by Pigeon Patrol | Aug 8, 2019 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News, UltraSonic Bird Control
Crews tasked with cleaning a Saskatchewan bridge are in for a dirty job.
The City of Saskatoon said that over the last 50 years one of its bridges has accumulated nearly 350 tonnes of pigeon poop – which is roughly equal to 230 cars parked on the bridge.
It said the feces adds unnecessary weight and the pigeon droppings contain uric acid which can damage concrete, affecting the integrity of the bridge.
This also means the extermination of about 1,500 members of the feathered flock that makes the Sid Buckwold Bridge home.
The city said relocating or displacing the birds is not recommended because they are likely to fly back or move into other private properties or civic spaces. Homing pigeons are likely to return to their original roosting areas, making relocation difficult as a long term solution.
A local wildlife advocate is disappointed and questions why alternatives can’t be found that would allow the birds to live. “In Saskatchewan, a very, very, very common response is if it pisses you off, shoot it,” said Jan Shadick, volunteer director of Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation.
Regina and Vancouver rely on pigeon spikes, protective netting or cages to keep pigeons off their facilities. Toronto and Calgary do not practice Pigeon control.
Here at Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture, sell, and install humane bird exclusion products, such as bird spikes and netting.
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by Pigeon Patrol | Mar 31, 2019 | Bird Netting, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News, UltraSonic Bird Control
WOLCOTT — Someone discarded 145 living pigeons this winter the way one throws out an empty disposable coffee cup — by tossing them into a trash dumpster.
The night caretaker at the northbound Interstate 65 rest area in White County found the first 57 birds in the middle of December as he took the trash out, said Kim Hoover of the Hoots to Howls Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in rural Pulaski County. Some of the birds trapped inside boxes died, she said.
She took the birds and found homes for most of them, keeping the blind and crippled birds at the rehabilitation center.
Then on Feb. 28, the caretaker found more boxes of birds in the same dumpster at the same rest area.
“Same mozzarella cheese boxes. Same person’s name and number on the leg ban,” she said.
The first group of birds found were standing in feces that were caked to their feet and matted in their feathers, Hoover said. It appeared they’d been in the dumpster for a while and were in poor health.
The second group was found in better condition and did not have trash piled on top of the boxes, indicating that they had not been in the dumpster that long, Hoover said.
That person’s name on the leg band is Bahman Ghassab from Dublin, Ohio, Hoover said. The bands also had a telephone number to reach Ghassab. The Journal & Courier called that number on Wednesday, but it is no longer a working number.
But after the find in December, Hoover said one of her associates did call the number, and Ghassab answered.
“He said he sold some birds to someone in Florida and in Illinois,” Hoover said, “and he would not give any more info than that.
“When asked why would you sell sick starving and injured pigeons and better yet why would someone buy them in this condition, the conversation ended,” Hoover said.
The Journal & Courier contacted John DeCarlo Jr., president of the National Pigeon Association. He checked the association’s membership list, and Ghassab is not a member.
“These birds don’t fly,” Hoover said.
The Journal & Courier texted photos of the birds to DeCarlo, who is in California.
“I don’t know why they don’t fly,” he said, noting this particular breed of pigeon is the Iranian high fliers.
The Iranian high fliers are capable of flight, unlike the one particular breed that Hoover mistakenly was told the rescued birds belonged to, DeCarlo said.
The birds might not fly because they are sick or are under fed or are under conditioned, DeCarlo said. Or they might have been altered so they can’t fly, he added.
Someone told Hoover the birds were likely part of an illegal gambling ring, but that doesn’t seem likely, according to DeCarlo.
The only gambling in the pigeon hobby is among racing pigeons, and these are not racing pigeons, he said.
The flightless pigeon breed is known as parlor rollers. They have been genetically bred not to fly, and when they are nervous or excited, they roll, Decarlo said. There is a competition among parlor rollers to see whose bird can roll the furthest, but it’s not cruel because this is the natural way these birds behave, according to several pigeon experts interviewed Wednesday by the Journal & Courier.
