by johnnymarin | Oct 8, 2017 | Pigeons in the News
The Mourning Dove is one of the most common and abundant birds native to North America. It is common in open country and along roadsides. It can be found in forest clearings, prairies, deserts, farmlands, and suburbs. There are usually several sightings a year, that we know of, in Edmonds. It is far more common in rural parts of Snohomish County. Look for it on utility lines, fence posts, and foraging on the ground.
The bird in the second photo was on the beach just north of the Brackett’s Landing jetty last week, engaging in unusual behavior. It was repeatedly flying up and chasing Western Sandpipers away from the shore break and out over the water. Then it would return to walking the beach.
Nature writer Pete Dunne calls the Mourning Dove a teardrop with a tail because of its shape — a tiny head atop a slender neck atop a plump body, finished off with a long pointed tail. Dunne’s description also fits because its song is among the saddest in the avian world. It’s easy to envision teardrops falling from its eyes as it utters its dirge-like chant.
Seeds make up 99% of the Mourning Dove’s diet. The bird favors the seeds of cultivated grains, grasses, ragweeds and other plants. It usually forages on the ground, swallowing seeds and storing them in its crop, which is an enlarged pocket of the upper esophagus. Once it fills its crop, the bird will then fly to a safe perch to digest its meal. It swallows grit, which is small gravel, to aid in the digestion of hard seeds. One source notes that the seed record is held by a dove that filled its crop with 17,200 bluegrass seeds.
The male’s courtship display starts with an ascent accompanied by noisy wingbeats. He then does a long circular glide with his wings fully spread and slightly bowed down. On the ground, he approaches the female stiffly with his chest puffed out. He bows and coos loudly to her. The pair will bond by preening each other’s feathers. The male leads the female to potential nest sites. The female selects the site she will use.
The nest is most often in a tree or shrub, usually lower than 40 feet above ground. This dove will nest sometimes on a building ledge or other structure. Occasionally it will nest on the ground. The male supplies the building materials and the female constructs a flimsy nest of twigs. Both sexes incubate the two eggs for about two weeks. Both parents feed the nestlings “pigeon milk”. (Pigeon milk is a milky fluid secreted by the walls of the crop. It is rich in fat and protein.) The young leave the nest after about 15 days and continue to be fed by their parents for another two weeks. This species has multiple broods each year. In southern areas a pair may raise as many as 5-6 broods per year.
There are a number of collective nouns for any group of doves. They include cote, dole, dule, bevy, flight, and piteousness. For the Mourning Dove specifically, I would offer lament as a collective noun because of its sad song, sung over and over and over again. The oldest known Mourning Dove was 30 years and four months of age when he was shot in Florida in 1998. He had been banded in Georgia in 1968. The Mourning Dove is a game bird and hunters harvest upwards of 20 million each year.
U.S. population estimates vary widely. One source asserts that the Mourning Dove is one of the most abundant birds with a U.S. population of 350 million. Although the Mourning Dove is common across the continent, and has prospered as humans settled the landscape, the North American Breeding Bird Survey estimates a population decline of 15% between 1966 and 2015. Partners in Flight estimates a global population of 120 million, with 81 percent spending part of the year in the U.S., 5 percent in Canada, and 19 percent in Mexico. The Mourning Dove has a conservation status of least concern.
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 | Oct 7, 2017 | Bird Deterrent Products
Most birdwatchers hardly spare a glance for the feral, or semi-domesticated, pigeons of our towns, strutting across pavements or flying above the streets with their wings held momentarily in a V-shape. Yet they are interesting birds with a long history.
Nearly all of them come from ancestors that passed through human hands. Some of these were kept for food in dovecotes many were trained as homing or racing pigeons in a competitive sport that survives.
They have hybridised, and a flock may contain birds of very different appearance. Among them, however, are numerous individuals that still look very like the wild rock doves of the coast. They can be picked out by their blue-grey colour and the two heavy black bars on each wing. These probably derive from wild birds once captured by humans for use in the shooting booths. Rock doves are very quick and agile on the wing, and were good; challenging targets for the gunners when released.
In the wild they live on rocky seaside cliffs, and the pure form is found mainly in northwest Scotland. However, the feral birds sometimes go back to their cliff habitat and interbreed with them, so they may eventually die out.
The town pigeons can look very scruffy and dirty, and one wonders what they have been eating, so they are not very popular. But a sudden panicky flight into the sky by a streetful of them when they are alarmed can be quite spectacular. These can be seen much more often now that peregrine falcons are found in town centres looking for pigeons.
The town pigeons’ note is a little rolling “coo”, much used in courtship, and one can often see a male walking rapidly, in a rather hustling style, behind a female in the hope of wooing her. They nest in sheltered holes and crevices in buildings, often under railway bridges. We may not greatly like them, but it seems that we shall always have them with us.
