by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 4, 2015 | Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News, UltraSonic Bird Control
As many as 10,000 band-tailed pigeons may have died in California this winter, according to Krysta Rogers, an environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). Hard numbers are difficult to produce, because birds are difficult to monitor, but these estimates are based on reports of dead birds submitted by the public.
Band-tailed pigeons are California’s only native pigeon.
They are the West Coast version of the passenger pigeon, which was once the most abundant bird in North America, but it was hunted to extinction. Millions of band-tailed pigeons used to inhabit California but almost became extinct, and much of their habitat was destroyed. They were eventually protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.
Band-tailed pigeons are not listed as endangered. The pigeons spend their winters in the higher elevations of California’s mountain ranges before migrating in early spring to the northernmost regions of Northern California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia.
The sudden increase in mortality is disturbing and sad, especially because the closest living relative to the extinct passenger pigeon has been struggling for decades to recover from rampant hunting, habitat loss and other environmental problems.
Blame Non-Native Species and the Drought
The CDFW blames the deaths on Avian Trichomonosis, a disease caused by a single-celled microscopic protozoan parasite believed to have co-evolved with the common rock pigeon, which was introduced from Europe. It causes lesions to form in infected birds’ mouths and throats. The birds, which subsist largely on acorns that they swallow whole, are unable to move food down their throats and starve or can even suffocate.
What a horrible way to die.
Scientists believe that water sources, like bird feeders and stagnant pools, may play a role, and especially in the current drought conditions in California.
“These events seem to be more common in winters with less precipitation, so I do suspect there is some weather component in these mortality events,” Rogers said. “When you have large flocks and there is a disease like this circulating, and you have stagnant pools and puddles and not much flowing water, the parasite can become more concentrated in that small amount of water and the disease is going to spread more easily.”
As a result, California wildlife authorities are asking residents to take down bird baths and feeders if they spot sick or dead birds in their yards as experts closely monitor the massive die-off.
Destruction by Non-Native Species
I am reminded of what happened in New Zealand, a country I visited a month ago.
For millions of years, there were no land mammals in the country, so New Zealand birds evolved in isolation. Free from attack and competition from mammals, many birds became flightless ground-dwellers.
Migrating to New Zealand around 1250–1300, Polynesians brought kiore (the Pacific rat) and other animals. That spelled doom for those flightless birds.
The first birds to become extinct, within a century or two after human arrival, were the largest – all species of moa, both species of goose, and both adzebill species. Being flightless, all were quite easy to hunt and catch, yielding large quantities of meat. Their slow breeding rate meant they were lost faster than they could be replaced.
The list of New Zealand species known to have become extinct since human settlement includes one bat, at least 51 birds, three frogs, three lizards, one freshwater fish, four plant species, and a number of invertebrates
Then came the second wave of destruction. Europeans came in the late 18th century, bringing rats, cats, stoats, weasels and ferrets. The rabbit was introduced as a food and game animal by European settlers and by the 1870s, it was becoming a serious threat to the newly developed farming economy.
Farmers began demanding the introduction of mustelids (including stoats) to control the rabbit plague. Warnings about the dangers to bird life from stoats were given by scientists in New Zealand and Britain. However, the warnings were ignored and stoats began to be introduced from Britain in the 1880s. Within six years, drastic declines in bird populations were noticed.
The destruction in New Zealand continues.
And now the pattern is repeating itself in California, this time with the European-introduced rock pigeon potentially wiping out the native band-tailed pigeon.
How sad that tales of non-native species causing destruction keep repeating themselves around the world.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 3, 2015 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeons in the News, UltraSonic Bird Control
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — The owners of a San Francisco tofu company agreed in a consent decree filed in federal court Tuesday to cease operations until the U.S. Food and Drug Administration determines the company is selling clean and sanitary food.
The consent decree concerning the Fong Kee Tofu Co. Inc. was filed in the court of U.S. Magistrate Kandis Westmore in Oakland.
The settlement stems from a civil lawsuit filed against the company and owners Yan Hui Fong, Jen Ying Fong and Suny Fong on Jan. 23 by the U.S. Justice Department at the request of the FDA. The lawsuit alleged that unsanitary conditions at the company were causing its products to become adulterated.
It alleged that FDA inspectors last year observed pigeons on top of plastic-wrapped raw soybean pallets, insects flying around the area used to process firm tofu, lack of proper handwashing by employees, and residue on equipment that was supposed to have been cleaned.
Kasie Lee, a lawyer for the company and its owners, could not immediately be reached for comment.
Acting Assistant U.S. Attorney General Joyce Branda said in a statement, “Fong Kee Tofu was repeatedly informed that the sanitation practices at its facility were deficient.”