Everyone interviewed Wednesday was incensed by the way these birds were discarded.
Hoover said no one seems interested in investigating it as a criminal case.
“From what I’m told, they’re not pets; they’re not farm animals, so nobody does anything,” she said.
National Pigeon Association Secretary/Treasurer Tim Heidrich of Georgia doesn’t see why it couldn’t be prosecuted.
“To me, it’s like animal cruelty,” Heidrich said. “There are ways to get rid of them without being cruel about it.”
“There are quite a few small shows,” he said. “You can go to these things and sell them — give them away to the kids.”
DeCarlo suggested giving unwanted pigeons to 4Hers so they can learn the hobby and show them.
Finding so many birds thrown away begs the question of whether other birds met with a similar fate only went undiscovered at other locations.
“We don’t know if this is the first time,” Hoover said. “Is it happening at other rest parks? We don’t know.
“I just wish he’d stop. These birds don’t deserve to be thrown out.”
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by Pigeon Patrol | Mar 31, 2019 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News
BOSTON — Along with all the usual declarations and deductions, Massachusetts residents have been asked to keep something else in mind this tax season: pigeon droppings.
In an unusual and at times stomach-turning appeal, the state agency MassWildlife proposed that one way to fight back against the sticky messes befouling cars and damaging bridges is for taxpayers to check a box on their tax forms to support the state’s endangered species program.
How so? Peregrine falcons are among the program’s beneficiaries, and they prey on pigeons.
“Hate pigeon poop? Save peregrine falcons,” begins the message on the agency’s website and in a recent newsletter. It goes on to picture a typical motorist driving home from work over one of the state’s major bridges.
“You’re thinking about dinner as you wait in traffic when — PLOP! — something white and black falls onto your windshield,” the post continues.
Next comes a scientific breakdown of the bird droppings that includes an explanation — for inquiring minds that need to know — of the precise difference between the dark and white portions.
Damage: And then, lest the reader believe it’s all no more than a yucky nuisance, this warning: “This paste-like substance is so acidic and corrosive, that it can damage your car’s paint job. And you guessed it, groups of birds all going to the bathroom in the same place can make man-made structures like bridges deteriorate faster.”
Enter the peregrine falcon, a magnificent predator that can attain speeds of 240 mph in high-elevation dives, no match for the slower and less agile pigeon, which just so happens to be one of the peregrine’s favorite feasts.
Peregrine falcons disappeared from Massachusetts in the mid-1950s and soon after in the entire eastern U.S., their demise largely blamed on the pesticide DDT, according to the state’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program.
After the chemical was banned, efforts picked up to reintroduce the raptor, sometimes confused with more common varieties of hawk.
Pigeon-hunting perches: To the surprise of some ornithologists, many of the newcomers eschewed their former rural habitats and became city dwellers. Instead of on cliffs, they began nesting on tall building ledges and bridges in urban areas where food sources — pigeons, especially — were more plentiful.
To help the falcons along, state officials and volunteers placed nesting boxes in strategic locations such as the Custom House Tower in Boston, the 28-story W.E.B. Du Bois Library at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and the heavily traveled Tobin Bridge spanning the Mystic River.
“Falcon cams” were even installed to offer a continuous livestream of peregrine comings and goings.
The restoration effort is partially funded by voluntary donations from taxpayers, who can choose to contribute to “endangered wildlife conservation” on their state returns. The money supports more than 400 threatened or endangered plants and animals, from bog turtles to timber rattlesnakes, but the peregrine falcon is easily among the most “charismatic,” said David Paulson, senior endangered species biologist for MassWildlife.
Donations: Contributions to the fund have been increasing but remain well below levels needed, according to state officials and wildlife experts. About 23,000 taxpayers gave $312,000 through the tax check-off in 2017, the last full year for which figures were available, compared with the $178,000 provided by approximately 18,000 taxpayers in 2013.
