing with the bird in the chimney, I got a text message from a neighbor warning me that something was tearing down the bird feeders in her yard.
What else but a bear? Yep, this is about the time of year when the mamas (around Mother’s Day) kick out their 18-month-old cubs and send them into the world on their own. And no, they do not allow them to return home and live in the basement.
There is nothing crazier than a teenage bear looking for its own territory. Those critters will travel for 100 miles or more trying to find themselves (without a psychiatrist) and search for food in everything from trashcans to bird feeders.
Some neighbors were not certain that it really was a bear until the mail lady saw him early one afternoon while making her rounds. That convinced everyone, because once a representative of the U.S. government makes a declaration, well, you know it is the gospel truth.
Almost all the neighbors were anxious to see the bear move on, primarily because of his perceived political persuasion. Those on the left side of the road were sure he was a Republican because of his aggressive behavior. After all, it seemed that this guy had declared war on bird feeders.
But those on the right side of the road were just as sure that this adolescent bruin was a Democrat because he was eating food that others had worked for and labored to make available for the birds.
During this heated debate, my cat disappeared and some suggested the bear had gotten him. I, on the other hand, thought he had become a meal for a litter of baby coyotes.
At about the same time, there appeared a red fox that was raising pups down behind another neighbor’s house, and then came the groundhog that was sneaking out from under the barn and eyeing my bean patch.
Whew! There was a lot going on and it all revolved around animals. We seemed to be becoming the Hundred Acre Wood.
Everything has finally calmed down. No one has seen the bear in a week or so and no more birds have done their Santa Claus impression and come down the chimney.
My daughter got some guy to come and get the birds out of her chimney, while the landlord has promised to do something about my son’s pigeons.
My cat wandered back after a couple of days, kinda beat up, but with a smile on his face, so he must have had a wild time somewhere.
As for the bear, we never did decide whether he was a Republican or a Democrat. Maybe, since he was all alone, he was an independent.
Still, I know what he is going to be if he gets in my garden—a rug in front of the fireplace!
That will give the cat a soft place to lie in wait for the next bird that comes down the chimney.
Fur and feathers. That’s what country life is all about.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | May 31, 2018 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
It was Maharaja Mansingh I who brought a falcon after the conquest of Bengal to Amber. It was said to belong to the Turkish Sultana of Akbar’s Court, who presented it to him for his valour in the 16th century. Maharaja Jai Singh II was gifted a falcon by his friend, Emperor Mohd Shah Rangila when he was building the Jantar Mantar at Delhi in the 18th century.
Sawai Ram Singh II was presented a falcon on behalf of the Curator of the Cairo Museum in the 19th century, who later sent the mummy of an Egyptian princess, preserved in the Albert Hall Museum now, to his successor. The falcon used to fly over the river Nile and catch fish too.
Sawai Madho Singh II was presented a falcon by Major James Alexander, which he had brought from Kabul after the Third Afghan War of 1919 following the assassination of Amir Habibullah.
Sawai Man Singh II, the last recognised ruler of Jaipur, was presented a falcon when he was India’s Ambassador to Spain, and his successor, Brig Bhawani Singh, brought one captured in Sindh during the Indo-Pak (Bangladesh) war of.1971.
The shikra (falcon) of Saeed Ahmed, an Indo-Turk, is now part of one’s memory. The falcon would sit on his wrist and, at a pull of its string, would shoot up and catch a small bird, usually a sparrow or a shyama. It was fed red meat and feared by children, who were wary of its sudden snap at their fingers.
Saeed used to wear a leather band on his wrist to protect it from the impulsive bird of prey. Those were the days when some of the rajas and nawabs flaunted falcons like people do mobile phones these days. Nagaland is famous for falcons migrating from colder climes in winter. Thousands of them were killed by the Nagas over the years but now conservation has begun.
Falconry is thousands of years old. It was known in India as early as the Mahabharata days. The Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, as also the Chinese and Japanese, were fond of falconry. A falcon of Duryodhan snatched an ornament of Draupadi and was shot and injured by one of the Pandavas ~ something that the Kaurava leader resented very much until calmed down by his machiavellian uncle Shakuni.
The falcon of Bhishma Pitama is a favourite part of local lore but does not form part of the Mahabharata epic. The falcons of the pharaohs went into battle with them. Troy’s Prince Paris sent love notes to Helen through his falcon while resisting the siege by the Greeks. The latter also had their falcons.
Agamemnon sent his falcon with a message to comfort his wife Andromache. Aeneas’ departure was conveyed to the heart-broken Queen Dido by his falcon, which flew back to the hero’s ship and landed in Italy with its master.
No wonder the succeeding Romans enjoyed falconry while they were fighting their wars in Europe and in Africa. The Vikings and Mongols were also fond of it.
Nearer home, Babar and Humayun’s love for falcons was passed on to Akbar, who had them in his private quarters in the Agra Fort: But when the emperor’s prized pigeons were killed by them one night he had them caged so that his birds were kept out of harm’s way.