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 | Oct 6, 2017 | Pigeons in the News
The Tennessee-Florida game is this week. No one wants to talk about it and that’s fine. One program is managed by a dull Battletoad whose idea of a rallying cry is a garbage can. The other spent most of his offseason taking offense at the implication that he looked like a man who posed nude on a shark. Neither is living up to expectations at places that desperately want a likable winner, and neither is happy.
This game will be like watching two pigeons fight over a half-eaten chicken wing. No one respects the pigeons to begin with, because they are pigeons. Both are poorly armed and equipped for the fight, because again: are pigeons. As an SEC East rivalry, the entire exercise is an exercise in cannibalism. As a fight over position in the blighted SEC East, it is a futile fight with very little meat on the bone to be won.
Bystanders will be mildly horrified, only mildly, because this game doesn’t have the gravity to merit full horror.
What it will have: The head coach of one team hawking barbecue sauce in the stadium’s concession stands. Jim McElwain’s recipe can now be yours in the form of Mombo3 barbecue sauce, named for McElwain’s mom, and for the number of children the McElwain family have, and definitely not for field goals. Nope. Definitely not a 3 for endless field goals to end offensive drives.
Reading over it, it sounds like this is a production of McElwain’s wife Karen and Marty Hurwitz, who is some dude who used to manage Raquel Welch, but who now lives in Sarasota. (We would put money on there being at least five dudes in Sarasota who say they used to manage Raquel Welch.)
When asked to describe the sauce, Hurwitz, who did not think of the football implications of this at all, gave the Gainesville Sun this:
He describes it as “perfume for the mouth. Sweet at first, then tangy and finally a kick at the end.”
That is correct. The Gators’ barbecue sauce starts sweet, but then turns bitter and ends with a kick. No, this is perfect. The branding is perfect, don’t change a damn thing, not at all. Tennessee at Florida will be broadcast at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS, and Jim McElwain definitely did not pose nude atop a shark this offseason. He says it wasn’t him, and that offends him and his family when you say 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 | Oct 5, 2017 | Pigeons in the News
Only two birds made it back to West Cumbria on the day from Portland after the 8.30am liberation on Saturday.
Ian, who flies with wife Denise, clocked a blue hen at 4.54pm after the 284 miles flight. The only other bird on the day homed to the Salterbeck loft of Graham Best at 6.46pm.
Ian, who has enjoyed a tremendous season, is leading the race for the coveted Big Cup in the Derwent Valley Federation ahead of this weekend’s final race from Windrush. His winning bird was bred in the stock loft and prior to the Gold Ring test had six races, only missing Flookburgh 1 and Southport.
Flying to the perch she is a Kees Bosua pigeon, her sire being bred by Paul Fisher Blackpool out of two of his best pigeons named The Joker and Princess Kees responsible for many winners. The dam was bought at Premier Stud Ed Sittner’s (Kees Bosua) sale in Blackpool. She is out of two principle pigeons namely Big Daddy and Blue Belle.
Ian says: “The parents of this hen have bred me several winners, one being my West Cumbria Amalgamation bird of the year in 2015 and 2016. He was also an RPRA Cumbria Region award runner-up last year to a loft mate.
“His nestmate has also scored many times for me in the Club, Fed and Amal.”
Ian collected £3,000 for winning the race, plus another £3,000 as the breeder.
He was also seventh at 8.44am on Sunday morning with a blue white flight hen which earned him £350 and also a further £350 for breeding her. She is also a Kees Bosua pigeon bred in the stock loft from two of Paul Fisher’s birds which were gifted to him.
Ian sent four birds, all bred by him, and clocked two of them while a third was reported after being found on the Wirral.
Twelve birds were clocked on the Sunday with three by Richard Martindale and George ‘Pal’ Lawman; two by John and Liz Walters and two by Joe Fitzsimmons and son.
After the total pay-out the Gold Ring organiser Danny Rodgers will hand nearly £500 to the Henderson Suite at West Cumberland Hospital.
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 | Oct 4, 2017 | Pigeons in the News
“Please don’t curse me. Uncle, please forgive me. I made this mistake for the first time in my life. I will not repeat it. After taking away your pigeons I haven’t been able to study well. My mother also scolded me. I will repay your loss after I get a job… I am giving them back. I am even giving you my pigeons…”
This is a portion of the note Binu Philip found outside his house a week after he lost 10 rare pigeons costing nearly Rs 48,000. 44-year-old Binu, a manager at a showroom for tiles, collects rare species of pigeons, and his pets are priced at around Rs 1 lakh. On September 4, while Binu and family were away from their house in Venjaramoodu in Thiruvananthapuram, 10 pigeons went missing.