It’s not just bird lovers and conservationists embracing the slow but steady revival of the peregrine falcons.
State transportation engineers have noticed a reduction in the pigeon population on bridges with nesting falcons, officials said. Fewer pigeons means less waste building up on bridge surfaces, rusting the steel and increasing the costs for maintenance and bridge replacement.
“It’s almost like a symbiotic relationship,” Paulson said. “The structure provides the habitat, and the falcons kind of provide the pest management, for lack of a better term.”
Officials hope drivers when completing their tax forms will see the peregrine as a feathered friend that can make an unwanted splattering a bit less likely.
The falcons “are never going to eliminate (pigeons), but they can help to manage them,” Paulson said.
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by Pigeon Patrol | Mar 31, 2019 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes
Don’t bet against the high-flying lifestyle of rare bird and sports.
A buyer has bid more than $1.4 million for a champion Belgian racing pigeon in a sale, according to the auction house Pipa, which oversaw the online auction for the rare bird.
This regal, emerald green-feathered bird is no regular pigeon you would frequent on the street — as you probably imagined.
In fact, lest you underestimate the athleticism of the mighty bird named “Armando,” look no further than this endorsement.
Nikolaas Gyselbrecht, the founder and chief executive of Pipa, told the Press Association: “This pigeon has a race record that has never been matched by any other pigeon.”
“In football terms you have Messi and Ronaldo – it’s that level.”
The praise for “Armando” continued from there.
“This is a crowning glory of all those years in the pigeon sport. The icing on the cake,” Joël Verschoot said of the unique bird he put up for auction, according to the Guardian.
Indeed, Armando is apparently a champ who really goes the distance.
As to why a bird fetched such a high price, it comes down to Armando’s particular knack for the long-distance competition in China, where bird racing is a popular draw.
Bird owners can win plenty of their money back by betting on the correct winged competitor, with prizes in the tens of thousands of dollars.
That being said, your typical racer bird fetches $2,838, according to the BBC.
“This type of champion is rarely offered for sale,” according to the auction site. The high price leapt from $600,000 to $1.4 million in the final moments of bidding, according to the auction site, which features a close-up snapshot of the bird’s eye for reasons unknown.
Go Armando.
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by johnnymarin | Oct 7, 2018 | Bird Netting
A pigeon-infested building in the heart of Hucknall could finally be repaired after the owners were prosecuted for failing to improve its appearance.
Residents said the dilapidated building at 1a Albert Street is a known spot for drug users, with up to 40 needles found during a sweep.
It is also caked in pigeon excrement, graffiti, and residents fear it is “a dangerous eyesore” which has become a playground for youngsters.
Ashfield District Council has been fighting with the owners – Trent Properties Limited – since November 2017 following a number of complaints.
The council said the building – which has been empty for some years – is in a poor condition and has become home to a flock of pigeons.
The local authority said it contacted the owners requesting scheduled work to be carried out within three months, but they failed to do so.
Despite warnings and a fixed penalty notice of £100, which they failed to pay, the council had no option but to take them to court.
In their absence, the council said the company were found guilty, fining them £2,000 with a victim surcharge of £170.
They were also ordered to pay the council’s prosecution costs of £484.40, and must carry out the work on the property within 28 days.
Baker Paul Harris, 60, who lives next door to the building, said: “It is an eyesore. Some new flats have been built across the road and that is all they are seeing – pigeons.
“It has been like that for five years, ever since I moved in. It is not very nice living next to it. When I come off working nights all you can hear is pigeons. It does affect your sleep.
“It needs boarding up. I think at one time it is used to be a butchers.”
Lorraine Pendlebury, 52, who has lived on Albert Street for seven years, said: “It is filthy – birds are living in there and rats go through the jitty. They need to knock it down because when they first cleared it they found about 40 needles and kids do go under there and it is dangerous.
“I think they should be fined more.”
Support nurses Kerry Saxelby, 43, and Rebecca Wilshaw, 42, who live in Hucknall and regularly pass by the building felt it was “unsafe” and an “eyesore.”
