Sliema’s mayor has stood firm in the face of angry Facebook comments over the town’s regular pigeon cull, arguing shooting down the birds is the only solution for a major problem in his locality.
“Many residents are concerned about pigeon droppings and that pigeons could cause lung diseases,” Anthony Chircop said. “This morning alone, three people approached me in the street to urge the council to clamp down on the problem. We don’t enjoy shooting down pigeons, but we’ve exhausted all other options and this is the only method which works. It’s a necessary evil.”
“When the government and the Birgu local council agreed to abandon a planned pigeon cull a few months ago so as to study alternative methods, we told them we would agree to try out any solution we haven’t tried and tested before,” he said. “So far we haven’t heard anything from their end.”
He said the cull is carried out with utmost care, with police officers and sweepers accompanying the shooters, the latter to pick up dead birds from the street. Indeed, he said dead pigeons seen on the streets of Sliema are unlikely to be leftovers from the culls but rather pigeons who would have died from natural causes or who would have consumed poison left by residents on their rooftops.
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.
Falcons should be brought in to tackle Southport’s pigeon fouling problem, a local councillor has said.
Cllr David Barton said the long-term issue was affecting vital areas of the town, such as Lord Street, and was causing major problems for residents,businesses and tourists.
Cllr Barton, who represents Dukes Ward, said: “A recent initiative agreed by Sefton Council to install six plastic hawks across town to deter pigeons was nowhere near enough to resolve the issue.”
He said that he first raised the issue of pigeon fouling in 2014 and claims a falcon handler was employed during The Open golf championship.
He added: “I am seeking the local community’s views with a view to addressing the issue of pigeon fouling along Lord Street and other areas.
“Lord Street is a prime target for pigeons which tend to roost and nest in tall buildings and can do untold levels of damage to the historic fabric of these properties.
“There are many methods of pigeon control including bird proofing, wire deterrent systems, netting, bird spikes and a large variety of electrical and sonic bird deterrent solutions.
“Given Lord Street’s status as a conservation area not all these prescribed measures are appropriate from a conservationist’s perspective so I am advocating for a more subtle yet effective approach consisting of a falcon handler to be deployed to address this issue.
“Besides preventing regularly tarnished pavements this will also reduce the incidences of trips and falls caused by pigeons that have been reported all year round.”
The councillor claims pigeon droppings are not only unsightly, but their acid content can lead to the deterioration of soft stone and cause long-term damage to buildings and nest droppings and feathers block gutters and rainwater pipes.
The birds are capable of lifting loose roof coverings, tiles and battens to gain entry into roof voids which can significantly damage the structure by allowing water penetration.
He also suggests that reducing the amount of pigeons in the town will boost the retail sector.
Cllr Barton added: “Action to curb the effects of pigeons may also encourage more investment into the retail sector across the high street, especially along the central cross-section which coincidentally has consecutive units that have been vacant since 2013.
“Whilst measures such as plastic hawks may provide some interim management for the situation, this will ultimately cease to work and indeed may actually only last for a far shorter length of time than planned.
“It is important that we take the best action possible which has been tried and tested and would give incumbent retailers and new interested big names a reason why they should choose our classic resort town.”
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.
They waddle on the yellow line next to the BART tracks. They scavenge for food scraps left by residents and tourists alike. They nest in the rafters and other nooks around the Powell Street BART station. And they splatter the station with guano.
The presence of rock pigeons throughout SF is nothing new, but there has been an especially high concentration of them at SF’s Powell Street BART station – the third busiest in the transit system with 33,273 commuters using the station on an average weekday – for years.
BART has taken steps to make the station a less attractive dwelling for pigeons, including using high-frequency and predatory bird sounds to annoy or scare the pigeons away. But it hasn’t been enough.
Two months ago, BART spent $25,000 to install fabric nets to block access to spots around the station, like rafters and overhangs, that pigeons have used for resting and nesting in the past. Still, there are other perches, like the signs showing commuters which exit is which, that can’t be covered up.
A pigeon rests on a sign directing commuters to one of the Powell Street BART station’s exits. The small white spots splattered on the sign are pigeon guano.
But despite BART’s attempts at pigeon abatement, signs of pigeons at the station are all over the place – their fights over food scraps, mating rituals and, yes, guano. Opinions of Bay Area commuters and residents on the pigeons vary, too.
“I absolutely hate pigeons. They’re a menace,” said Jesse Reyes, 27, of San Francisco. He’s a student at nearby Hack Reactor and he was walking through the Powell Street BART station from the Starbucks in Westfield Mall when he spoke to SFGATE. “It’s like we’re living in Hitchcock’s ‘The Birds’.”