“The failure to make sure that its facility was operating under sanitary conditions could be a serious risk to the public health and needed to be remedied,” Branda said.
The company’s products include firm tofu, soft tofu, fried tofu balls, soybean cake and soy drinks made from soybeans from Missouri, according to the lawsuit.
The company and owners agreed in the consent decree to be bound by a permanent injunction that requires them to stop preparing, manufacturing, packaging and selling the products.
If they wish to resume operations, they must hire an outside sanitation expert, labeling expert and auditor to develop and monitor a program for preparing uncontaminated and correctly labeled food. The experts can be three separate people or the same person.
The company cannot resume its business until it receives written authorization from the FDA. It would then be subject to FDA inspections without prior notice, under the injunction.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 2, 2015 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Spikes, UltraSonic Bird Control
During one of the worst winters on record for native pigeons dying of disease, state officials continue to seek public assistance in monitoring the disease’s progression and removing transmission sources from their yards.
The band-tailed pigeon is the only pigeon native to California. It is especially susceptible to avian trichomonosis, a disease caused by a single-cell protozoan called Trichomonas gallinae.
The protozoan is believed to have co-evolved with the common rock pigeon, which was introduced from Europe. It causes lesions to form in infected birds’ mouths and throats. The birds, which subsist largely on acorns that they swallow whole, are unable to move food down their throats and starve or can even suffocate.
A state scientist said the ongoing drought may be aiding in the disease’s transmission among the band-tailed pigeon population.
“These mortality events seem to occur more frequently in winters with lower precipitation, so it’s certainly possible that the mortality events that we’re seeing this winter are related to drought conditions,” said Krysta Rogers, an environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The drought has reduced the number of available water sources, thereby concentrating the numbers of birds at remaining watering holes.
“Anytime you have a small volume of water and lots of band-tailed pigeons utilizing it, if there is this parasite circulating within the population, it can spread more rapidly in that close contact,” Rogers said.
Rogers gave a rough estimate that as many as 10,000 band-tailed pigeons have died in California this winter as a result of the disease. Hard numbers are difficult to produce, because birds are difficult to monitor. Current estimates of the disease’s impact are based on reports of dead birds submitted by the public.
Rogers said the department is continuing to ask for citizens to report on sick or dead birds that they find.
You can report on ill or dead birds at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Mortality Reporting website.
The department is also asking for residents to remove feeders, birdbaths and fountains until the pigeons leave their wintering grounds. Rogers said that it’s unclear whether past calls for restricting the features have aided in disease control but that the request is logical.
“I can’t really put a number on whether or not it helps, because I don’t know if people are actually doing it or not,” Rogers said. “I think it’s one of the easiest things that can be done. If that bird feeder and that bird bath aren’t available for wild birds, then disease transmission definitely will not happen there.”
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 1, 2015 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Spikes, UltraSonic Bird Control
About 20 pigeons were killed by the driver of a blue van in the parking lot of the Vallejo public boat launch Sunday afternoon, in what Vallejo police say appears to be a deliberate act of animal cruelty.
A woman who regularly feeds birds had started feeding pigeons in the area, near the former Brinkman’s Marine business, when a van parked in the lot drove through the flock of birds, killing at least 20.
Vallejo police Lt. Kevin Bartlett stated that due to the suddenness of the action, they have no suspect description other than that of the van.
Local bird rescue and animal control agencies have been contacted for custody and treatment of about five surviving birds.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Oct 31, 2015 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes, UltraSonic Bird Control
California’s only native pigeon species is taking a big hit from an infectious disease thought to be spread by other pigeons, and the state’s wildlife agency has suggested that bird lovers consider putting away their bird feeders and emptying birdbaths to help slow the spread of the disease.
Band-tailed pigeons, a close relative of the extinct passenger pigeon, have been falling prey to the disease trichomoniasis for 70 years, but the disease has been taking a larger toll in the last decade, with a rise in deaths in the last two months. The pathogens are thought to be spread to band-tailed pigeons by rock doves, the common introduced pigeon of urban areas, which don’t seem to fall ill when infected.
And as a result, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is suggesting that Californians in areas with band-tailed pigeon populations remove their bird feeders and empty and clean bird baths, to avoid attracting mixed flocks of rock doves and band-tails.
The band-tailed pigeon, Patagioenas fasciata, lives in groups that tend to inhabit open oak woodlands where they feed on acorns and other fallen tree nuts, a lifestyle not unlike that of the band-tailed’s close cousin the extinct passenger pigeon.