Mrs Saxelby said: “It is a total eyesore. It is on an access road so a lot of people do see it.”
Mrs Wilshaw added: “It looks unsafe. There are a lot of kids that play around here so if anything happens. I don’t think fining them will sort it out. I think it needs to be more.”
Talking about the prosecution, Councillor Jason Zadrozny, leader of Ashfield District Council, said: “The council have a number of dilapidated buildings on our caseload, and although some of these owners chose not to engage, we will find them to ensure that these buildings don’t remain a blight on our communities.
“This prosecution is a brilliant result for Hucknall residents and shows that we take disrepair seriously and are committed to cracking down on these rogue property owners. We want them to know that we are coming for them.”
Nottinghamshire Live tried to contact Trent Properties Ltd for a comment, but were unable to do so.
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 | Jan 30, 2018 | Bird Netting
Every day, come rain, come shine, come London fog, three pigeons start their mooing-cooing morning song on the fire escape outside my bedroom window. I used to hate it, this dawn sing-along. Doves on a balcony have romance; Bayswater pigeons none. But I’ve grown fond of them: my private dawn chorus up in the chimneystacks. They start before it’s light, following the seasons, earlier and earlier towards high summer. (By June, when they’re at it before 4am, I do, I admit, fantasise about a cap gun.)
My grubby pigeons may not have been quite what King’s College researchers had in mind when they published a study showing how even a short burst of birdsong – or a glimpse of blue sky, or lunch under a tree – improves mood and mental well-being among city dwellers. Perhaps something more picturesque: a jay, a chaffinch, a chatter of Cockney sparrows.
We’re supposed to deplore monk parakeets, exotic invaders of our city parks, but I love their tropical call. You hear them before you see their flash of emerald feathers – and for a moment you might be on the Equator.
I’m partial to the grumble of Tube trains beneath the stalls in West End theatres…also, the clank-and-smash of recycling paladins tipped into lorries, wine bottles breaking as they go
If the pigeons get me up, the bells of St James’s Paddington mark my hours. Six chimes for breakfast, seven for a walk, twelve for lunch, five for pens down and saucepans out. On Sundays, when they ring long and loudly for High Mass at ten, I get a guilty feeling if I’m still in my dressing gown. Church bells are a comfort, too, to the insomniac. Companionable to lie there counting the small hours together.
In the list of city noise complaints – horns, car alarms, drills, revving engines, and the bleating of ‘This Vehicle is Reversing’ – you rarely hear anyone say: “I wish that church would put a sock in it”. John Betjeman captured the shyly welcoming tone in Summoned By Bellswhen he wrote of the ‘bearded rector’ of St Ervan’s ‘holding in one hand/ A gong-stick, in the other hand a book,/ Struck, while he read, a heavy-sounding bell,/ Hung from an elm bough by the churchyard gate./ “Better come in. It’s time for Evensong.”’
Do others feel mournful at the news that the twelve bells of St Paul’s northwest tower have fallen silent for the first time since the Second World War? They will be taken away for restoration and won’t peal again until November. No bongs from Big Ben, hushed bells at St Paul’s. The capital is strangely muffled.
Birds and bells are crowd-pleasers, but there are other, more niche noises that make up a city. I’m partial to the grumble of Tube trains beneath the stalls in West End theatres. There you are on the battlements of Elsinore, Hamlet’s father’s ghost flapping his bed-sheets… and a Piccadilly Line train thunders underfoot. Also, the clank-and-smash of recycling paladins tipped into lorries, wine bottles breaking as they go. If silence is golden, then familiar, reassuring sounds are a silver second-best.
I’m in Paris this week, in a borrowed flat above a school playground. At playtime, games, laughter, shouts echo up the lightwell. When the lesson bell rings, I think, with a lurch of stomach: ‘Double maths.’ It’s wonderful to realise each time that the bells aren’t summoning me.
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)