The theft was discovered when Binu’s friend, who was feeding the birds while Binu was away, came to the house and found the enclosure broken into and some birds missing. Binu immediately filed a complaint with the police.
On Tuesday evening, at around 7pm, some of Binu’s neighbours saw two persons on a motorcycle throw a box into Binu’s compound.
When they opened up the box, they found pigeons inside, as well as a plaintive note of apology.
“The note was written in pencil, on a ruled sheet torn from a notebook. The person who wrote it mentioned that he had visited my house once. I think it might be some school boys. The neighbours couldn’t recognise the bike riders as they had covered their faces,” says Binu.
Among the pigeons that accompanied the plaintive note, says Binu, only five were among the rare birds that he lost. “There were another four pigeons in the box. But these were regular pigeons, and were ill too. Two of them died soon after,” he says.
Even among the five rare birds that were returned, one bird’s feathers had been badly cut off.
Binu suspects that his remaining birds have been sold off, as the writer of the note offers to repay him after getting a job.
The note makes another plaintive plea for forgiveness. “I just have my mother at home. She scolded me a lot. Please forgive me I will not do it again,” says the letter.
However, Binu says that the losses to him have been too large for him to withdraw his police complaint. “The pigeons that are still missing are worth Rs 25,000,” he says.
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 | Oct 3, 2017 | Bird Netting
PLANS to install netting at an iconic Knutsford building in an attempt to move pigeons on have been agreed by a town council committee.
The window areas of the Gaskell Memorial Tower at the Belle Époque will be blocked by netting, similar to that at The Courthouse, to deny the birds access.
The tower and surrounding buildings have become overrun with ever-increasing flocks of pigeons, furthering the issue of pigeon fouling in the town centre.
Members of the town council’s assets and operations committee voted to allocate almost £6,000 to the project, which would also see blunted spikes installed to prevent roosting.
Town clerk Adam Keppel-Green wrote in a report to members: “The committee has previously discussed the issue of pigeon fouling within the town centre and the environment committee is looking at town centre-wide options to reduce the overall pigeon population.
“It is proposed to install netting to the window areas on the tower, building and side building to prevent birds infesting the area. The netting will enclose the affected area and deny the birds access.
“This will involve installing steel fixings at each corner and at 500mm intervals to which wire and netting is then attached. There are existing areas of netting on the building already. Netting would be translucent to minimise any visual detraction from the listed building.
“Bird point would be affixed to the top ledges of the tower, ledges on the tower and on the piping around the building. The points are blunted and do not harm the birds but prevent it from being able to balance which encourages them to find a new place to roost.
“Whilst installing the netting and bird point existing bird fouling in the areas would be cleaned up.
“The council’s agent would oversee the works and arrange for listed building consent if required by the conservation officer.
“The cost of the works is £5,934.07.”
The council’s environment committee voted last month to explore further the installation of dovecotes in the town centre, with a budget of £2,600.
Installation will follow discussions with businesses and groups, and will allow for easier destruction of eggs to control the population growth.
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 | Oct 2, 2017 | Pigeons in the News
KANPUR: Now, birds are not free to travel on roadways buses. If any bird is found to be travelling on bus window it will liable to buy a valid ticket for its journey to nowhere. One bird can sit anytime to rest after its long flight but the Avian’s very presence inside the bus will not be forgivable. It is generally seen how the birds come and sit on the moving vehicles and quickly fly after a few seconds. However, a state government bus cannot put up with this haughtiness of the flying avis.
There is a strict rule for ticketing of the birds in Tamil Nadu buses. That’s why a pigeon sitting on the state corporation bus window was fined for travelling without a ticket. The conductor was issued with a memo. The passenger denied the presence of the pigeon when he boarded the bus. During the course of the ticket checking a pigeon was found with an inebriated passenger in the bus. In accordance with the rule of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation, it is imperative to pay one-fourth of the whole fare in case one person travels with more than thirty pigeons.
Just as none can put control on free air, free sun, the free movement so as a pigeon’s free movement cannot be checked calculatingly. The birds have total freedom to fly in the sky, to sit at its desired spot and rest at its nest after the darkness. The bus conductor insisted upon the absence of the pigeon from the passenger while getting on the bus. Unsatisfied with this point of the conductor, the officials in the rank of inspector issued him a memo. It seems just as a human being is nothing without the proof of Aadhaar Card so as the unshackled bird was carrying a punishment for without ticket travel.
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 | Oct 1, 2017 | Pigeons in the News
PCSO Sarah Giles, who polices the Sidwell St Market area, said it appeared to be “a particular group of street attached drinkers” and said they eat the birds so they can spend their benefits on booze.She accused them of “blatant pigeon eating”.
She said: ‘They have money to spend on booze, so they have the money to buy food.
“Many are alcoholics, and to keep a certain consumption level, will drink continuously. They are not filling a pub, because it is a different sort of drinking.