That preference for open forests with oaks means that the birds tend to live in the state’s coastal mountains and the Sierra foothills. If you’re wondering whether the pigeons massing around your feeder are band-taileds or the more prevalent introduced rock doves, look at their beaks and feet: on band-tailed pigeons, those extremities will be yellow. Band-taileds also tend to be larger than rock doves, with a white crescent on the back of their necks, and lacking the wing bars that most rock doves sport.
Also unlike rock doves, band-tailed pigeons reproduce slowly, with each pair producing one chick a year. That, and the birds’ gregarious habit, make them especially susceptible to population declines from diseases such as trichmoniasis. Spread by at least two related protozoa in the Trichomonas genus, the disease causes lesions in the birds’ mouths that interfere with eating and, eventually, breathing. As it takes some time to kill its victims, the disease allows them to transmit pathogens to other birds in the flock rather readily.
Though it’s been known in the California band-tailed population since the World War II era, mass dieoff events from trichomoniasis are on the rise, with six large mortalities in the last decade — including one in Monterey County in 2007 in which an estimated 43,000 birds perished. Mortalities tend to happen during winter, so CDFW’s suggestion of putting your feeder away won’t have to last forever.
The agency is asking members of the public to report dead band-tailed pigeons via the CDFW website or by phone at (916) 358-2790.
If you find a sick pigeon, you can ask one of the state’s wildlife rehabilitation centers for advice.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Oct 30, 2015 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting
The unassuming pigeon, a city denizen so common some call them “rats with wings,” really deserves more respect. These birds can be beautiful (just ask the competitors at the National Pigeon Association’s 93rd annual Grand National Pigeon Show), useful messengers and surprisingly agile fliers. They are are also smarter than many might think, according to new research out of the University of Iowa. Pigeons can learn to recognize and categorize objects much the way human toddlers do, reports a university news release.
The researchers showed three pigeons photographs of 128 objects that all fell into one of 16 categories: baby, bottle, cake, car, cracker, dog, duck, fish, flower, hat, key, pen, phone, plan, shoe or tree. Each pigeon was presented with a photo and the ability to peck one of two symbols. One represented the correct category and the other was randomly chosen from the 15 remaining categories. A correct peck earned a reward. Not only did the pigeons learn how to categorize the images, but they were also able to place four new photos in the right group. The results were published in the journal Cognition.
“Unlike prior attempts to teach words to primates, dogs, and parrots, we used neither elaborate shaping methods nor social cues,” says one of the study’s authors, Ed Wasserman. “And our pigeons were trained on all 16 categories simultaneously, a much closer analog of how children learn words and categories.”
The method is very similar to ways that researchers study language learning in toddlers. Of course, many studies have shown that calling someone a “bird brain” isn’t so insulting: Birds are quite good at differentiating complex objects, using tools, working together in a group and even identifying the beat in a song. But bird intelligence can only go so far. Apparently, pigeons’ human-toddler smarts doesn’t keep the unwary ones from the grasping jaws of southwestern France’s pigeon-catching catfish.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Oct 29, 2015 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes
Spring feels in full swing. While that may not be good in some ways, plants and animals are ramping up their libidos. All manner of species display virility as spring progresses, but a common species often overlooked, is strutting about right at our feet. Call them pigeons, Rock Pigeons, Rock Doves, or rats with wings, they’re far from boring and they share our most urban Capitol Hill blocks happily.
The pigeons we see on an almost daily basis, as common as House Sparrows, American Crows, European Starlings, and Glaucous-winged Gulls in the quintet of urban birds, are all ancestors of the Rock Pigeon or Rock Dove, Columbia livia. No matter their coloration, all these birds are feral descendants of birds brought to the Americas as pets and food as early as the 1600s, while successive escapes bolstered their population and variety. Their original wild population, spans from Europe through North Africa, and into Asia. With an appreciation for ledges and cliffs, they’ve adapted wholly to our built environment. Pigeons happily crowd ledges, roof tops, and attics, calling many a ledge on buildings of Broadway, Pike and Pine, First Hill, and downtown home.
From Mike Tyson to Charles Darwin, people have seen beauty in these aerial acrobats and gentle vocalists. Pigeons in their many varied forms, appear in Darwin’s On the Origin of Species and were central in helping him develop his theory. As with dogs, selective breeding has sussed out umpteen mutations of color and shape. Natural variation existed in the wild populations of course, but feral populations have muddied human breeding with sheer numbers, and we find ourselves looking at birds looking more and more like their ancestors. Besides, being bright white in a flock of gray, having decorative feathers that block vision, or having an odd tendency to tumble in the air aren’t terribly adaptive traits.