Reyes, with an incredulous look on his face, said the pigeons act like they aren’t even scared of the masses of people bustling by them. That’s likely because, according to local pigeon and wildlife experts, they’ve become acclimated to urban environments over the decades.
Some commuters, like Jessica Guevarra, 18, of SF, have become as acclimated to the pigeons at the station as the pigeons have become to living there. “Honestly since I’ve lived here all my life it doesn’t bother me,” she said.
Alison Hermance, director of communications for wildlife rescue hospital WildCare in San Rafael, said the often-adaptable pigeons have figured out how to live among humans.
“They benefit from the easy access to food that humans provide, as well as many protected spots for nesting in our buildings and eaves and easy-to-access water sources like fountains and water features,” Hermance said.
The exact number of pigeons at the station is unknown to local pigeon and wildlife experts as well as BART and Muni representatives. “We’re busy with other things. We’re not doing too much birdwatching,” said Jim Allison, media relations manager for BART.
Jodie Foreman, the founder of a SF group that rescues string-foot pigeons (pigeons whose feet are injured after getting tangled in human hair and string), estimated that each city block has a flock and each flock could have several hundred birds.
“As with any wildlife population, the number of animals present is exactly the number that the environment can support,” Hermance said.
Foreman suggested other methods for curbing the pigeon population like feeding the pigeons contraceptive food, replacing their eggs with replicas and installing breeding boxes. Some of these methods have been tried in other major metropolitan areas where there are large pigeon populations.
Allison did not say that whether BART would try any of those methods, but he did point out a couple long term pigeon abatement efforts. He said part of the ceiling replacement project at Powell Street BART will involve the installation of metal screens to permanently cover up the pigeons’ hang outs. Installation of the screens will cost $240,000 and the project will be complete in the winter of 2017 or early 2018.
He acknowledged that the ceiling replacement project will not completely solve the problem of the pigeons entering the station. He said that BART is also working to cover the entrances of the BART stations with canopies to help deter pigeons from getting down to the station entrances and platforms. The latest that project will be completed, he said, is fall 2019.
Hallidae Plaza poses another challenge when it comes to limiting the pigeons’ access to the Powell Street station. The open space near the station entrance provides ample space for pigeons to perch or enter one of BART’s busiest stations.
Another way to limit the number of Powell station pigeons would be for BART and Muni passengers to obey rules prohibiting food in the stations and trains. There are several food vendors on Powell Street right outside of the entrances to the BART station and people feed birds at nearby Union Square.
“Certainly with the number of people in the area, there is also a lot of human food being consumed and dropped or improperly disposed of,” Hermance said. “Pigeons are flock birds, so they like to hang out together, and they’ll gravitate to a place with lots of easy-to-access food.”
Elizabeth Young, founder and executive director of the SF-based Palomacy Pigeon & Dove Adoptions, said although many commuters think of pigeons as a nuisance, they attract them by being sloppy with their food and drink.
“We drop things all over the place, lots of food and lots of crumbs, so there’s a lot of food for them,” she said. “So they live [where there’s food] and they reproduce and people don’t like that…[but] until we stop dropping food…you can’t blame the birds, it’s our fault.”
Allison recalled recently witnessing a litterbug in action at the station. “I was there yesterday and I saw a guy eating an energy bar,” he said. “I guess he didn’t like the taste of it and he just threw it right on the floor of the station. You know, all that does it attract vermin.
“If people could just be mindful of the fact that we’re surrounded by pigeons, by rats…they’ve thrived in our ecosystem and that just gives them encouragement to come into the BART station if they know they can find food 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.
RATS scurrying around Church Green in Redditch town centre are proving to be an ongoing issue – and traders and shoppers are blaming locals feeding the pigeons for the problem, writes Ramla Soni.
Hazel Whiston of fast food stall Bob & Hazels in Market Square said: “The issue of rats is so frustrating as its people themselves who are causing this. If people didn’t come with huge bags of bread and seeds to feed the pigeons, rats would not come around this area for food.
“We have told them not to feed the pigeons but they keep on doing so. There is a small sign on the lamppost opposite us prohibiting the feeding of pigeons but no one can see that. Several should be placed around in places more visible to the public.”
Another market trader said: “It’s not a nice sight for people coming into town. You can see several running across the church pathway and on the grass where when it’s a nice day children play and have family picnics.
“People need to stop feeding the pigeons as when the birds don’t eat the food rats do.”