“It turns into a group, then a bigger group, and now we’re eating pigeons, now we’re killing seagulls. It escalates.”One trader, who asked not to be named, said the incident was “terrifying”.
She saw two men coaxing pigeons with bird seed before stuffing them into a rucksack.”
She said: “They managed to get 14 in, even with them flapping about. It was the space of around 20 minutes.”
PCSO Giles added that there had been reports of geese and swans also being captured, and a horrific incident where several children witnessed a woman stomping on the head of a seagull.She added: “We need to get community cohesion going – we don’t have the option to police it every day and a traders group would be beneficial.”
A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall police said: “This is being investigated as causing unnecessary suffering under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
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 | Sep 30, 2017 | Pigeons in the News
A row over racing pigeons ended Thursday night with a Miami man convicted of murder.
Jurors convicted Lazaro Romero, 47, of murdering a man he believed owed him 20 prized birds in a case that shook South Florida’s small but passionate pigeon-racing community.
He was convicted even though he was not the one who stabbed Yoan Vazquez to death in the yard of the man’s Miami home in November 2013. Instead, jurors believed, Romero was the mastermind who got his brother to come along to retrieve the pigeons — and it was his brother who stabbed Vazquez eight times.
The jury deliberated less than two hours before deciding on his guilt. Circuit Judge Diane Ward asked police to immediately take him into custody.
“Have faith,” he told his sobbing family members in the courtroom gallery. “I love you. Be calm.”
Romero, who faces up to life in prison, will be sentenced in the coming weeks.
The verdict came nearly three years after Vazquez was stabbed to death, all while his 6-year-old daughter watched feet away.
Pigeon racing is a sport that has existed for centuries and is popular in circles of Cuba and South Florida.
The birds have a navigation instinct that guides them back to their home lofts. During competitions, birds are released from the back of coops on trucks, sometimes hundreds of miles away; special electronic chips attached to the birds’ legs clock in their times when they return to their coops.
Vazquez, an art framer who hailed from Cuba, met Lazaro Romero through their love of the sport.
At trial, jurors heard that Romero helped Vazquez learn how to immunize and care for the birds.
But when Romero fell on hard times in 2013, losing his house, he sold the 20 breeding pigeons to Vazquez, prosecutors said. Romero later claimed that he lent the birds to his friend.
Either way, Romero began demanding his birds back. Vazquez refused. On the day of the killing, Romero and his brother drove to Vazquez’s Miami home and confronted the man as he tended to his coop in the backyard.
During the confrontation, prosecutor Marie Mato told jurors, both men pounced on Vazquez. Freddy Romero stabbed him to death — and unbeknownst to the brothers, Vazquez’s 6-year-old daughter witnessed a portion of the attack.
The confrontation and attack were captured on surveillance video.
“What difference does it make if these pigeons were loaned or the product of a sale?” Mato said. “Does it make sense that a 31-year-old man with a 6-year-old girl and a wife and family lost his life over some birds?”
Romero, however, insisted that he never planned to hurt Vazquez — and had no idea that his brother would fatally stab his former friend.
“He did not touch Yoan,” defense lawyer Julia Seifer-Smith said. “You can watch that in the video over and over again.”
Freddy Romero did not testify during the trial. He agreed to plead guilty and is serving a 25-year prison sentence.
“Lazaro could not have foreseen that Freddy was going to stab Yoan,” Seifer-Smith 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 | Sep 29, 2017 | Pigeons in the News
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 1 — Tens of thousands present at the Merdeka Day parade were treated to a trip back in time as all the stops were pulled to re-create the nostalgia of 1950s Malaya yesterday.
The Royal Box ensured the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, an unobstructed view.
The parade comprised 10 main segments, namely, nationhood, civil service, economy, animation, sports, self-identity, public order, national security, air show and integrated society segment.
Its narrative centred on focal points of the country’s history: Japanese Occupation (1941-1945), the anti-Malayan Union protests (1946) and the Malayan Emergency (1948-1960).
To kick things off, veteran actor Datuk Rahim Razali explained the meaning of Merdeka to six children representing major ethnic groups in a prologue narrative.
This was followed by an impression of the Japanese invasion with the 6,000 performers waving flags and holding placards in unison while sounds of gunfire and explosions were timed to go with war footage.
About 1,000 students in period clothing then “protested” against occupation and post-war communist aggression.
Next, a dozen vintage vehicles and bicycles carried actors who took up the roles of founding fathers Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun VT Sambanthan and Tun Tan Cheng Lock to witness the lowering of the Union Jack and the raising of the Jalur Gemilang.
Najib, fitted with a special khaki uniform, raised the declaration “Merdeka” seven times just as Tunku did 60 years ago.