Jahangir sported a shikra in his youth at Fatehpur Sikri and Shah Jahan as Khurram had one presented to him by a Rajput prince with whom he and Mumtaz Mahal had taken shelter during his revolt against his father. A falcon was Guru Govind Singh’s favourite bird.
In our own times Saeed Ahmed’s shikra led to a craze for Falcons in the Walled City of Delhi. The nawabs of Basai Darapur and Jhajjar were known falconers, so also Nawab Shamsuddin Khan of Ferozepur, who was hanged for the assassination of the British Resident William Fraser.
The latter’s friend, Col James Skinner, saw a shikra aiding the Mahrattas during a battle. It belonged to Luckwa Dada, a crafty general of the Scindias. The colonel, a great hunter, acquired one for himself and in later years he would travel with it from his estate in Hansi to his mansion in Kashmere Gate.
However, Colonel Ochterlony, who defended Delhi against Jaswant Rao Holkar in 1804, is said to have had a dislike for falcons. Some said a falcon of Holkar’s had plucked out an eye of one of his soldiers guarding the city wall between the Delhi and Ajmeri gates.
During the Revolt of 1857, Maj-Gen John Nicholson too had his falcon when he laid siege to Delhi. What happened to it following the general’s death, after being fatally shot at Lahori Gate, is not known.
One heard these stories from Mian Sahib, a wizened old man, who used to come for his evening meals to Hafiz Hotel in Ballimaran. He would talk thirteen to the dozen while eating dinner and after he left, the hotel owner would shake his head and say, “God knows how much of what he says is true and how much is just gossip picked up on the roadside.”
However, it is a fact that Mian Sahib shared meals with Dr Zakir Husain at this restaurant during the would-be President of India’s salad days. Also true was his friendship with Hasrat Mohani, whose ghazal, “Chupke, Chupke” has been made famous by the singer Ghulam Ali.
The falcon was also a bird of omen. On seeing it Indira Gandhi was fatally shot by her guards in 1984. Saeed Ahmed’s shikra just flew away one day and was never seen again. However, Mian Sahib’s tale of the Mir Sahib, who had a lock of hair of his purdahnashin beloved plucked by a pet falcon, is to be taken with a pinch of salt.
Like falconry, pigeon-fancying is also an old sport. The New Year brings with it a host of activities and pastimes, one of which is pigeon-fancying. Even now, in the Walled City, there are several mohallas, where the kabootarbaz, as they are called, make morning and evening ring to cries of “Aah” to call back the air-borne pigeons.
However, there was a time when, like the patangbaz, or kite-fliers, they too went to open spaces near the Yamuna to engage in kulkulain, or competitions, after feeding coarse grain to their flocks. Now, because of encroachments and consequent lack of space, the pigeon-fanciers compete only from their rooftops.
Hafiz Mian was a great kabootarbaz in the last century and his main rival was Deen Badshah. Each of them had hundreds of pigeons, both of Indian and foreign breed. There were Russian, Turkish and Afghan pigeons as well as Burmese and some other South Asian breeds, and of course, those from all over India.
Their cost even then was great, with the acrobatic Lotan kabootar occupying pride of place in the kabootar-khana, or specially built wood and wire mesh cages, with pigeon-holes for the birds to roost. The greybaz was also a highly-prized bird like the Kabuli.
Dennis Bhai’s old father, Elias Sahib, used to say his son could recognise the breed of a passing-by pigeon by just examining its droppings. Dennis Bhai had greenish eyes, just like some of his pigeons, and when he married he found a Muslim girl with the same kind of eyes, making a friend remark, “Wah Dennis, dulhan bhi khoob chunni hai.
Aankh se aankh mila di. (Bravo, you have found a bride with matching eyes).”Dennis Bhai is dead but his dulhan, Kesar, still survives as a tall, fair, slim pretty lady aging with grace, whose eyes glow with excitement whenever she sees a flock of pigeons darting across the sky to the frenzied whistling of rival kabootarbaz.
Pigeon-fancying was known in Egypt about 3,000 years ago and found great patronage in India during the Mughal era, when pigeon-fanciers from Baghdad, Turkey, Iran and Egypt flocked to the court. Prince Salim, who ascended the throne as Jahangir, spent several hours in their company, learning the tricks of pigeon-flying.
It is said that one day he asked a young palace girl, Mehr-un-Nissa, to hold two of his pigeons while he went to answer an urgent summons from his father, the Emperor Akbar. On his return he found the girl had only one pigeon in her hand. When he asked her what had happened to the other, she replie, “This,” and released the other pigeon also.
Her witty answer pleased the prince and he fell in love with her. Later, he married the girl, who became famous as Nur Jahan. Akbar himself was very fond of pigeon-flying and had some 20,000 pigeons of his own. He called the pastime “lshqbazi” or love-play.