Take a second to watch your average city pigeon. In the vast majority, you find attractive shades of bluish gray, two black bands on the wings, and purplish green sheen on the neck and throat. These are the general colors of the nominate race of wild Rock Pigeons. Male birds are ever so slightly larger and have more extensive sheen. To most, the sexes look alike, but male birds stand out this time of year in behavior.
Pigeons can breed much of the year in mild climates, but as daylight lengthens hormones surge. Almost everyone has seen the comical courtship display of a puffed up male pigeon. Like many animals, humans included, they lose grip on reality, puff up their chests, and pursue their hopeful mate endlessly (while all she wants to do is eat bread crumbs). This can go on right at your feet while you wait for the bus, or on a precarious ledge where the pursued female may well be pushed off by her overzealous courtier. The desired result of this strutting, is copulation, an awkward balancing act for a brief cloacal kiss. Yet, unlike some birds, the pair is relatively monogamous. The male chooses a worthy nest site and stays with his mate throughout young rearing (he also coos incessantly to attract a mate to his site, imagine living next to the recording below on loop right outside your window).
Pigeons get a bad rap. They seem dirty, but if anything that’s because of city living, not poor hygiene. Yes, unlike some birds, they don’t take their young’s feces away from the nest, adding a veneer to roosting sites. This has worked for pigeon kind longer than humans have been raising them, so who are we to judge? Yes, contact with their droppings has proven a zoonotic vector. But shouldn’t common sense clearly guide us away from most anything’s poop anyway? These problems are easily avoided by restricting where Rock Pigeons roost, which most cities have figured out just fine.
Pigeons can also capture the imagination. Their spectacular flying abilities, allowing escape from swift predators like Peregrine Falcons, are a beauty to behold circling across city blocks. Pigeons have been heroes, saving lives by carrying messages across enemy lines during World War II with innate homing abilities. Organizations, books, and much research are devoted to pigeons. And while they may not be the smartest birds on the block, they’re successful while not edging out our native species. I simply enjoy them because their antics add a humorous note to a less noteworthy day about the Hill.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Oct 28, 2015 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Spikes
Several hundred pigeons living in the downtown market square were to be trapped and exterminated after city council voted to get rid of them.
Council members agreed with its bylaws committee, which heard numerous complaints from citizens, groups and businesses who lived and or worked in the area, where the downtown library stands today.
The original request came from the Local Council of Women which claimed the birds were the creators of filth and disease.
J.T.J. Collisson, who lived in the McLeod Building, told committee members the filth left on the windowsills of the building made it look like “a country barnyard.”
N.S. Mackie of the Imperial Bank said the pigeons had angered customers.
“It is most embarrassing for our customers. They come in and complain and tell us we should do something about it. All of us have to run this gauntlet … some of us not too successfully.”
One member of the Local Council of Women, Olivia Smith, defended the birds.
“I think they are a fine sight as they swoop and wing about the downtown buildings. There’s pigeons in every big city and they don’t seem to want to get rid of them like this city.”
The meeting ended with the committee recommending to council that commissioners take the necessary steps to destroy the birds and, bring in a bylaw, if needed, prohibiting well-meaning citizens from feeding them, which was the cause of the problem.
The birds were to be trapped and killed by two city employees who were pigeon fanciers, with a lot of experience handling the birds.
In a letter read at council, Mary Sather, “longtime sole patron” who daily spread grain on the market square for the pigeons, said she was “happy to know that they shall be destroyed, for it will bring to an end their abuse by the boys who trap them, contrary to our humane laws.”
She suggested the most humane way to kill them was to electrocute them.
“I shall always have the memory that I have gladdened hundreds of human hearts by feeding the pigeons, for there are people who fully realize the rights of God’s lower creatures.”
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Oct 27, 2015 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Spikes
MISS Lee Kay Yan has rightly pointed out that the mynah and pigeon populations here have increased drastically and are now aggressively invading our coffee shops and hawker centres (“Bring in predators to solve bird problem”; Forum Online, yesterday).
In our urban setting, certain species of birds have become a public nuisance. The normal activities of the birds will conflict in some way with human activity.
Some birds feed on grain and fruit crops. The common mynahs eat insects and human food scraps. They are aggressive and often attack native birds. They also spread mites and have the potential to spread disease to people and domestic animals.
They are adept at stealing food off people’s plates. They can be discouraged by depriving them of food sources, chasing them from yards and disturbing them when they try to nest.
Rock pigeons are quite common in Waterloo Street and they feed on seeds and fruits. In urban areas, however, they have adapted to roosting on high-rise buildings and feeding on human food like bread and rice.