Two retirees of the Royal Malaysian Navy, who were tasked to raise the national flag for the first time in 1957, Lt Commander (Rtd) Mohd Sharif Kalam and Warrant Officer 1 Commander (Rtd) Oliver Culvelt Samuel, were in the limelight once again when they raised the Jalur Gemilang at Dataran Merdeka.
Then Rusnah Aksah, who at age 12 released 101 pigeons during the declaration of the formation of Malaysia on September 16, 1963, repeated the act with 60 pigeons representing 60 years of independence.
But the highlight of the show was a short skit showcasing the “F Team”, an elite police unit which until recently had never been publicly acknowledged due to the sensitive nature of their work.
The marching contingent totalled 18,000 participants, including a group of more than 400 band members from 11 uniformed agencies. This was followed by a display of 300 assets including various aircraft and armoured vehicles.
Also, a contingent of the SEA Games athletes was led by chef de mission Datuk Marina Chin in the parade. They were roared on by spectators as Malaysia topped the medal tally in the Games which ended on Wednesday with 145 gold, 92 silver and 86 bronze medals.
The parade ended at 10.40am.
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 | Sep 28, 2017 | Pigeons in the News
There was a time during World War II when pigeons almost became the next war heroes… until scientists at NIST grounded them — thanks to some other winged friends. Credit: NIST
Did you know that the origin and development of touch screen technology can be directly tied to one of the world’s most famous behavioral scientists and a bunch of pigeons? This strange and fascinating part of science history is highlighted in the latest NISTory video from the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
At the peak of World War II, the U.S. government asked scientists of all backgrounds to find a solution to a tough defense problem: There was no really effective way to bomb important targets deep behind enemy lines without putting American pilots in grave danger.
Psychologist B.F. Skinner was convinced that he could train pigeons to become glider pilots. Working with NIST scientists, he began a series of scientific experiments to see if the animals could accurately hit targets with bombs. The results of this work would later lead to what we now take for granted in touch screens on our phones and tablets.
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 | Sep 27, 2017 | Pigeons in the News
Horrified witnesses have voiced their shock after a man claiming to be a vampire beheaded two pigeons and drank their blood in a busy New York park.
The man then waited for police to arrive after throwing one of the dead pigeons at someone who was eating their lunch.
The man has been taken into custody.
Sickening images of the aftermath were posted on social media as police confirmed the man had been taken into custody
A stunned witness, aged 32, told the New York Post after the incident in Bryant Park: ‘He was holding up the pigeons and drinking their blood, letting the blood drip down his shirt.’
And the witness added: ‘It was pretty disgusting.’
Another woman in the park told the Post that the man was calm when police arrived.
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 | Sep 26, 2017 | Pigeons in the News
Calls have been made to rehome a family of peregrine falcons in Colchester, after concerns they could threaten the pigeon-keeping community
The unique residents moved into the town’s disused Jumbo Tower in June, after a lone falcon was spotted on top of the building at the start of the summer.
For pigeon fanciers though, – people who keep and breed pigeons – the news means there is a heightened risk of attack on their birds.
There are also concerns that it will threaten the already-declining sport of pigeon racing.
Micky Hughes, who lives near the tower, said: “People seem to think these birds just want to find a home. However, towns such as Colchester are an unnatural habitat for peregrine falcons, causing damage and destruction to many small birds including racing pigeons and song birds.
“As a result I have to be constantly wary of the movements of predatory birds – something that I’ve never had to worry about before.
“It’s important to me to ensure that wildlife flourishes in its natural habitat, therefore I’m keen to see these peregrine falcons rehomed somewhere which will not only benefit pigeon fanciers such as myself, but the birds in question too.”
While birds of prey, such as sparrowhawks and peregrine falcons are safeguarded by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, birds owned by the 60,000 pigeon fanciers in the UK have no legal protetction against attacks from raptors.
As a result, The Raptor Alliance – which lobbies for change on behalf of pigeon fanciers – has been working with councils to ensure the number of birds of prey circling communities stabilises.
Lee Fribbins, from The Raptor Alliance, said: “It is imperative that we investigate ways of controlling and managing the increasing population of predatory birds humanely whilst ensuring that they are not introduced to unsuitable locations.
“We are currently liaising with people who have been affected by attacks and engaging with councils to educate and investigate solutions to the problem.”
He added: “Racing birds provide great company for their owners and are able to enjoy freedom on daily basis, naturally competing as they are released from their lofts.
“This is a hobby that can be taken up by anyone at any age, provides almost £107 million to the UK economy every year and provides substantial donations to many worthy charities across the country – therefore we want to make sure this past time isn’t lost forever.”
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 | Sep 25, 2017 | Pigeons in the News
Arizona’s dove hunters know what a huge part agriculture plays in their hunting success.
