by johnnymarin | Jan 8, 2018 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
In Peru, the government is currently running a program that we might call the Internet of Garbage Vultures (IoGB), fitting GPS-enabled mobile GoPro cameras to vultures, so that these scavenging birds can be used in the fight to identify and eradicate illegal dumping of waste.
According to a report on ABC News Australia, “Ten trained vultures wearing purpose-designed vests have already started to monitor the city from above with the help of tracking technology as part of the Vultures Detect program, and have been carefully trained to return to their keepers.”
This trend is growing. The central north African country of Chad has developed a similar initiative and fitted dogs with IoT sensors to track down diseases and the United Kingdom has begun a program to use pigeons to monitor air pollution.
But you don’t just switch on collective intelligence overnight. Whether data comes from from humans or from IoT initiatives, engineering information streams so that they can be woven into the operational fabric of government is a big challenge.
In a January 2016 Nesta white paper, Governing with Collective Intelligence, authors Tom Saunders and Geoff Mulgan point out that adopting collective intelligence is not always easy. “Many governments resist openness and citizen input of any kind. Sometimes this is out of a sense that governments know best,” they write.”More often, it is because political organizations created many years ago lack the mechanisms to easily request, absorb, analyze and act upon ideas and information offered by citizens, external organizations [and other external sources].”
To overcome these challenges, the public sector needs a clear strategy to make use of the collective intelligence not just of citizens but also sensors, meters, devices – and, indeed, vultures dogs and pigeons.
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 7, 2018 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
Holyrood officials have been urged to think again about their decision to spend £80,000 on using birds of prey to scare pigeons away from the Scottish Parliament building over the next five years. Hawks and falcons are brought in regularly to fly over the parliament to deter pigeons from making it their home. But MSPs claim the pigeons have become wise to the practice and now simply wait for the birds of prey to leave with their handler before settling back on the roofs and ledges of the £414 million building. The parliament has renewed its maintenance contract – of which the birds of prey are now a part – for another five years with a possible two-year extension. Overall pigeon numbers are thought to have been reduced as far as they are likely to go, but the parliament believes the hawks and falcons are necessary to stop them increasing again. However, Lothian Tory MSP Miles Briggs, a member of the cross-party animal welfare group at Holyrood, said it was time for a rethink on spending so much money on a bird handler coming to Holyrood. “I don’t think they have looked at how effective it is actually being,” he said. “For a lot of building users it has become a bit of a joke. The pigeons are sitting up on Arthur’s Seat waiting for him to go away. The pigeons seem to be quite bright.” The Holyrood building was plagued by pigeons even before it officially opened in 2004. Muck and feathers were blown through vents on to researchers’ desks and some birds even got into MSPs’ offices. The cross-party Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, which oversees the building, brought in birds of prey as a deterrent nine years ago. Mr Briggs said: “When the MSP office block was first built there were so many nooks and crannies it was like a massive pigeon loft, but that has all been netted off now. “That probably had more effect displacing the pigeon population than the man coming to fly his birds of prey. “The corporate body needs to review this decision and whether it’s an effective use of taxpayers’ money.” Monthly reports by the contractors to the Scottish Parliament claim between 50 and 65 per cent of pigeons are dispersed during their presence on site. But the numbers seem to return to roughly the same level after they have gone. A parliament spokesman said: “We are aware the problem can never be fully eradicated and we will continue with the current approach.”
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 5, 2018 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
People walking through an underpass on The Queensway should keep their heads up and hats on, to avoid a wet and smelly surprise.
If their gaze is not fixed upward, they could be victimized by pigeons that are bombarding the north sidewalk from the rafters of the South Kingsway overpass.
Pigeons love to find a covered area where they can roost, which makes the support beams running along the underside of overpasses a prime location to set up shop.
Once they’re domiciled, the birds are not bashful about where they do their doo-doo. It’s no skin off their beaks if the sidewalk below is slathered with droppings, along with hapless pedestrians.
A time-tested solution is to put up screens on the bottom of overpasses. It works until the crafty pigeons find a way to sneak in under the screens and foil the best laid plans of mice and men.
Stan Pietlock emailed to say he walks in the area where the South Kingsway passes over The Queensway and is appalled by the bird droppings along the sidewalk on the north side of the underpass.
“The amount of pigeon excrement mixed with feathers is unhealthy, especially with toddlers riding in strollers close to the ground,” he said, adding it’s also “an example of poor sidewalk maintenance.
“One is literally forced to walk on the curb to keep one’s shoes out of the mess.”
We went there and watched as pedestrians veered around bird droppings and feathers coating the north sidewalk, a sign that pigeons still rule the roost.
And no wonder. We spotted pigeons perched above screens that had large holes in them, allowing easy access to a no-bird-trespassing area.
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 3, 2018 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
Hyderabad: A gang that was hunting birds in West Marredpally was stopped by bird conservationists on Sunday afternoon. However, the group of about eight men managed to escape leaving behind a bag full of dead and injured birds.
A dead Greater coucal, which is protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, and five pigeons were recovered from the bag, while three other pigeons were recovered alive but severely injured.
Incidents of bird poaching by group who use primitive methods of hunting such as catapult and stones are common in Secunderabad, said Rama Menon, Hyderabad coordinator for Nature Forever. Catapults are also banned under the Wildlife Protection Act.