Shelly Wootton who works at Andrew Grant Sales and Lettings on Church Green East added: “Of course rats are going to be around in a natural environment just like foxes and other outdoor creatures, but I do see a lot of people feeding pigeons which needs to stop as it is attracting more rats day by day.”
County environmental health officer Toby Hardman-Dodd said action would be taken: “We will be putting some more ‘do not feed pigeons’ signs up around the affected area and also targeting rats by using pest treatment and placing bait boxes.”
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.
Roosting birds of prey at a Taunton landmark have been given a leg – er, talon – up on the housing ladder thanks to public funds.
Taunton Deane Borough Council is planning to contribute £3,500 towards the £7,000 cost of setting up a nest box for peregrine falcons that have set up home at St Mary Magdalene Church tower and a webcam so people can keep a close eye on them.
The peregrine falcons have become a real talking point in town and they have an extra benefit in scaring away pesky pigeons and gulls.
The grant is one of several recently approved by the Taunton Unparished Area Committee that allocates money collected by the council for Taunton-specific, community focused groups and projects.
Councillor Jane Warmington, executive member for community leadership, said: “The falcons have become an attraction in their own right and, if they return as expected to St Mary’s, they would have somewhere to nest and rear young.
“The webcam will give people a chance to watch these beautiful birds without disturbing them. Of course, there is the practical point that the falcons will help control pigeons and gulls that can be a nuisance.”
The agreed funding will be released once the balance has been raised by the Church.
Other grants approved – subject to the call-in process – are:
£919.96 to replace four existing litter bins on Mount Walk, Taunton with bins with fixed lids – to prevent litter being removed from the bins and spread into the surrounding area, including Stockwell Stream, by gulls and crows looking for food.
£784 for a plaque commemorating the visit by the composer Franz Liszt to Taunton in 1840. While in the town he performed at the Assembly Rooms in The Market House as part of his European Tour. The plaque would be sited on The Market House alongside the one commemorating the Monmouth Rebellion.
A contribution of £5,785 towards the overall cost of £15,381 to provide a range of adult, outdoor gym equipment to be sited on the Hawthorn Play Area off Rowan Drive, Taunton. The main part of the funding will be derived from a money in the Community Leisure budget which resulted from the development in Normandy Drive, Taunton.
£700 to buy a replacement building ‘Poppy’ for positioning on The Market House in the centre of Taunton in the weeks before Remembrance Sunday.
A further grant of £175 to pave a route around the newly completed toilet block at Galmington Allotments to serve an emergency fire escape door which is to be made in the fence dividing the allotment site and the adjoining Trident Centre Play Group.
To meet 50 per cent of the £5,000 cost of enabling 12 young people from the Taunton Academy to participate in a ‘Phoenix’ course to be run by the Devon and Somerset Fire Rescue Service. The course will provide a unique opportunity for the young people who are at risk of being excluded from school and/or involved in anti-social behaviour to work with the Fire Service and take part in a variety of physical and mental challenges that will help develop life-long skills.
A contribution of £500 to the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society towards the £1,800 printing costs of a book on the life of Sir Benjamin Hammet.
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.
At present we are treating more than 12 birds at our hospital,” said Dr. Raj Kumar, in-charge at Charity Birds Hospital. More than a dozens of birds — who got injuries from kite strings — are being treated at the Charity Birds Hospital, located at Sadar Bazar, the only bird hospital in the city. The doctors have received calls from South City-1, DLF Phase-1 and Sector 50 to pick the injured birds. The injured birds include pigeons, crow, mayna as they live close to human habitat and they construct their nests in and around houses,” said Kumar. “We have received 10 calls today from various locations in the city regarding injured birds.
More than a dozens of birds — who got injuries from kite strings — are being treated at the Charity Birds Hospital, located at Sadar Bazar, the only bird hospital in the city. Every year, due to the kite flying ceremony usually observed by the residents of the city during Independence Day, many birds get injured. “We have received 10 calls today from various locations in the city regarding injured birds. At present we are treating more than 12 birds at our hospital,” said Dr. Raj Kumar, in-charge at Charity Birds Hospital. The doctors have received calls from South City-1, DLF Phase-1 and Sector 50 to pick the injured birds , As Reported By Hindustan Times.
According to the Newspaper,Few birds have lost their legs as they were trapped in the glass coated strings, while some have injuries around their neck. Most of the injured birds have their wings damaged. “We also came across dehydrated birds and their wings were badly injured. The injured birds include pigeons, crow, mayna as they live close to human habitat and they construct their nests in and around houses,” said Kumar. These birds are given glucose and they will take a week to recover, said Kumar.
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.