No matter the crop — wheat, sorghum, millet, milo, sunflowers – grain fields are like magnets for flight after flight of mourning and the larger white-winged doves, providing some of the best wing-shooting action in the nation.
“Arizona consistently reports the highest number of birds harvested per hunter (18.1 in 2016) than any other state in the West (11.1),” said Johnathan O’Dell, small game biologist for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. “Some years, Arizona turns in the highest number in the country.
“We saw an increase in 2016 in the mourning dove population — 45.7 million, up from 36.3 million in 2015 — in the Western Management Unit, which consists of Arizona, Utah, Nevada, California, Oregon, Idaho and Washington. We expect numbers to remain high for opening day in 2017.”
Once again, the greatest number of doves – and dove hunters — will be concentrated in the state’s agricultural areas when the season begins Friday. O’Dell said he expects even more white-winged doves than usual in these areas, based on this year’s weather patterns in some places that inhibited the production of saguaro cactus fruit – a popular food source for white-winged doves.
For a change of pace, as well as a little more elbow room, O’Dell offers this tip:
Find a desert hotspot.
“Substantial rains that covered Arizona this year allowed for mourning doves to spread out across the desert in search of food and nesting sites in trees near previously dry livestock waters,” O’Dell said. “It would be worth doing some scouting to find a dove hotspot this year.”
The department reminds dove hunters to review the “2017-2018 Arizona Dove and Band-tailed Pigeon Regulations,” which are posted online.
The regulations also are available in a new format that hunters will find particularly handy in the field. The color brochure is easier to read and features important hunting information, such as season dates, daily bag and possession limits, and legal requirements, at a glance. The printed version is available at all department offices and more than 200 license dealers statewide.
A youth combination hunt/fish license is only $5 and includes a migratory bird stamp. Hunters 18 and older who want to hunt doves and band-tailed pigeons (as well as ducks, geese, coots, snipe and common moorhens) must possess a valid Arizona hunting license, as well as a migratory bird stamp for the 2017-18 season. Both can be purchased online.
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 | Sep 24, 2017 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
BELLEVILLE – One good thing about fall approaching, besides the melancholy panoply of colours, is the fact the outdoor wedding season will be over and, thus, many doves and white pigeons will survive at least another several months.
There are many myths and misconceptions about birds and their behaviour. Perhaps the most annoying and dangerous is the one where a wedding couple releases white doves into the air.
The ritual is intended to symbolize peace and freedom. But while the happy couple is whooping it up at the reception those poor birds are flapping their wings for the last time.
If the birds are released too close to sundown they will not be able to orient themselves and find their way home, which is the breeder’s home. Birds can’t navigate in the dark. Also if they’re domestic-raised they possess no survival skills. Even those with a fighting chance probably have no notion of hydro wires or crows, ravens and hawks.
Most ‘white doves’ are pigeons bred to be white. Even white homing pigeons are in danger. Genuine ring-necked doves as well as white king pigeons have little if any chance of survival.
At least, most wedding doves are purchased from breeders. It is illegal to buy and release any store-bought bird.
All birds do not fly south in the winter and not just ones from the Southern hemisphere. And those that do fly south usually get there by an indirect route, first heading east or west. Ornithologists are not agreed on why this is so. The precious little hummingbird is supposed to fly all the way to South America but North American hummingbirds have rarely been seen in Panama and never south of there.
There is the myth flightless birds are easy prey. Usually, however, they are flightless because they don’t need to fly. They can run or swim faster than their enemies.
The rhea, for instance, can run as fast as any horse. Ostriches and cassowaries can run nearly as fast and kick like giant UFC fighters.
In southern British Columbia a few weeks ago, while sitting outdoors at a table, I had the strange experience of close contact with a hummingbird. It flew to the table and hopped onto my forearm before taking off. It didn’t pause there but rather touched down for a nanosecond. Nevertheless, it was a nanosecond of wonder.
Because people love these birds so much many put out feeders. Last year a friend sent me a photo taken on Christmas Eve of a hummingbird at the feeder outside his kitchen window. The water in the feeder was dyed red ostensibly to provide more attraction to the bird. This is a misconception.
Some people are hesitant to leave home for long periods in the winter because the poor hummingbirds might starve. They won’t.
They feed elsewhere. Hummingbirds need amino acids — protein — to survive and get this from tiny insects, particularly aphids and mosquitoes.
Another domestic bird feeding myth is the one about making sure to keep peanut butter away from birds because it will choke them. It won’t. It is, in fact, a good idea to set out some peanut butter in the winter because it supplies the bird with much needed fat.
And then there is the myth that birds don’t sing on the ground. Observe the flicker and the common robin to realize the folly of that one.