Fr Monserrate, who saw them, writes in his commentary that the pigeons are cared for by eunuchs and servant-maids. Their evolutions are controlled at will, when they are flying, by means of certain signals, just as those of well-trained soldiery are controlled by a competent general by means of bugles and drums.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | May 30, 2018 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
CCTV footage of an explosive attack at the local police headquarters in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia, on Monday.
Three church bombings in Surabaya during Sunday services, killing at least 18 people and wounding more than 40, and the bombing of a police station in the same city yesterday killing 10 are merely the latest manifestations of an increase in terrorist activity in Indonesia.
Attacks on two other churches were planned for Sunday, but those bombs failed to detonate. The church attacks apparently were carried out by members of one family. Yesterday’s attack involved members of another family.
Churches are targeted by Indonesian extremists who oppose the practising of other religions there. But this is the first attack on places of worship since 2011. The worst attack on churches in the past 20 years was on Christmas Eve 2000, when co-ordinated bombings of churches in Jakarta, Pekanbaru, Medan, Bandung, Batam Island, Mojokerto, Mataram and Sukabumi killed many worshippers.
Another serious incident this month was a riot and siege hostage situation on May 8 at the Depok, West Java, detention centre. Six died, including five members of Detachment 88, Indonesia’s elite police counter-terrorism unit.
The detention centre is a heavily guarded compound of the local headquarters of the Mobile Brigade Corps, a paramilitary unit of the National Police, protected by officers from Detachment 88.
The Detachment 88 officers apparently were tortured before having their throats cut by prisoners influenced by Islamic State.
Wawan Purwanto, communications director at Indonesia’s intelligence agency, says the prison incident, like the church bombings, involved suspected members of Jamaah Ansharut Daulah.
Jamaah Ansharut Daulah is a terrorist organisation with close links to Islamic State. It was proscribed by the US State Department as a terrorist organisation in January last year; it was not proscribed by Australia until this week when Peter Dutton moved swiftly to do so.
Jamaah Ansharut Daulah was organised in 2015 by Islamic State fighter Bahrun Naim from Syria. It has several hundred members and is active in eight Indonesian provinces. It is a coalition of about two dozen extremist groups that pledged allegiance to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
The group’s spiritual leader is Indonesia’s leading Islamic State proponent, cleric Aman Abdurrahman, who with Naim is said to have ordered the January 2016 attack in central Jakarta that killed four people and wounded 25. The attack was financed from Syria. Aman is on trial for several bombings, including the 2016 murders, and is being held in isolation at a jail in Depok. Bahrun Naim is believed to have been killed at Raqqa in Syria last December.
The various Jamaah Ansharut Daulah groups are likely to contain many Indonesian foreign fighters from the hundreds who have returned in the past two years. Last year, Turkey arrested almost 500 Indonesians, including family members, who had entered Turkey from Syria. They were later released to return home.
Many of the returnees claim to have been involved in humanitarian work in Syria and say they had nothing to do with Islamic State. In any case, terrorist attacks by Indonesians must occur within Indonesia for the perpetrators to be punishable under Indonesian law. Many returnees were never arrested; and many others were arrested and then released.
Indonesia also has an ongoing problem with radicalisation in jails, from which prisoners often are released more radicalised than when they went in. When indoctrinated prisoners are released, there is inadequate monitoring of their activities and movements.
Indonesia’s security authorities may have become complacent with the decline of terrorist groups Jemaah Islamiah and Jamaah Ansharut Tauhid, and the 2011 incarceration of firebrand cleric and ideologue Abu Bakar Bashir for 15 years.
Bashir was the co-founder and leader of Jemaah Islamiah, responsible for the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians. Its stated motive was retaliation for the US’s conduct of the so-called war on terror and Australia’s role in the liberation of East Timor. It has been operationally inactive since 2010. Bashir was also the founder and leader of Jamaah Ansharut Tauhid.
From 2008, Jamaah Ansharut Tauhid sought to establish an Islamic caliphate in Indonesia and carried out attacks in an attempt to achieve that goal. In December 2012, local members in central Sulawesi killed four police officers and wounded two others. Since then it has been relatively inactive.
But Indonesia now faces new security challenges for which it looks to be largely unprepared.
While it seems likely that recent terrorist attacks in Indonesia are inspired by Islamic State rather than directed by it, the rise in Islamic State’s influence has potential implications for the security of Australians in Indonesia.
After 2011, terrorist attacks in Indonesia seemed to shift from targeting foreign Western interests and residents to attacking Indonesian police officers. However, during the past year, Islamic State has encouraged revenge against Australians for our participation in the US-led coalition against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, which led to the loss of its physical caliphate, and our support for the Armed Forces of the Philippines in last year’s five-month battle to regain control of Marawi from Islamic State-linked militants. The Marawi battle left almost 1000 militants dead.
Indonesia may need more security assistance from Australia to get on top of its Islamic State-linked situation and it would be in our interest to provide it.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | May 29, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
A woman corporator was recently stalked by a grain seller after she objected to feed being sold for pigeons on Juhu beach.
