by johnnymarin | Apr 4, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
Video footage showing dozens of pigeons lying dead on the ground and others limping was released Friday by an animal rights group that secretly filmed members of the Alabama Forestry Association taking part in a live pigeon shoot.
The video, which was shot legally from a drone, shows a man taking pigeons from a cage and throwing them into the air as participants circled the field waiting to shoot. Footage taken from the ground after the event was over shows close ups of pigeons limping, crawling, as well as many dead.
“We rescued as many as we could before nightfall,” said Steve Hindi, president and founder of Showing Animals Respect & Kindness (SHARK), an animal rights group based in Illinois. “It was heartbreaking to leave knowing so many more were out there suffering. These birds are not eaten. The wounded are left to die slow, painful deaths from their wounds, predation or starvation.”
“The people from the Alabama Forestry Association aren’t hunters – they’re sociopaths,” added Hindi.
The Alabama Forestry Association, which is an education and lobbying group, did not respond to messages from AL.com asking for comment.
D.J. Schubert, a wildlife biologist at the Animal Wildlife Institute in Washington D.C., said that in these types of shoots, that have no meaningful purpose, the pigeons often experience excruciating deaths after being wounded. “Many die from infection in the worst way,” said Schubert, who used to protest live pigeon shoots in Pennsylvania. “Hunters should be worried about their image because they look like thugs. Killing defenseless animals from close range for sport is not a good look.”
SHARK first heard about the pigeon shoot after a flier was given to them advertising the event, which was aimed at raising money for the Alabama Forestry Foundation, which is the education arm of the association. Tickets cost up to $1,000 a person.
SHARK collected the pigeons from the field in West Mobile and left them on land at the Alabama Forestry Association. It’s unclear what happened to then after that.
While there are a many Alabama laws that deal with cruelty against animals, it appears as if pigeon shooting is not illegal. There are also no federal laws that prohibit pigeon shooting. There are some laws that prohibit the killing of birds, but pigeons are exempt.
“Our argument, however, is that this does violate common decency as it causes extreme cruelty to living beings and is killing just for the sake of killing,” said Hindi. “If it isn’t illegal, it certainly should be.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Apr 2, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
Have you ever been to Patan Durbar Square during morning hours? If you have, you must have noticed huge flocks of pigeons enjoying seeds offered by denizens of Patan and visitors. There are several positive aspects to it but more recently it is increasingly becoming an issue of public health, a nuisance and something that seriously warrants our attention. In this article I’m going to analyze pigeon feeding from different aspects. Analyzing something that is closely related to human behavior and recommending changes to such behaviors could be controversial but it is always rational to analyze and come up with a conclusion to contribute to wellbeing of the city, its landscape and people.
Cultural sides
Feeding birds has become a routine practice to many people in Nepal, especially in Kathmandu Valley. This behavior is inspired by culture and religion, mostly Hinduism and Buddhism that has altruism at its center and driven by the notion that human beings are most superior and hence caretaker of planet and its beings. Thus the practice is connected with different customs in Nepali culture. It is a dedicated routine of visitors in different temples like Krishna temple, Sankata, Mahankal, Indrayani, Kal Bharav and several other holy places.
Feeding birds has great psychological advantage. You feel connected to nature and it makes you feel happy. It is like a psychotherapy session for feeder and it helps them relieve stress. There is no specific data to quantify this, but it has definitely helped in maintaining a healthy psychological demeanor in people.
Health hazards
There are several public health related issues that need to be carefully analyzed. The droppings of pigeon are connected to several zoonosis that mostly affect people with weak immunity and patients suffering from HIV/AIDS, cancer and pneumonia. Three major diseases are associated with pigeon feces: histoplasmosis (an illness caused by fungus that grows on pigeon droppings), psittacosiss (caused by bacteria found in droppings of pigeon and other birds) and cryptococcosis (a respiratory ailment caused by a fungus that grows and is found in pigeon droppings). Since most of these diseases afflict a small fraction of people (the ones with very weak immunity), it remains overlooked. Although there are no researches on number of pigeons in Kathmandu Valley, there has been noticeable increment in their population in the recent times.
In many countries pigeons in urban settings are considered as feral and source of health hazards. Several cities have banned bird feeding. Singapore, for example, fines whooping 500$ if you are found guilty of feeding birds. One of the major reasons for taking legal action against bird feeders is that it is very difficult to control birds since they are air borne the only way we can control their movements is by modifying our behavior.
