by Pigeon Patrol | Aug 25, 2015 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News
A Cleveland man has been left angered after his pigeons were savagely attacked in their loft.
Sean Wardle, of Carlin How, visited his allotment just off Westray Street at around 10.30am yesterday to discover four of his tumbler pigeons without heads as well as four chickens lying headless on the grass.
Sean, 45, said: “When I first saw the chickens I thought it must have been a fox.
“Then when I saw that the wire mesh on the front of the pigeon loft had been damaged but the padlock was still on I knew there was more to it.
“I couldn’t believe it when I found the birds lying there with no heads. They were still warm and one of them was still flapping so it can’t have happened long before I got there.”
Sean has maintained the allotment for the past 25 years but has only kept the 45 pigeons their in the loft for the past two and a half years.
Despite never showing the birds professionally, Sean, who looks after the birds with his girlfriend Louise Neate, puts a lot of time and effort into their care.
He said: “The birds aren’t worth a lot but they mean a lot to me. I am doing something for a hobby and not harming anyone. I just can’t understand people.”
Sean Wardle of Carlin HowSean Wardle of Carlin How
Sean shares his allotment with a friend, Ryan Taylor, whose four chickens were also killed during the attack.
Ryan, 18, who only got the chickens about a month ago said: “I couldn’t believe it when I heard what had happened. They had just started laying eggs and I was planning on getting more.
“I also thought about getting some ducks and a goat for the allotment but now I will be thinking twice about it.”
Louise, 36, said: “I think it is an absolute disgrace that somebody could do this.”
Sean added: “The rest of the birds now won’t go back inside.
“They’re obviously scared about what has happened. I just think it is sick and I don’t know what someone would get out of doing this.”
Cleveland Police confirmed that an investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information should call 101.
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 Pigeon Patrol | Aug 24, 2015 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes
PIGEONS roosting beneath a Redhill bridge have ruffled the feathers of residents and commuters.
Many birds have made their home under the bridge next to the town’s railway station, resulting in pigeon poo smattering the pavements and busy A25.
The Mirror was contacted about the issue by Reigate reader Sarah Ballingal.
She said: “It is usually bad enough, but when I walked under there on the morning of August 23 I couldn’t believe how bad it had become.
“The amount of feathers there was extraordinary.
“It was as though every pigeon in the town had been plucked there.
“It’s disgusting, a major health hazard and an appalling blot on Redhill’s already shaky reputation.”
She said new visitors to the town would not stay too long when they saw how bad things had become there. Other residents also feel aggrieved.
Gareth Hughes, who has lived for 20 years in nearby St Anne’s Drive, said: “It’s such an eyesore.
“There’s pigeons’ mess all over the footpath and road. It’s unhygienic as well as looking ugly.”
Mr Hughes said protective netting was needed to deter the birds.
Malcolm Collins, of Redstone Hill, said: “I’ve never yet been hit by pigeon droppings but its probably only a matter of time. There are up to 20 pigeons roosting under the bridge.
“I think some metal pigeon proofing strips were put up there in recent years, but things have got worse recently.”
Chris Denham, spokesman for Network Rail which owns the bridge, said: “Pigeons can be a menace.
“We usually schedule pigeon proofing for when other work is also planned as logistics like road closure orders are expensive and sometimes difficult to get.
“We tend to go for anti-pigeon mesh these days as it lasts longer and is more effective than the old nets.
“We will liaise with the local council and then decide on what measures, such as spikes and netting, will be implemented.”
Richard Dewar, Reigate and Banstead Borough Council’s outreach manager, said: “It is the responsibility of Network Rail to ensure pigeons do not colonise railway bridges and, as such, most bridges in the area have had pigeon proofing added.
“However, as the local authority, it is our role to report complaints about pigeon fouling to Network Rail.
“And where residents notice this problem under railway bridges, we would encourage them to report it to us online.”
Complaints can be recorded via the council’s website www.reigate-banstead.gov.uk. Alternatively call the authority on 01737 27600
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 Pigeon Patrol | Aug 23, 2015 | 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
Foot deformities are ubiquitous in urban pigeons – why? As you’ll know if you’ve spent any time watching the pigeons of towns and cities, something like one in every ten (or more) has missing or partial toes, or swollen toes, or other pedal deformities of some sort. And then there are really extreme individuals – the ones that are missing feet altogether.
Poor footless urban pigeon, encountered close to Kew train station. The right foot is completely absent; the left one had at least one toe, curled round such that the bird was walking on the toe’s lateral side. Photo by Darren Naish.
I’m talking here about the domestic form of Columba livia, the so-called Rock pigeon or Rock dove. And, while I’ve only noticed deformed pigeons here in the UK, it certainly isn’t a UK-only thing, as continental European and North American [UPDATE: and South American] people will confirm.