Renu Hansraj said residents of societies adjacent to the beach had complained of health issues, caused by bird droppings, after large flocks of pigeons started feeding on grain on the beach. When she took this up with the vendor, he responded with: “Everyone would die the way they were destined to.”
Hansraj later recorded her statement with Juhu police.
“A vendor has been selling bird feed for nearly four hours every morning behind Hotel Ramada Plaza Palm Grove. Morning walkers buy grains from him and feed birds. We have requested him repeatedly to move to another stretch of the beach where there are no housing societies, in vain. Pigeon droppings are harmful and have worsened respiratory ailments of residents living adjacent to the current feeding site,” Hansraj said.
On May 4, she went to the beach around 6am to check on the situation.
“I was told the vendor was making as much as Rs 10,000 a day selling bird feed. One of the morning walkers entered into an argument with the vendor over his site of business. I intervened to broker peace as there were many others out for a walk and I did not want anyone to get disturbed. Around 7.15am, while I was headed home on foot, I noticed the vendor following me on his two-wheeler near Hotel JW Marriott. He said he wanted to speak to me. I asked why he hadn’t spoken to me on the beach in the presence of others. He lied that he sold bird feed on the beach for only half an hour. I told him we had no objection to his business, but only to the location he had chosen,” Hansraj said.
The vendor then tried to intimidate her by dropping names of politicians. At this, Hansraj told him to sell bird feed outside those politicians’ homes.
“I told him there was a five-year-old child suffering from bronchitis and a couple of asthma patients living in the building outside which he was doing business,” she said.
People across the city have time and again voiced concern about the unchecked growth in pigeon populations.
Veterinary microbiologists have linked as many as 60 diseases to pathogens released from pigeon droppings. Lung ailments and skin diseases top the list. Siddhesh Surve, who was formerly associated with Bombay Natural History Society, told TOI people should feed sparrows instead of pigeons.
“Pigeons do not clean their nests, unlike other birds, and their nests carry a lot of insects which can harm humans. Instead, people can buy sparrow feeders and put these up on windows.”
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | May 28, 2018 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
As pigeon racing season approaches, pigeon fanciers will be taking their pigeons further away from their lofts for training.
Pretoria pigeon fancier Elaine Russell said this was done firstly to get their old birds fit and secondly for the young birds to build up stamina and to orientate themselves to go back to the loft.
“At this time of the year, there are thousands of pigeons being trained all over Gauteng and, unfortunately, some do get injured or lost,” she said.
Russel said there have been numerous enquiries on social media on how one goes about reporting these pigeons.
She provided useful information for non-pigeon fanciers, should a racing pigeon land at their residence tired or injured.
The first step is to check if the pigeon has a coloured identification ring on its leg, e.g. GPU (Gauteng Pigeon Union) ZA17 (year of issue) 13309 (ring number).
“If the pigeon does not have a ring on its leg, it is more likely a wild or feral pigeon, rather than a racing pigeon,” she said.
“If it is a seasoned racing pigeon, there may be an electronic ring on the pigeon’s another leg, which should have a sticker on it with the telephone number of the ring steward of the union or federation to which the pigeon owner belongs.”
Russel said most lost pigeons are hungry and thirsty.
“Water is necessary before all else – please ensure water is available in a deep dish,” she said.
“If you can provide food, then please give either birdseed, whole mealies or uncooked rice or lentils.”
She urged residents to not feed racing pigeons bread.
“We, as pigeon fanciers, thank you in advance for taking the time and effort to look after and report our pigeons,” she said.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | May 27, 2018 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
Why do pigeons roost on roofs or gutters?
Pigeons like comfortable sunny places that are safe from predators and has abundant food and water. The nests are built of twigs but quickly become so covered in droppings that they look like a big pile of waste. When the babies are born, they are a dull brown and are perfectly camouflaged in the nest. Gutters are dish-shaped and provide great nesting sites that securely hold the nests. Pigeons nest and roost on and in houses because it gives them a good view of nearby feeding areas or because they have gained access to the interior of the building. They usually access buildings through broken windows, missing or loose vents or any other small gap or opening. Pigeons also like high places because they are able to keep a close watch on their surroundings and spot predators. Pigeons are social birds and each flock works as a team. Someone always has an eye out for danger.
Where do pigeons normally live?
Pigeons live in every part of the world but the North and South Poles. They started out as pets, but through accidental or intentional release have developed into perhaps the most common feral bird. Originally, they liked places with lots of grain, like farms, especially when they are near areas with good nesting sites in high and inaccessible places, like cliffs or buildings. Once known as ‘rock doves’, pigeons live anywhere there is adequate food and shelter and are common in most urban and suburban areas. Stadiums and fast-food restaurants, parks and bridges, airports and schools – all are common pigeon environments.
What is the difference between parrots and parakeets?