The Seven-Colours, from Brazil, defies several myths. Not only does it sing on the ground but seems to sing when happy, Getting down on the ground and rolling around before springing to its feet to emit an incredible cry that alternates between a train whistle and a sobbing woman and followed by a song of 30 different syllables. It’s a tanager.
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 | Sep 23, 2017 | Pigeons in the News
APPROVING a new e-book on a year in the life of the Northern League, last week’s column noted that Ryhope – a semi-self-contained suburb of Sunderland – was said to boast the only pigeon cree that’s a Grade II listed building.
Flight of fancy? We set out last Saturday to find it.
That the great Ryhope derby – Sunderland RCA v Ryhope CW – was to take place that very afternoon may be considered a little less than coincidental.
Ryhope still proclaims itself a village, though the 2011 census recorded 10,484 souls – about the same as Shildon, and Shildon’s a veritable metropolis.
The old water works pumping engine it itself a listed building, as is the early 19th century place identified on the plaque outside as the Ryhope Rent Office. But a pigeon cree?
Homing instinct or accustomed good fortune – the latter, it may be assumed – we find Maurice Surtees’s celebrated sanctuary almost at once.
It’s in the allotments off Back Ryhope Street, near the former Blue Bell pub – now a tanning salon. Pubs don’t get listed, not in Ryhope, anyway – and the memorial garden to the many killed in the 110 years of Ryhope Colliery. Most of the allotments appear rather better kept.
MAURICE, an 85-year-old former pitman, isn’t there. “He’ll be about five minutes,” says his mate Graham Burns. A pigeon clock may be set on it.
He arrives on a mobility scooter – “his go-kart,” says Graham – but walks unaided down the path to the cree.
A delightful man, much given to the observation that nowt’s a bother, he is at once asked where his own plaque is. “All these years and I still haven’t got a one,” says Maurice. “I’ve asked MPs, all sorts. I’d pay for the bugger mesel’.”
He and his brother Bill built the cree in 1955, chiefly with wood liberated (shall we say) from colliery houses awaiting demolition.
“Look at them netty doors, good as new,” says Maurice. “If pigeon men want owt mekkin’, they mek it theirsels.”
Forty years later, his allotment and 20 others were threatened when the Newcastle-based owners sought to develop the land for housing.
Local MPs Chris Mullin and Fraser Kemp were whistled up, consulted the Heritage Department, agreed the indubitably ingenious idea that the cree should be listed, and no matter that the official document calls it a dovecote.
“That’s just southern talk,” says Maurice, a man equally unlikely to call his pigeon palace a loft.
The term “loft”, he supposes – perhaps apocryphally – originated because that’s where the Belgians, big pigeon men, hid their birds when the Germans invaded. Maurice pronounces “Germans” almost as Stan Boardman did.
In 2007 the owners again tried to reclaim the land, offered the allotment holders £250,000 between them, were reminded by MP Kemp of the import of listing. There was talk of bailiffs, and of barricades. “Any damage to a listed building is a criminal offence that can lead to a prison sentence,” warned Kemp.
Maurice was more brutal, perhaps more pitmatic. “If them bigshots want a fight they should come down to the gardens and take their jackets off,” he said at the time.
There was a debate in the Commons – “The government has a very clear and strong view on pigeon fancying and that is that we are wholly in favour,” said Harriet Harman, leader of the House – a lot of press, another victory.
“A very British coo,” said the Mirror, rather magnificently.
In 2011 the cree was part of an English Heritage open day, alongside places like Durham Town Hall and Darlington Civic Theatre. “I made about 200 cups of tea and coffee, gave people taties, onions all sorts,” Maurice recalls.
“One woman even took me nettles, I thowt she was mekkin’ game but she said she wanted them to make tea. The next few days, people were coming back with pies and all sorts for me. Folk are lovely if you only know where to look.”
AS luck again would have it, Saturday’s a racing day, Graham anxiously rattling a tin of corn as pigeon men do. “Divvent thoo worry, they knaa where they live,” says Maurice, though his birds have had a disappointing season.
“They’re good enough, they’re bonny enough. They just seem to have nee luck.”
Among the retired birds pecking at their feet is one – the Owld Hen, they call her –which won a major race from Lille. “Only one eye, got a bat or something, lovely bird,” says Maurice.
Visitors have included Robbie Coltrane – “queer bugger, him” – and Grayson Perry while researching a North-East tapestry. “Canny feller, cross dresser, all right, though,” says Maurice.
Labour ministers Tony Banks and Andy Burnham also came; a BBC crew spent six weeks there on and off. “They said they had about five hours of stuff but had to cut it down to an hour because of the swearing,” Maurice adds.
He also told the BBC that he’d had a cuckoo clock but that the cuckoo was deed. The website felt obliged to translate.