Kathmandu valley is known for its ancient architectures but they are not well taken care of. Apart from earthquakes that caused severe damage to historical structures and buildings, the feces of pigeons are reducing the beauty of these artifacts. Pigeon droppings are acidic in nature and our ancient monuments that are mostly built of stones are subject to some serious and irreversible damage from this. It is also accelerating process of soiling (accumulation of soil) in the very complex artistic stone carvings, which in turn support vegetation on the top of the monuments. All this will cause severe damage to these monuments.
Feed them less
It is our duty to help make city more habitable. Limiting bird population is in hands of people of Kathmandu valley. We should start feeding them less often and feed lesser amount. Let them search their food on their own. Mother Nature has given them skills to do so. The abundance of food and shelter are major reason behind increment in their number. They can breed year round and hence their population keeps increasing.
While designing house we should not leave enough platforms and spaces where these birds can reside and breed. We can also use spikes or other means to avoid them in certain areas. Reducing the amount of food and removing shelter ground for these birds can help limit their population. Durbar Square management committees and temple management committees can also play an important role. Feeding pigeons is part of our culture but it warrants serious attention from people of Kathmandu Valley.
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 | Mar 30, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
The first time I gave any thought to the term was when I watched some of the great old film noir movies about gangsters. It seemed like almost every gang was victimized by one.
I am referring here to that old nemesis of crime, the “stool pigeon.”
The first “stool pigeons” were literally that. In the early days of colonization here and prior to that in England, pigeons were a source of meat (tastes like chicken).
Pigeons by nature are not very large birds. If you shoot one anywhere but in the head, you’ve spoiled the good eating portions — trust me on this one, I know from experience on the farms.
Hunters noted that pigeons are not the sharpest birds going and that they would tend to fly down and check out another of their species. Thus, the clever hunter would use a captured pigeon, usually tethered to a stool or perch as a decoy to lure his wild cousins into range of a net or snare.
This technique came into prominence in the early 1800s when a form of it, “stool-crow,” was used in 1811 as a version of “decoy.”
This came into common usage as “stool pigeon” (crows were not tasty, scratch the “four-and-twenty blackbirds” pie thing) so “stool pigeon” replaced that term.
By 1830, “stool pigeon” had entered the slanguage as a means to describe a criminal who was used as a decoy or informant by the police to capture other criminals.
The term is considered an Americanism although it may have been originally derived from the Old English word “stale,” meaning “a living bird used to catch others of the same species.”
Unfortunately, the use of “stool pigeons” may have led to the extinction of species like the passenger pigeon due to “flock shooting” with large fowling pieces.
Setting all that aside, I derived a certain amount of pleasure from seeing a tough guy gangster played by someone such as James Cagney or Edward G. Robinson snarl about a “stool pigeon” in the gang.
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 | Mar 28, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
This is the hilarious moment a young toddler girl in central China teaches a pigeon a lesson for stealing food.
Mobile phone footage shows a white bird landing on a mother’s hand and pecking on a bag of snacks. A toddler girl can be seen grabbing the pigeon’s neck and taking the food back.
The mother was shocked as the girl put the snack straight into her mouth after.
This is the first time the one-year-old toddler feeding pigeons at a plaza in central China (left). A pigeon landed on her mother’s hand and ready to take the snacks from the bag (right)
The scene was captured at a plaza in Puyang, Henen Province on February 24 when a mother took her daughter to feed the pigeons.
‘It’s her first time feeding pigeons. There were a lot of children at the plaza doing the same as well,’ the mother told Pear Video.
She did not expect her one-year-old daughter to grab a pigeon’s neck with bare hands.
Video shows the girl pulling the bird close to her before snatching the food from its mouth and ate it.
‘We are all shocked when she suddenly did that,’ said the mother.
Behave! The girl would not let the pigeon to eat her snacks and snatches it from the bird’s mouth (left). Quickly she puts the snack in her mouth and eats it straight (right)
The mother told the girl to ‘spit it out’ but it was too late and the girl had already swallowed it.
The video was widely shared among Chinese social media and later picked up on 9GAG and Imgur.com.
Web users commented that the toddler ‘is a savage’ with so much aggression at young age.
‘Pupuka’ joked: ‘Don’t mess with Yukuza!’
However, some web users worried that the girl might catch a bird flu.
‘This is how people get bird flu, she literally eats it from the bird’s mouth,’ said ‘shagoon’.
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 | Mar 27, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
Local county councillor Caroline Page has warned that the swallows and house martins that have nested in the station buildings for generations have been forced out by its redecoration and the installation of anti-pigeon measures like metal spikes and netting in the roof.