Parakeets are also a group of parrots. However parrots are much larger than parakeets. Parakeets are less than a foot while parrots can go to one metre long and some can weigh around four kg.
Is a flaky beak normal in parrots?
A parrot’s beak serves not only in eating, but also as a ‘hand’ in climbing. Like our nails, birds beaks are made of keratin and keep growing throughout their life time. There is always new beak tissue growth under the existing beak and, after some time, the outer beak is being sloughed off. You may see a parrot hurry the process of outer beak peeling by rubbing its beak against hard surfaces. Sometimes a poor diet will cause problems to birds’ beaks.
This can be remedied by offering a variety of fresh foods and high quality multi-vitamins/minerals supplements. A good tip is to provide a piece of cuttlebone to your pet parrot for its beak grinding. This will increase its intake of calcium and help to prevent the beak from overgrowing.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | May 26, 2018 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
A few years ago, there was talk about how one no longer spots the humble sparrow within the city. Noticed how the number of crow sightings have also reduced? Once a staple of the Bengaluru skyline, crows are becoming a rare sight. We spoke to ornithologist MB Krishna — who, confirming that the number of crows has, in fact, reduced in the city — says that this is a warning sign.
“It’s not only crows, but a lot of other garden and woodland birds in the city whose numbers have also dwindled. As a rough rule of thumb, this drop has been by 95% for many species over the last three decades. Although there is no quantitative study done across the city yet, just like the sparrow decline, the reduction of crows is noticeable,” says Krishna, who adds that there are many reasons for this.
Crows, says Krishna, are essentially scavengers and are not getting enough food in the city. They also require a certain amount of tree cover, because crows build nests on trees and need twigs to make their nests. Due to the drastic reduction in tree cover, crows are unable to reproduce. “Another reason is the rise in pollution levels. Birds have a high metabolic rate, since flight requires a lot of energy. Therefore, crows take in a large proportion of toxins. Pollution also adversely impacts the population of some insects, which are a source of food for birds. So, crows are directly or indirectly not getting enough food,” says Krishna.
An offshoot to the reduction of crows in the city is that the number of pigeons seem to have drastically increased. “Not only pigeons,” says Krishna, adding, “The number of barn owls has also increased. Unlike crows, pigeons and barn owls can adapt to multi-story buildings. The increase in garbage in the city means that there are more rats, which is what barn owls feast on.”
So, what impact does this have on the ecology? “More than an ecological impact, birds are a warning system. Crows are important scavengers of human debris (the garbage that people throw out), but they also have a big role in sending out warning signals that something is amiss. Considering that a successful species like crows is seeing a decline in numbers sounds a warning bell to us all. The decline in green cover and the alarming rise in pollution levels will invariably have an impact on us, just as it has had on crows. These birds are telling us that it’s time to act,” signs off Krishna.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | May 25, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
As we are coming up to pigeon racing season again, pigeon fanciers will be taking their pigeons further away from their lofts for training, firstly to get their old birds fit, and secondly for the young birds to build up stamina and to orientate themselves to go back to the loft.
At this time of the year, there are thousands of pigeons being trained all over Gauteng and unfortunately, some do get injured or lost and there have been numerous enquiries on social media about how one goes about reporting these pigeons.
Here is some useful information for non-pigeon fanciers, should a racing pigeon land at your residence tired and/or injured:
In the first instance, you will need to check that the pigeon has a coloured identification ring on its leg, for example, GPU (Gauteng Pigeon Union) ZA17 (year of issue) 13309 (ring number).
If the pigeon does not have a ring on its leg, it is more likely a wild or feral pigeon rather than a racing pigeon.
If it is a seasoned racing pigeon, there may be an electronic ring on the pigeon’s other leg which should have a sticker on it with the telephone number of the ring steward of the union or federation that the pigeon owner belongs to.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | May 24, 2018 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
Crested pigeons are native to Australia and one of the growing number of birds that have adapted to the impact of humans on the environment and moved into urban areas.
Originally birds of the inland, restricted to arid and semi-arid, they have gradually spread, colonising Adelaide first in the 1980s during a severe drought and later appearing in Perth and Melbourne. Crested pigeons are now commonly found on most of the mainland, with the exception of the tropical northern areas.
Like all pigeons and doves these birds have a plump body with a rounded chest and the feathers on their flanks are modified to continuously produce powder down which is used to preen feathers.
They are easily identified from other similar birds as they have a thin black crest on the head. The only other pigeon in Australia with a crest is the Spinifex Pigeon, also found in arid areas.
Crested Pigeons have grey-brown plumage which has a pinkish tinge on the underparts and pink legs and feet and a red eye ring and eye. The wings are barred with black and decorated with glossy green and purple patches that are amazingly beautiful when caught in the light.
These birds are found in lightly wooded grasslands in rural and urban areas and always near water. They feed in pairs or small flocks and are often seen on golf courses, in parklands and urban streets.
They are ground feeding birds and eat native seeds and grasses and seeds from introduced crops and weeds. Clearing land for agriculture has significantly extended their range.