Their droppings soil public amenities and private properties. Roosting pigeons damage buildings and the roofing of houses.
They can transmit illnesses such as encephalitis and salmonella poisoning. They harbour the causal agent of histoplasmosis, a fungal disease that affects the human respiratory tract.
Pigeons can be a threat to human safety, particularly around airports where pigeon flocks have collided with aircraft, causing human fatalities.
It is important to understand how human activities in urbanised areas affect ecosystems, with urban habitats becoming relevant to biodiversity research.
The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) and the National Environment Agency (NEA) can collaborate to reduce the bird population and bring about a cleaner city environment by using ultrasonic and sonic audio systems like the Tube Sonic.
This product produces electronic sounds to scare birds with distress calls and predator sounds.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Oct 26, 2015 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes, UltraSonic Bird Control
“We’ve had a few calls, we see it more and more every day. They will breed every 45 days, so it gets worse and w…”
–Richard Swallow
There is a growing pigeon problem in Saskatchewan, and Yorkton is no exception, with birds increasingly becoming a concern for local businesses and residents. The Yorkton Business Improvement District recently held an information meeting to discuss what options are available for controlling the pest bird.
Richard Swallow, owner of Riva Specialized Cleaning Services and Pigeon Control, was invited to speak on the services they offer to get pigeons out of a region. The business is focused on humane elimination of birds, using different devices to make a structure unappealing to birds. Riva is one of the few places in Saskatchewan who offers the service.
“It’s really understanding what the birds are doing and where they are in order to get away from that site. We implement the proper solutions.”
The birds are an invasive species, and Swallow says that the reasons to get rid of them are numerous, whether it’s safety issues caused by their waste, their destruction of property, or the respiratory diseases they can spread in an area, especially as they tend to enjoy being near HVAC units.
In Yorkton, one of the biggest problem areas is an abandoned building, where it is estimated at least 200 birds have taken up residence. Swallow says a building like this presents a challenge on two fronts.
One, the building itself from a safety perspective, given the dangers that are inherent in an old structure, as well as the difficulty of moving pigeons out of a place where they have settled and have been occupying for a long time.
“You have dedicated birds, you have generational birds that have been in the same area for years. Very different strategy to implement than when you’ve just got a sign with birds that are sitting and crapping on it every day. It’s different approach, different strategies and different implementation of the right tools to get a situation we can guarantee.”
Part of getting rid of dedicated birds involves trapping, though Swallow says if you want a live release the birds will have to be driven to Calgary at a minimum to prevent their return. He says that they also have a humane method of euthanizing the birds. While there are methods of sterilizing the birds available in other markets, those are not currently available in Canada, something Swallow hopes to see change soon.
Bruce Thurston, chair of YBID, emphasizes that at this point there is no funding proposed to do an expansive bird control project, the meeting intended to be a fact finding mission to see what can be done about birds.
“We’ve had a few calls, we see it more and more every day. They will breed every 45 days, so it gets worse and worse every year, so sooner or later something has to be done, whether on an individual basis or as a collective community.”
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Oct 25, 2015 | Bird Netting
CLARKSTON, WA – For several months now, drivers have been complaining about pigeons flying under the 13th Street overpass along Fleshman Way.
Asotin County leaders hope that won’t be an issue much longer. They’ve hired Sprague Pest Solutions, out of Tacoma, to install bird netting under the bridge.
“What the netting is meant to do is exclude pigeons from using the underside of the overpass as nesting a roosting habitat,” said Sprague Pest Solutions Services Manager, Keith Rowney.
Rowney said the netting should last a decade and they expect to finish the project by Friday.
We’d like to remind everyone that the speed limit in a construction zone is 25-miles per hour and traffic fines are doubled. Crews will be out every day this week between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Oct 24, 2015 | Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News
50 years ago: Pesky pigeons: “The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission agreed to consider eliminating a pigeon nuisance at its two bridges between Easton and Phillipsburg. The commission is studying proposals by pigeon control firms to chase the birds from the bridge area. Because of immense accumulations of pigeon droppings, the bridges have to be sandblasted and repainted every several years. The Northampton Street bridge was sandblasted to raw steel and repainted last year. The Bushkill Street bridge was last repainted in 1955. There is an accumulation of 4-5 inches of pigeon droppings on the 550-foot span.”
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Oct 23, 2015 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Spikes, UltraSonic Bird Control
Police and fire departments nationwide are complaining about nuisance calls made to the 110 and 119 emergency lines — ranking from requests to rescue cats, chickens, pigeons and cows to exorcising ghosts.