A case was booked under the Wildlife Protection Act at the West Marredpally police station, she said.
Secunderabad is home to many species of common birds, and residential colonies here often have birds coming into houses, with residents taking care of them by keeping bowls of water and food in kitchens, balconies and verandas.
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 1, 2018 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
The noise can leave the animals deaf and the smoke can cause the breathing related problems to animals, claim veterinary doctors,
Thane : Animals are the worst affected by the smog and noise of crackers during Diwali. The noise can leave the animals deaf and the smoke can cause the breathing related problems to animals, claim veterinary doctors.
“The human ear can bear the sound of 2,000 to 20,000 megahertz, but dogs can bear from 20,000 to 1 lakh megahertz. The sound of crackers affect them badly,” said Dr. Yuvaraj Kaginkar, veterinary expert with a charitable trust. Vets always advice their clients to change the timings of walks of their pets during Diwali.
“Morning there is thick smoke and that can affect the pets. The pets can develop breathing problems, congestion due to it. The noise of crackers can hurt their ears, hence, we advice the owners to keep the pets in the inner rooms where there will be low sound level,” he added.
The strays have their own strategy to stay away from such pollution. They normally stay far from such places where it can affect them. The worst sufferers are the birds who stay near the houses.
Pigeons, sparrows, crows temporarily migrate during these days. The pigeons suffer trauma during the festival of noise and one can see many pigeons dying during these days, claim experts.
The various trusts that work for animals are creating an awareness among people to make them understand the evil effects of the crackers. And this has led to such incidences being reduced, according to the experts.
Previously, there were many cases, where crackers were tied to a dog’s tail. Now there is an awareness that such activity can be dangerous and cases have reduced, claimed Dr. Kaginkar.
The good news is that awareness of the ill effects is growing. Even animal lovers are trying to educate others about the pollution.
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 | Dec 31, 2017 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
Many of the buildings in the center of Madrid have interior and exterior apartments. An exterior apartment borders the street, while an interior one meets the apartment building on the parallel street. Imagine a solid building with a few shafts bored out of the center. When you open the curtains in the morning, the chances are that, a few feet across from you, you will see your neighbor doing the same. Both of you try to pretend that you do not see the other.
At the back of our apartment on Calle San Ildefonso, the building opposite contained a few very small windows that nobody opened, with small ledges. As a result, the pigeons moved in and made nests out of them. Every year, in spring and in autumn, the pigeons who had taken up residence directly opposite our bedroom window laid two eggs. In autumn, usually the eggs did not hatch, or if they did, the chicks did not survive. When the chicks died, the mother sat with them for a day or two, and then the two pigeons tried to avoid touching the corpses, moving to the far side of the window ledge. In winter, the pigeons spent most of their time huddled together in one corner of the ledge.
One year, in spring, the pigeons laid two eggs and one of them survived. All baby animals are cute: we seem to have a genetic predisposition to find babies of any species cute, I suppose to encourage us to care more about them and nurture them through their dangerous infancy. Baby pigeons are an exception. When they hatch, they are vomit yellow, with scraggly necks and feathers that remind you of the wisps of hair of an old man who has not washed his hair in weeks. It is hard, if not impossible, to look at a baby pigeon and think that it is cute. They make a lot of noise very early in the morning, and they require constant feeding from both parents. I saw the pigeons flying all day to bring food — they took turns staying at home to look after the baby and going out to work. Pigeon parenting is very egalitarian.
After a few days, the pigeon was able to sort of stand and observe things around herself. Unfortunately, in the shaft in which she was born, there was very little to see, except for my wife and I as we walked past the window, and every time we did, the baby pigeon tried to press herself against the back window, to get as far away from us as possible. After a few weeks, however, the baby was bigger, less afraid and more curious, and most importantly, less ugly. She was starting to resemble what we know as a pigeon. By this time, as well, the parents started to leave the baby for longer and longer periods, and eventually they left her for whole days, returning only in the evenings after work.
Eventually, the pigeon started to explore. She walked to the edge of the ledge, looked down, stretched her wings and flapped back. She did this for several days. Then one day I looked out of the window and saw the pigeon standing on our window ledge. Then she flew back to her nest.
The next day, the baby pigeon was gone. I felt sad that she had left. For the entire day, we heard the flapping of pigeon wings, and when we looked out, we saw both the mother and the father flying back and forth through the shaft, looking for their baby. They flew up and down, from side to side, for the entire day. I assumed that the baby had flown away when they were out at work. I wondered if the baby would be all right. How would she find food? Would she be able to find her way back if she needed help? Would she be lost in the city? Was she already lost? Perhaps the parents were thinking the same. I went to bed and worried about the baby pigeon.
When I woke up, the pigeon was not there. I made breakfast, had a shower and got dressed. Then I glanced out the window and the baby pigeon was there, back on our window ledge. Not only the baby, but the father, too, stuck to his child as if by glue, never more than ten centimeters from her. When the child walked from one side of the ledge to the other, the father went there too. When she flew back to the nest, the father flew there too. When she leaped into the air and flew away, so too did the father.
That was the last time we ever saw the baby pigeon. The parents eventually returned and laid more eggs, but none survived. Finally the builders came and renovated the building, destroying the nest in the process. The parents moved on, and we moved away.
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)