The birds build a delicate nest of twigs in small trees or dense bush and produce two eggs.
Both male and female birds have a unique glandular crop which secretes “crop-milk” on which the young are reared.
One of the most intriguing features of these birds is the whirring noise made by their wings when they are alarmed and take flight. This noise is caused by an adaptation to their wing structure resulting that the eighth primary flight feathers are half the width of the others.
This difference produces a high-pitched sound when the wing is pushed down and has become a critical part of an alarm system that warns the rest of the flock to flee the danger.
No other related pigeon has this survival feature.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | May 23, 2018 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
Exercise, as we know, is important for everybody. And this pigeon got the memo, too. It was recorded on camera hard at work as it ran on a treadmill – er, make that an escalator bannister.
The video (above) posted on Twitter shows a pigeon defying an escalator by running in the opposite direction. But give it the benefit of the doubt, maybe it was just exercising.
The video has gone viral, for good reason.
The escalator-treadmill-workout also appears to be a conspiracy in the pigeon world. In 2012, another video of a pigeon similarly using an escalator to work out went viral as well.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | May 22, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
Are humans the smartest animals on Earth? Not necessarily, according to primatologist Frans de Waal, author of Are “We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?”. He writes about chimpanzees that can remember numbers displayed for a few seconds better than humans can and dogs that can recognize human body language better than other humans.
It’s common knowledge that chimps and dogs (especially border collies) are pretty darn smart, but here are some other animals that are much more intelligent than we may realize.
1. PIGS
Pigs are considered to be among the smartest domestic animals in the world.
They can use joysticks to play video games, easily solve mazes, understand simple symbolic language and have excellent long-term memories (this, as I’ve previously pointed out, is just one reason why Donald Trump should not be called a pig).
Six-week-old piglets were able to learn how to use mirrors to find their hidden food. Seriously, could human infants do that?
2. SHEEP
Like pigs, sheep have very strong memory and recognition skills. One study found that they were able to remember 25 pairs of sheep faces more than two years later, which is longer than many humans could.
Sheep also exhibit emotional intelligence, indicated by their ability to form friendships, defend weaker sheep in fights and experience sadness when their friends are taken away to the slaughterhouse.
3. COWS
Cows are also cognitively and emotionally intelligent. They can quickly learn a variety of tasks, have long-term memories and can recognize human faces. They have friends as well as enemies, and they very strongly feel emotions like pain, fear and anxiety.
“These are highly developed mammals that have been solving problems for a long, long time,” said zoologist Dr. Daniel Weary in an interview with the Huffington Post. “If anything, it reflects poorly on us that we’re surprised that these animals are smart. Of course these animals are smart.”
4. FISH
The mosquitofish (live-bearing tooth carp), a small freshwater fish that gets its name from the mosquito larvae it consumes, can count up to four or higher. Researchers discovered that female mosquitofish that were being harassed by males would always swim off to a group of at least four other fish – never fewer than four.
Many other animals (including chickens, as you’ll soon learn) have the ability to count.
6. CROWS
Should “birdbrained” be considered a compliment? Absolutely, considering the intelligence of crows, pigeons, chickens and our other fine-feathered friends.
Crows have unusually large brains for their size, making their intelligence similar to that of problem-solving primates. They use those brains to recognize the faces of different species and determine if they are friends or foes.
They can also comprehend basic physics like water displacement, may be able to memorize garbage truck routes so they can follow them for scraps, and can change their migration pattern to detour around areas where crows have been killed.
Crows can also express gratitude: A little girl who fed crows in Seattle collected more than 70 “gifts” they left for her in the bird feeder, including earrings and a “Best Friend” charm.
6. PIGEONS
Pigeons can learn abstract mathematical rules, an ability they share only with humans and rhesus monkeys.
Their ability to solve problems is highly evolved. A study found that pigeons have the intelligence of a 3-year-old human child.
7. CHICKENS
Chickens can also solve complex problems, count and differentiate between geometric shapes. They can communicate using more than two dozen vocalizations, each of which has a different meaning.
Before they’re hatched, chicks use different-toned peeps to let their mothers know whether they’re cold or comfortable.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | May 21, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
As Venice tries to reduce the impact of mass tourism, the city has banned the opening of any more takeaway food outlets for the next three years.
It is an attempt to reduce the number of tourists snacking on church steps, historic bridges and canal banks, spoiling the aesthetics of what should be one of the most romantic and refined cities in the world.
Eating in the streets and piazzas of the World Heritage attraction also produces litter and encourages unwelcome flocks of pigeons and seagulls.
Large herring gulls have been known to snatch food out of people’s hands. The Venetian authorities are now saying “basta” (enough) to new pizza outlets, kebab shops and street food stalls.
The regulation was approved by Luigi Brugnaro, the mayor of Venice, on Wednesday. It covers not only Venice but also the outlying islands of Murano and Burano, both of which are popular with visitors.