One fire department reported a request to collect a dead chicken in front of the caller’s home during the peak of the avian influenza outbreak. When the caller was asked to confirm whether the chicken was actually dead, the caller said it was not and then hung up. However, the same person called again to say that the chicken was being chased by a dog and was certainly going to die.
In another incident, a fire department received a 119 call that involved students partying in a gazebo after a stone table in the gazebo toppled over, trapping a student’s foot.
When firefighters arrived on the scene, the gazebo was empty. However, the crew was later told by other students who witnessed the incident that the call had not been a prank, but the youth whose foot had been caught beneath the table had been able to extract it after taking off his shoes and he and his friends fled the area.
Another call reported a cow lying by the side of the road, near death. The fire department sent a heavy truck to remove the cow, but found that the caller had cut the cow open and had only wanted help in transporting the carcass.
Calls on the 119 line asking firefighters to chase away pigeons roosting on utility cables to prevent them being electrocuted ended with the caller threatening to sue the department if it did not “save the pigeons.”
The 110 hotline has seen police receiving calls about a bag of trash falling onto the highway, a NT$1 coin not being returned by a public phone and boxes containing urns with human ashes left on the roadside.
One caller asked police to help exorcise the spirits of a man and woman who were “possessing” a person, but was told that police training did not include supernatural abilities.
Other calls have included complaints about a noisy pet duck and requests that bus drivers be told to turn down their air-conditioning.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Oct 22, 2015 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News
An underpass at Linlithgow railway station is the subject of a bitter battle between those looking to keep the ‘Burgh Beautiful’ – and a flock of pigeons!
Linlithgow and Linlithgow Bridge Town Management Group (LLTMG) has recently written to Network Rail requesting its assistance in remedying ownership queries about cables in the underpass.
The LLTMG group has recently spent £6,000 upgrading the underpass, installing new railings and anti-pigeon spikes, as well as cleaning down the walls.
But despite this the pigeon problem persists.
The main issue is bundles of cables which are not encased that run along the top of the underpass roof, leaving what is an ideal roosting location for the birds.
The Town Management Group identifies and undertakes projects that will improve Linlithgow.
After many complaints about the mess the piegeons were creating, it took steps to rectify the issue.
The underpass connects the north entrance of the railway station to the canal basin.
It is also a busy pedestrian footpath to the town centre and for commuters heading into the railway station.
In addition, it is a designated safe route to the local primary school.
Stewart Ness, BID Manager for Linlithgow, said: “We are hopeful that once ownership of the cables is acknowledged further action can be taken.”
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Oct 21, 2015 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News
Instinctual Response for Survival
Birds have many behaviors that help them to survive. Some of these are learned behaviors, but many others are not learned. Behaviors that animals are born with are called instinctive behaviors. Some instinctive behaviors help birds recognize enemies. Great kiskadees display an instinctive behavior related to coral snakes, which eat young birds. Even though they have never seen a snake, hand-raised great kiskadees are frightened by sticks that have been painted to look like coral snakes. Other birds instinctually will keep away from moving objects or any object that will heighten their flight response, especially in their peripheral vision. The BirdNix products take advantage of this instinctual behavior to keep birds out of a effected location.
BirdeyeAvian Vision is Key
Avian vision has been studied significantly to better understand bird behavior and characteristics. Birds have a similar eye structure to most other vertebrates, but when it comes to receptors, bird clearly has us all beat. Humans have about 200,000 receptors per mm2, but the House Sparrow has 400,000 and the Common Buzzard 1,000,000. The photoreceptors are not all individually connected to the optic nerve, and the ratio of nerve ganglia to receptors is important in determining resolution. This is very high for birds; the White Wagtail has 100,000 ganglion cells to 120,000 photoreceptors. This high level of receptors will cause bright reflective light to be even more annoying to birds than it is for humans. Also, the avian eye is not spherical but rather more like a reptilian eye which is flatter, enabling it to keep more of its visual field in focus. The reflective light in the peripheral vision of the bird gives a visual cue that there might be predators and makes birds uneasy about the location. Both of these facts allow the BirdNix reflective deterrents to effectively work on controlling bird populations. To learn more continue here.
Wind and LightBirdNix Phoenix Reflecting Light
The wind causes a swaying spinning motion and ambient light ( natural light) is reflected by the faceted mirrors of the Diamond Light™ . This combination of light and motion creates heightened survival instinct awareness in birds resulting in an undesirable location for them.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Oct 20, 2015 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes
Hundreds of thousands of fake plastic owls are sold for the purpose of keeping birds away every year. The problem with them is that they are not effective over time. They work on the philosophy that a predator bird will scare the other birds from the area. This might work for awhile but in the end the birds will see that the plastic owl is not moving and not a threat to them. Sometimes this takes days and sometimes it takes months, but over time birds are smart enough to know the difference between real and fake.
