PETA has uncovered what La Crosse is doing with pigeons and the group is not happy about it.
Mayor Tim Kabat says he’s responded to a letter from the animal advocacy group’s cruelty investigations department. La Crosse is working with the USDA on a process to bait, net and remove the pigeons,which is what PETA has complained about.
Kabat assured the group the latest effort comes only after a long string of other, non-lethal methods. Working with the USDA is really just the latest step in pigeon control that has included contraceptive feed, bird barriers and no feeding rules, among others.
In December, the city entered into the $23,000 pigeon removal contract, after spending more than $33,000 to clean pigeon poop out of the Main Street parking ramp.
“I think we have employed a pretty comprehensive approach over the last several years,” Kabat said, “and the city did quite a bit of review and analysis before taking the next step to contract with the USDA.
“I think we’ve been pretty deliberate in our approach and our conversations with the contractor, I mean, we’ve received reassurance that they do everything in their power to treat them as humanely as possible.”
Kabat says the city will stick with the new method for now.
“Obviously, we want to see it succeed and do what it’s supposed to do, so we do need to run its course just a little bit and if we need to make adjustments, we will do that,” Kabat 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.
From Monday 9 April 2018, it will be an offence to feed pigeons in Waterlooville Town Centre and doing so could result in being issued with a fixed penalty notice for £80.
A Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) is being introduced in the area as pigeons are causing significant problems for shoppers, businesses and residents of flats in Waterlooville Precinct.
Pigeons – that are awaiting food – have been roosting on residential balconies that surround the precinct despite preventative measures such as netting, sound boxes, spikes and decoy birds of prey being introduced. These pigeons have impacted the quality of life in the area and have effectively prevented residents from using their balconies and opening their windows.
Local businesses and cafés are also suffering and are frequently having to clear pigeons mess off tables and chairs.
Sophia Goodwin from JDI Property Holdings, who manage a block of flats in the precinct, said: “Pigeons are the number one problem for our residents. We have invested a considerable amount into preventative measures for the building, however our residents are still suffering. We hope this extra measure will improve the situation”.
Councillor Tony Briggs, Deputy Leader of the Council, said: “The problem of pigeons is of real concern to residents of local flats and it’s not fair that people have to live like this. By preventing individuals from feeding them, we hope we will reduce their numbers and the associated impact on businesses and residents.
“Our officers have spoken to a number of individuals feeding pigeons asking them to stop and explaining the associated impact. Local businesses have approached people feeding pigeons and signage in the area and a wider media campaign has been rolled out. Despite these effort individuals continue to regularly feed pigeons leaving us no other option but to follow the PSPO route”.
By limiting available food, the number of pigeons at the precinct is expected to decline with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the Pigeon Control Advisory Service (PiCAS) advising this as best practice.
Pigeon activity causes ill-effects on the local community with:
buildings being covered in fouling which looks unpleasant, can smell and projects a poor image of a business and the area
bird droppings are acidic and can corrode or erode building materials
nesting materials birds use can block chimneys, flues and guttering, causing possible issues with carbon monoxide and damage to buildings as water overflows from blocked gutters
birds carry a variety of diseases such as Ornithosis, Listeria and Ecoli that can be transmitted to humans not only from the droppings but also the birds themselves. When dry, pigeon droppings can become airborne in small particles, which can lead to respiratory complaints such as psittacosis.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
The days of Redruth residents being aerially bombarded by pooing pigeons are now over after a ‘humane’ solution was found.
Last year it was reported that one fed-up resident complained how the pooing birds were putting lives at risk.
The Bond Street Railway Bridge, adjacent to Alma Place, has been a popular nesting place for pigeons for a number of years and the birds living there could regularly be seen splattering the pavement below and those who dared walk by.
A local man, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “They nest under the bridge and poo on the pavement, street signs and pedestrian crossing push buttons.
“People are at risk of health from infection from the faeces and, in wet weather, slipping on the pigeon mess, which is slippery, and they could end up in the road and run over by passing traffic.
“So the situation is not being dealt with and only the road sweeper cleans the pavement on odd occasions.”
However it now appears a solution has finally been found, according to Redruth town councillor Mike Chappell.
He posted on his Facebook page: “RAILWAY BRIDGE PIGEON PROBLEM FINALLY SOLVED!
“The railway bridge over Bond Street, Redruth, at its junction with Station Hill, is finally clear of pigeons and the mess they make on the pavements below following the completion of a programme of works to mesh off the underside of the bridge.
“Major cleaning has been required down the years in order to ensure public safety on the pavements.
“This humane way of dealing with a longstanding environmental and public health issue followed receipt of many complaints from the public and subsequent inter agency work between Redruth Town Council, Network Rail and the Highways Department with Redruth Town Council part financing the work.”
Town and Cornwall councillor Barbara Ellenbroek said previously that following town council discussions, Network Rail revealed that it felt the issue wasn’t a health hazard and therefore if Redruth Town Council wanted to do anything it would cost in the region of £10,000 due to associated road closures.
However despite the previous concerns it appears that the issue has now been resolved.
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.
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.
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.
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.