Murano is famed for its centuries-old tradition of glass-blowing and does a thriving trade in selling handmade ornaments, vases, bowls and even chandeliers.
Venice has struggled for years to impose a sense of decorum on its millions of visitors and takes a dim view of tourists holding impromptu picnics, jumping into canals and wandering around scantily dressed during the summer.
The city has a public information campaign called #EnjoyRespectVenezia, which calls for tourism that is “in harmony with the daily life of residents”. Visitors are asked to behave in a “responsible and respectful” manner.
“Steps of churches, bridges, wells, monuments and banks of canals are not picnic areas. Please use public gardens for this necessity,” the city advises.
Walking around in swimwear such as bikinis is forbidden, as is feeding the pigeons or standing around consuming food and drink in St Mark’s Square. An average of 60,000 tourists a day descend on Venice – more than its population.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | May 20, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
Fossil remnants of a pigeon found on the South Island of New Zealand point out that this bird was related to the extinct dodo bird, as it has been published by academic sources. The researchers concluded that they’ve discovered a new species of pigeon.
Scientists uncovered the wing and waist bones of a specimen of what they’ve called the Zealandian dove (Deliaphaps zealandiensis) in the Otago region of South Island, according to a news release from the Canterbury Museum in New Zealand.
The investigations conducted by the New Zealand and Australian scientists, whose conclusions have been featured in the journal “Paleontology and Evolution of Birds”, showed that the wing bone is somewhat comparable to specimens of a species of birds in the Indo-Pacific basin.
These look-alike birds are the Manumea dove, Didunculus strigirostris, which is only found in Samoa, the New Guinea horned dove, Goura cristata, and the South-East Asian Nicobar dove, Caloenas nicobarica.
The newly discovered pigeon from New Zealand “is probably very similar to the Nicobar pigeon and is, therefore, a close relative of the famous dodo bird [now extinct],” explained the leading author of the research.
The “Zealandian dove” name of the new pigeon species unearthed in New Zealand makes reference to the nearly underwater continent of Zealand, known as Zealandia, a groundmass that is thought to have originated from the disappeared Gondwana supercontinent and from which it was separated 100 million years ago.
These pigeons, which inhabited an ecosystem of vegetation biodiversity and great fruitful trees, have most likely collapsed due to a “marked climatic cooling that occurred 14.2 to 13.8 million years ago”, explained Alan Tennyson from the New Zealand Museum.
The scientists are pretty sure that the new pigeon species, the Zealandian dove, is related to the extinct dodo bird but further studies in this regard may be needed.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | May 19, 2018 | Bird Deterrent Products
Q: Why don’t pigeons migrate?
A: That’s an interesting question and part of the answer lies in the fact that these birds are not native to the United States. Settlers brought rock pigeons to this continent in the early 1600s. On their home grounds in Europe, North Africa and Asia, they don’t migrate but live and nest on rocky cliffs. They’ve adapted to urban life well, treating tall buildings as their home cliffs. Their strong homing instinct makes them easy to train as homing, racing and messenger birds. Similarly, another nonnative species, the house sparrow, is nonmigratory, as well.
Frozen food
Q: We were surprised to see a male cardinal eating the freeze-dried mealworms we set out for the chickadees. Is this unusual?
A: Birds had to put on a layer of fat each day to fight the cold, and your cardinal figured out that mealworms are an excellent source of energy. Cardinals seem to be fairly adventurous birds that are willing to try new things — maybe this one noticed a chickadee carrying off a mealworm and was intrigued. Once the cardinal tried them, he found the dried worms to be a good way to stoke his inner furnace.
Owls in the ’hood
Q: A pair of great horned owls was hanging around our neighborhood this winter, and we could hear them hooting back and forth. The whole neighborhood is hoping they nest nearby, maybe in a large pine tree, and keep the rabbits under control.
A: Imagine having these large owls nesting right in the neighborhood. I think you and your neighbors can count on two things: Since they’re not nest-builders, the owls will need to adopt a nest built by another species (red-tailed hawk, crows, even squirrels) or a large break in a tree to settle into. And now that it’s spring, the owls will be feeding their voracious owlets, and rabbits may begin to disappear from the neighborhood.
Disappearing act
Q: We have robins nesting around our property from spring into July every year, and then they seem to disappear. Isn’t that too early for them to fly south? Where do they go?
A: Good question, and as you know, robins in our region raise at least two broods during the breeding season. As summer progresses and the second nesting period begins to wrap up, the males gather in parks and natural areas to feed and roost. As young robins become independent, they find these flocks. Females join them once they’ve finished raising their last brood. The robins will spend the final weeks of summer and fall fattening up and preparing for migration (although not all will leave).
Feisty red bird
Q: A male cardinal has been attacking our windows this past fall and winter. I know they will do this during breeding season, but he’s out there every day, attacking numerous windows. What gives with this bird?