The BirdNIX Diamond Light reflective bird deterrent works on a scientific fact that birds have up to 10,000 times more sensitive vision than humans and flashing light and movement will create an undesirable location for birds to be in. Also, the monocular vision of birds means that flashes of light in the peripheral vision will instinctively put the bird into a “fight or flight” situation. These traits are inherent in birds which is why the BirdNIX Diamond Light is so effective at removing unwanted birds from boats, docks, gardens, fruit trees, patios, carports, warehouses, parking lots, or wherever there are birds!
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Oct 19, 2015 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News, UltraSonic Bird Control
From the CDC, there are many diseases that can be transmitted by birds to people and especially from bird droppings to people. Some of these may be not harmful in general to humans, but many of them have dire effects and can be fatal. Establishing an effective bird control solution to prevent birds and droppings is the easiest and most effective way to prevent the spread of these diseases. Some of the diseases include:
Cryptococcosis:
Cryptococcosis (Krip-toe-coc-o-sis) is a fungal disease caused by Cryptococcus neoformans or Cryptococcus gattii. Cryptococcosis can cause serious symptoms of lung, brain and spinal cord disease, such as headaches, fever, cough, shortness of breath, and night sweats. When dried bird droppings are stirred up, this can make dust containing Cryptococcus neoformans go into the air. People can stir up this dust and then breathe it in when they work, play, or walk in areas where birds have been.
Histoplasmosis
Histoplasmosis is a disease caused by the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum. The fungus lives in the environment, usually in association with large amounts of bird or bat droppings. Lung infection can occur after a person inhales airborne, microscopic fungal spores from the environment. The symptoms of histoplasmosis are similar to pneumonia, and the infection can sometimes become serious or fatal if it is not treated.
Candidiasis
Candidiasis is a yeast infection that can be spread by pigeons. This can effect many of the organs and systems in the body producing harmful and uncomfortable results. Typical versions are:
Thrush (“Oropharyngeal / Esophageal Candidiasis”)
Vaginal Yeast Infections (“Genital / Vulvovaginal Candidiasis”)
Invasive Candidiasis
St. Louis Encephalitis
Saint Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. Most cases of SLEV disease have occurred in eastern and central states (see map). Most persons infected with SLEV have no apparent illness. Initial symptoms of those who become ill include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, and tiredness. Severe neuroinvasive disease (often involving encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain) occurs more commonly in older adults. It is transmitted to mosquitos by the blood of infected sparrows.
St Loius Encephalitis
Salmonellosis
Salmonellosis is an infection with bacteria called Salmonella. Most persons infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most persons recover without treatment. However, in some persons, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. The bacteria can be found in bird droppings and sucked into ventilation systems into food processing as well as through direct contact.
Summary
Many harmful and fatal diseases can be traced to birds and especially bird droppings. In environments where there are large populations of birds causing droppings, effective solutions like the BirdNix Diamond Light™ bird deterrent are recommended to control the bird population. Around the home, garden, boat dock, under eves, patios, decks or anywhere people spend time where there are bird droppings, BirdNix products can help to eliminate bird related disease.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Oct 18, 2015 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services
The feeling of safety and security overwhelms not only the visitors to Makkah, but seems also to percolate to the pigeons that fly around the Grand Mosque.
They confidently walk in the courtyards of the mosque in a scene that competes with the most famous pigeon squares around the world.
Once the pilgrim approaches the Grand Mosque, he faces flocks of pigeons flying and wandering around the mosque and its minarets. As the pilgrims step into the mosque, pigeons seem to welcome them.
The spectacle of the pigeons roaming around the Kaaba and worshippers without fear soothes the eyes. The pigeons have become one of Makkah’s famous sights.
Pictures of the mosque’s pigeons taken by pilgrims circulate through social media sites and frequently figure in exhibitions and photography competitions.
Pigeons of Al-Hema, as they are called by the residents of Makkah, have created many stories and good memories shared by visitors. These lovely birds have lived along the sidewalks, streets and the roofs of buildings waiting for the pilgrims’ pouches full of feed. Pilgrims feed the pigeons asking for reward from Allah. They have become part of every pilgrim’s story that he shares in his country and thus circulating around the world.
The pigeons roam the sky of Makkah and land confidently among pilgrims who feed them as part of the tradition of people of Makkah.
Abdul Razzak Muhammad, a Makkah native, said: “Pigeons and pilgrims have shared food and love. We have stories with pigeons in which they have consumed our food and water. After every dawn prayer, I go to the roof of the house to give them food and water. I love to look at them, meditate and listen to their sounds. I became familiar with them.”