She said the swallows’ nests had been removed during the redecoration of the station and their departure had prompted the pigeons to move in.
She added: “It’s really sad and actually something needs to be done and it needs to be done now. In 160 years I don’t think they (the swallows and martins) have caused any damage.
“It’s a natural joy that is being taken away from us. It must be done at once. The birds are flying back from Africa now.”
She said the sight of the swallows and martins swooping over the station during the spring and summer was a real bonus for rail passengers – and feared their departure would be missed by many rail users.
Bird experts doubt that the disappearance of the swallows led pigeons to colonise the station – saying the species can co-exist quite happily. However they also doubt the effectiveness of anti-pigeon measures.
A spokeswoman for Greater Anglia, which operates the station, said they were working with the RSPB and local wildlife groups to make the station more attractive songbirds and species like swallows, martins, and swifts.
She said: “We are planning to put up bird boxes and if there are nests we can install for swallows and martins we will do that – we are looking at changing the netting so they can use the station.
“But we have to do something about the pigeons. We have had an infestation of the birds and their droppings are very unpleasant.
“Not only do they look and smell very nasty, they are unhygenic and they are very acidic so they can cause considerable damage to the fabric of the station that has only recently been redecorated.
“We have to do something to reduce the problems they cause.”
Greater Anglia supplied pictures showing the mess that had been left on station furniture and equipment – and said it was impossible to keep it clean all the time.
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 | Mar 20, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
The locked house of Jheurheri sarpanch Gurpal Singh in Mohali. (Express Photo) The locked house of Jheurheri sarpanch Gurpal Singh in Mohali. (Express Photo)
Kabootran wala sarpanch (sarpanch who keeps pigeons) is how 32-year-old Gurpal Singh, the sarpanch of Jheurheri village is identified when one asks for direction to his home near the international airport. Gurpal was booked by the Vigilance Bureau along with Mansa Additional Deputy Commissioner and two other officials for the land scam on Tuesday.
When Chandigarh Newsline visited Jheurheri village on Wednesday, Harpal’s house was locked. His neighbours said the family had left on Monday evening. Narata Singh, who lives close to Gurpal’s house, said the latter used to keep around 350 pigeons in specially designed cages. When one visited the place where the pigeons were kept, it was also locked.
“The entire village knows that Harpal Singh fed his pigeons with dry fruits. If you go inside the house, you will find packs of cashews and almonds. He owned around 25 acres in Patiala which he bought after his land was acquired for the airport. Harpal was a normal farmer. How can he keep costly pigeons and feed them costly stuff? He even installed CCTV cameras where he kept the pigeons,” wondered Narata.
Narata also said that recently Gurpal gifted four buffaloes, gold chain and a Royal Enfield bike to one of his masters, who taught him the art of training pigeons for competitions. “We came to know that he gifted all these items to one Ballu at Mauran village near Bhawanigarh in Patiala district. Gurpal bought the land in that area. He used to hold competitions of pigeons and spend money on such activities,” said Gurnaib Singh, one of the complainants in the case.
Gurnaib said Gurpal became sarpanch in 2013 and he always courted controversy for some reason or the other. “Gurpal once sold a small piece of land in the village in 2012. When the matter reached the police, I was the one who helped him. Since he was not the sarpanch, no case was registered against him,” he stated. Gurnaib informed that around 17.5 acres of land were owned by some farmers. Though the land was acquired for the airport, Gurpal got the compensation issued in the name of Bhag Singh and Kesar Singh.
“That money belonged to us. He cheated us following which we lodged a complaint against him and the accused officers in 2017. When we last lodged the complaint in 2016, nobody was ready to accept it. But, we are happy that these people have been booked finally,” he added.
Some of the panches were allegedly kept in the dark by Gurpal and his accomplices about the purchase of land in question. Somnath, one of the five panches, said Gurpal never discussed with them that the panchayat was going to buy land in other villages and added that they were never called to the meetings. “He came to me once and asked me to sign on a resolution. When I refused, he said he would lodge a complaint against me,” said Harinder Singh, another panch of the village.
Amarjeet Kaur, also a panch, said she was never told by Gurpal about any purchase of land. Gurpal, along with relatives Darshan Singh, Surinder Singh of Mulepur, Fatehgarh Sahib, and other accused Mohamad Sohel of Sector 79, Mohali, and Swarn Singh of Tiwana village in Fatehgarh Sahib are all on the run.
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)