A: You’re right, this behavior is not uncommon in the spring, when birds maintaining their territories will attack “competitors” they see reflected in windows. I checked with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and researcher Andrew Farnsworth says that your bird may be a highly dominant male who is trying to keep other cardinals out of his territory. Anything that cuts down on the reflectivity of your windows (cardboard on the outside, curtains closed inside, etc.) may help deter him.
Raptor meal
Q: We just happened to be looking out the window as a bald eagle held a struggling Canada goose down and began to rip off its feathers. The eagle fed for a while and then was joined by another, which we assumed was its mate. Were they pairing up this early?
A: I suspect that the hapless goose probably had an injury or illness that made it unable to escape the eagle’s talons. And at the time of your observation, early February, bald eagles had been building or refurbishing their nests for some weeks. Female bald eagles in our region begin laying eggs as early as mid-February. So the birds you saw were probably a nesting pair, and you may be lucky enough to spot the nest near your 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.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | May 18, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
Way back in 2006 I was contacted by multiple Yorketown business owners fed up with the escalating pigeon problem. During the following 12 months more than 1000 were professionally removed, including nests. Attention was also spent blocking roosting sites and notifying building owners to ensure numbers remained manageable.
It was at that time I discovered residents at two separate residential addresses in Yorketown which supply large amounts of food in the open and have purpose-built enclosed roosting cages for the birds overnight. I brought these two addresses to the attention of the council but no further action was taken. I could not remove the last 30 or so birds due directly to these sites.
In 2014, I was contacted as the birds had yet again built up to plague proportions. During the next 18 months 1150 were removed. At that time the two residents were still supplying the birds with food and shelter. This time I spoke directly with one of those involved but no changes were made.
To date the removal was funded by local businesses and the Yorketown Progress Association.
Disappointingly for the town, its residents and visitors moving forward, my services are no longer available as the root of the problem has not been rectified.
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.
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by johnnymarin | May 17, 2018 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
A new pigeon species related to the extinct dodo bird has been found at a Central Otago fossil site near St Bathans.
The Zealandian dove, which lived in the South Island some 19 million to 16 million years ago, was identified from a few fossil bones found at St Bathans over the past 16 years.
One of the bones found on the wing was similar to the tooth-billed pigeon (found only in Samoa), the crowned pigeons of New Guinea, and the Nicobar pigeon (South East Asia), Doctor Vanesa De Pietri from Canterbury Museum said.
The latter was the closest living relative of the extinct dodo and the solitaire (another extinct, flightless bird) from the Mascarene Islands in the Indian Ocean, Dr De Pietri said.
“Based on the St Bathans fossils, we think that the Zealandian dove is part of this Indo-Pacific group. It is probably most similar to the Nicobar pigeon and is therefore a close relative (or at least a cousin) of the famous dodo”, she said.
“The Zealandian dove is the first record of this group found in the southern part of the nearly submerged land mass known as Zealandia.”
Te Papa curator Alan Tennyson said the loss of diversity in fauna may have contributed to the bird’s extinction.
“The disappearance of these pigeons from New Zealand’s fauna was likely linked to the marked climatic cooling that took place between 14.2 and 13.8 million years ago. Until then New Zealand’s subtropical flora and fauna was very diverse with fruit-bearing trees such as laurels,” he said.
“This loss of floral diversity certainly had an impact on fruit and seed-eating birds, and may have been responsible for the subsequent loss in pigeon diversity in New Zealand.”
Previous fossils which had been found at the St Bathans site now numbered in the thousands and documented New Zealand’s history of biodiversity, professor Sue Hand of UNSW Sydney said.
“For many of New Zealand’s very distinctive bird lineages, such as moa and kiwi, the St Bathans fossils provide their oldest and sometimes first deep time records,” she said.
The cast of a Dodo skull and leg, taken from a dried head and leg held by the Oxford Museum of Zoology in the United Kingdom. Canterbury Museum acquired the objects from Oxford in 1871 in exchange for kiwi skeletons. Canterbury Museum also holds the largest collection of dodo bones outside Europe. Photo: Canterbury Museum
The discovery of fossils and identification of the pigeon species in relation to the dodo was a rare occurrence at St Bathans, Doctor Trevor Worthy of Flinders University said.
“Pigeon fossils are rare in the St Bathans fauna and are outnumbered by about 30 to one by parrots, which perhaps reflects the relative abundance of these tree-dwelling birds in the St Bathans fauna,” Dr Worthy said.
The Zealandian dove was the second pigeon to be found at the St Bathans fossil site, Canterbury Museum professor Paul Scofield said.
“Some years ago we described the St Bathans pigeon, which we believe is a relative of New Zealand’s two living native pigeons and to the Australian topknot pigeon,” Dr Scofield said.
“We have now also found a leg bone that we can attribute to this species. As a result we can now confirm that the St Bathans Pigeon is also closely related to Indonesian and Melanesian mountain pigeons.”
New Zealand now only had two species of native pigeons, the New Zealand pigeon and the Chatham Island pigeon.
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)