Muhammad added: “We have never feared pigeons since our childhood. We have got used to them through our parents who encouraged us to love pigeons by serving food and water outside our house, the sidewalks or the square.”
The 80-year-old man said that he noticed how the pilgrims are surprised by the pigeons’ lifestyle and the way they coexist with the people of Makkah.
The Grand Mosque’s pigeons, gray-colored with shades of green, are protected by a law that prohibits their killing, Anyone who kills a pigeon is fined.
They have become the highlight of the pilgrimage experience that is engraved in the memory of the pilgrims during these blessed days of the year. Flocks of pigeons land and walk in confidence among the people performing their prayers. This does not happen with other types of birds that live outside Makkah.
Visitors of to the Grand Mosque make sure they scatter bird feed in the Haram’s courtyard where the pigeons come to pick it up. Usually, the pigeons build their nests in holes of the old Rawasheen. The pigeons have become a familiar sight of Makkah in which the pilgrims witness their flocks circle the Holy Kaaba, and the squares and minarets of the Grand Mosque.
Haram’s pigeons enjoy a breathtaking beauty and a safety that they are envied for. There are tales aplenty about the pigeons. There are various tales about the origin and the source of these pigeons. Some believe them to be the descendants of two white doves that lived at the entrance of Thor cave during the migration of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) with his companion Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) to Madinah. Others have speculated that they originally came from Europe.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Oct 17, 2015 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News, UltraSonic Bird Control
AUSTRALIA – Biosecurity SA has been advised by the Australian Chief Veterinary Officer that pigeon paramyxovirus type one (PPMV-1) has been detected in a racing pigeon loft in Victoria.
The Victorian birds were unvaccinated and fully susceptible to the disease.
South Australia’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Roger Paskin, said the detection in Victoria was a timely reminder that PPMV-1 was endemic and actively circulating in certain parts of Australia. It has not been found in any South Australian pigeons to date.
“Pigeon owners are advised to maintain vaccination, even if disease is not obviously present,” Dr Paskin said.
“Pigeon owners who are aware of, or unsure of their birds’ vaccination against this virus, should contact their veterinarian for more information on obtaining vaccination.”
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Oct 16, 2015 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services
State wildlife authorities on Tuesday asked that bird baths and feeders in residential yards be taken down in an effort to stem the spread of a parasite that is taking a heavy toll on California’s only native pigeon.
Necropsies on the carcasses of Pacific Coast band-tailed pigeons collected since December at locations from the Bay Area to San Diego determined they were infected with the protozoa responsible for avian trichomonosis, said Krysta Rogers, an environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Pigeons fetch more than chicken feed
The parasite, which scientists know as Trichomonas gallinae, lives in the mouth and throat of infected birds, causing lesions that block the passage of food and air. Infected birds typically die from starvation or suffocation.
The non-native urban pigeon is thought to be the main source of infection for the band-tailed pigeon, a migratory game bird that winters in California. But state veterinarians are also concerned about the risk of spillover to hawks, falcons and owls that prey on pigeons.
Bird feeders and artificial water sources may increase transmission of the disease because they bring band-tailed pigeons in close contact with other birds.
“We’re recommending that residents not feed or water wild birds while the pigeons are wintering here,” Rogers said. “But if they must, we ask that they make sure their birdbaths and feeders are cleaned well and regularly.”
In Southern California, band-tailed pigeon carcasses have been reported in oak and conifer forests in Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties, and in the San Bernardino Mountains.
Deadly H5N1 bird flu needs just 5 mutations to spread easily in people
“As a precautionary measure, we drained a large pond on our grounds,” said David Myers, executive director of the nonprofit Wildlands Conservancy, which is headquartered in the San Bernardino County community of Oak Glen. “We’ve also sent nine pigeon carcasses to state wildlife officials for inspection.”
Epidemics of trichomonosis involving tens of thousands of band-tailed pigeons have been sporadic in California since 1945. Research suggests they tend to occur more often in warmer, drier winters, state officials said.
There were two reported trichomonosis events between the early 1950s and early 1980s, officials said. Over the last decade, however, there have been six such events.
The overall population of the reclusive pigeons with purplish heads and breasts, dark-tipped yellow bills, yellow legs and broad gray tail bands has been in steady decline since the 1940s, according to annual surveys and takes reported by hunters.
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)
As many as 10,000 band-tailed pigeons may have died in California this winter, according to Krysta Rogers, an environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). Hard numbers are difficult to produce, because birds are difficult to monitor, but these estimates are based on reports of dead birds submitted by the public.