Beamish Museum have expressed interest in the cree when Maurice is no longer racing – “I’m not so sure how they’ll shift it” – though he hopes to be fleeing, as he puts it, for several years yet. Fewer are ready for take off.
“Ryhope used to be the biggest club in the North-East, 56 members. Now there’s 21, only two on these gardens and owld John’s retiring next year. I can still remember my first race, 680 away. My brother won.
“At one time if you worked at the pit that was it – bed, work and pigeons, that was your life. Now the sport’s dying, getting dearer and dearer. Once you could send a bird away for a few coppers, now it’s a few pound. Then there’s the big teams, mekkin’ it hard for lads like me. If you enter 20, they enter 60. They make pigeons a business; it isn’t right, they should enjoy 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 | Sep 22, 2017 | Pigeons in the News
Cape Town – The recent outbreak of the avian flu virus has the racing pigeon industry all aflutter after they were told to keep their birds indoors.
The South African National Pigeon Organisation (Sanpo) said they had decided to heed to recommendations made by the provincial department of agriculture.
Spokesperson for MEC Alan Winde, Bronwynne Jooste, said they recommended that any movement of birds be limited as far as possible.
“Movement must be covered by a movement permit if coming from within 30km of an infected farm. This permit can be obtained from a local state vet. Bird owners should be aware that as soon as their birds travel, they are at increased risk of catching avian influenza and spreading it.”
The department said there had been 13 outbreaks in South Africa since June. These involved seven commercial chicken farms, two groups of backyard chickens, three sets of wild birds and one group of domestic geese.
The H5N8 strain of the disease has already wreaked havoc in the poultry industry in Zimbabwe, where thousands of commercial birds have died or had to be culled.
This strain of the virus has so far shown no sign of being infectious to people.
Sanpo president Fadiel Hendricks said they decided to listen to the recommendation, to protect themselves.
“We have an understanding that you can race, but if something happened and a pigeon gets killed and tested and it’s found to have avian flu in the pigeon, then pigeons from that area will be culled. So for now, there is no racing.”
He said they “found themselves in a disaster especially in the Western Cape” and it was beyond their control.
“We can’t control certain diseases in the wild. It is a fear, but as custodians of the sport we have to listen to what the vets and authorities are saying.”
He said some members were concerned about losing points and their national colours were at stake.
The official vet for the organisation, Ockert Botha, said: “Scientific evidence is clear that currently there is no evidence that avian flu affects domesticated pigeons, or that they play a role in carrying the disease and therefore are a threat to the poultry industry. However, we are being ever vigilant of the importance of the disease.”
Botha said all pigeons in the area would be vaccinated against other viruses.
“We are being proactive about 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 | Sep 21, 2017 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
Police forces of the western Iranian city of Kermanshah have seized pigeons which were used by drug dealers for carrying narcotics.
The local police came across these drug carrying pigeons in a dealer’s house during one of their operations to cleanse the city’s suspicious neighborhoods from dealers and addicts.
According to a Farsi report by the Mehr News Agency, a local judiciary official said the drug dealer used to tie small drug packages to the legs of these trained pigeons so that they could transfer them to the desired places across the city.
Kermanshah’s anti-drug police have captured all these birds, he added.
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 | Sep 20, 2017 | Pigeons in the News
AMANZIMTOTI Pigeon Racing Club reports on race 25 and 26.
On Saturday, 26 August, seven members flew a total of 88 birds from Middelburg.
First and second Doug Fry, third to fifth Basil Tait, sixth Bradshaw Lofts, seventh Doug Fry, eighth to ninth Basil Tait, 10th Rossouw Lofts.
Three members flew a total of 58 birds from Bloemfontein.
First Rossouw Lofts, Basil Tait, third Rossouw Lofts, fourth Doug Fry, fifth to eighth Basil Tait, ninth Rossouw Lofts, 10th Basil Tait.
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 | Sep 19, 2017 | Bird Deterrent Products
A man was forced to hand over his air rifle after he was caught shooting pigeons in Ernesettle.
Officers say they tracked the man down after locals raised the alarm over the incident, which is being investigated by wildlife officers.
One resident, who wished to stay anonymous, said the man had a “massive air rifle” and was “shooting the pigeons” in her street.
A police spokesman said: “Police were called to an address in Ernesettle Plymouth, following reports of a man attempting to shoot pigeons with an air rifle Monday morning, August 28.
“A suspect was identified and he handed over his rifle and ammunition when visited by local officers.
“Wildlife officers are investigating this incident under the wildlife and countryside act along with support from the RSPCA.”
An eyewitness suggested that the man with the rifle had lived on the street for years but that she was worried to approach him, unsure as to what he would do.
She added that “he was out there for ages shooting these birds for fun” and she was “worried about people’s pets in the area”.
Anyone with more details regarding the incident can call 101 and quote crime reference number CR/073493/17.
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)