The bird in the photos here was able to fly around and feed itself, and it might be broadly described as ‘healthy’. However, note that it’s in pretty poor condition. The feathers on its head and neck looked terrible and its rectrices (the big tail feathers) were frayed and shabby. I reckon this is partly due to an inability to groom and scratch itself: obviously, birds use their feet to reach parts that they can’t get to with the bill.
The impact of this is more than cosmetic, since birds with a poorly maintained or unrepaired plumage are disadvantaged in flight relative to tidier individuals, and less able to keep themselves warm and waterproofed. And a bird that isn’t able to groom parts of its plumage is also at risk of being unable to keep on top of parasites like ticks and feather mites (see the ‘pigeon’s eye view’ Tet Zoo article linked to below). And, as has been demonstrated through various experiments, birds with shabby-looking plumage are less attractive as mates (Clayton 1990), so a bad-looking pigeon is likely to be a non-breeding pigeon. It’s also worth noting that (like many animals), pigeons preferentially use one foot more than the other as goes the way they land and perch and sit and so on (Fisher 1957), so individuals that lose or damage their preferred foot might end up being doubly disadvantaged (imagine being right-handed, and then having to rely only on your left hand for evermore). I don’t know how concerned people are about the emotional well-being of animals like urban pigeons (or how far they’re prepared to go in admitting that non-human animals have feelings and states of mind), but I think we can be fairly confident that the most severely deformed of these birds are – at least at times – miserable, unhappy and frustrated.
Several ideas have been put forward to explain the many foot problems seen in urban pigeons. Some probably lose toes after getting them tangled in litter or anti-pigeon netting, or after they’ve injuries received from anti-pigeon spikes installed on signs and ledges. Fine wire, string, cotton thread and even human hair can all cause problems for birds when caught on or around digits, and some people say that interaction with fine thread and string and so on is the primary cause of pigeon foot damage. It’s also sometimes suggested that the deformities result from infections received after standing on excrement, and also that the birds become damaged through interaction with chemicals used on roofs and building stone. But the ‘chemical injury’ idea is unlikely to be correct, since (A) exactly what sort of chemicals are we talking about here, and why have they been used on buildings in the first place?, and (B) a chemical would basically have to be a powerful acid or alkaline agent (hydrochloric acid, or a very strong bleach) before it might damage a bird’s feet. For completeness, note that hereditary deformities like those reported for some captive populations of other pigeon species (Flach & Cooper 1991) might also explain some of the abnormalities observed in urban pigeons.
Other hazards that might affect an urban pigeon. At left: voracious park-dwelling pelicans! (photo: PA). At right: deceased Wood pigeon (Columba palumbus) following encounter with motor vehicle; note ‘terror-moulted’ lack of rectrices. Photo by Darren Naish.
Pigeons are not, of course, the only birds that end up with damaged feet. You might recall the foot-lacking Rock pipit Anthus petrosus I featured here recently…
I’ve been photographing pigeons a lot lately, but pigeons of a different species from C. livia. More about that another time. For previous Tet Zoo articles relevant to some of the subjects covered here, see…
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 Pigeon Patrol | Aug 22, 2015 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News
ANDERSON, S.C. — The Anderson City Council plans to consider Monday how to deal with a pigeon problem in the pavilion at Carolina Wren Park.
The council is expected to vote on whether to hire an animal control company to install a net inside the pavilion, which is downtown.
According to the agenda for Monday’s evening, a “recurring nuisance with pigeons nesting in the rafters” has developed at the pavilion.
“There have been some attempts to cease their interest in the pavilion through cleaning and installing an ultrasonic bird repellent with a strobe light,” according to the agenda. “But those efforts have been unsuccessful.”
City staff said the pigeons and their waste can cause property damage and pose a health risk, and cleaning up after them can be costly.
The city sought bids from pest control companies, to see how much it would cost to install a net inside the ceiling of the pavilion.
Orkin Pest Control bid $28,000, Trehel Corp. bid $16,899 and the low bidder was Animal Control Experts at $11,385.
If the council approves the expenditure, the money to pay for it would come from hospitality tax revenue the city collects.
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 Pigeon Patrol | Aug 21, 2015 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes
A senior Coast Guard officer urged anyone planning to use fireworks, flares or Chinese lanterns to contact the marine rescue centre in Valentia, in advance.
“We would encourage people to advise Valentia of what they intend to use, and to give them the details of where, when and what duration their event will be,” said Dermot Sheehan, deputy officer in charge of the Goleen Coast Guard unit.
He was speaking after the unit spent 90 minutes scouring the rugged coastline at the southern tip of the Mizen peninsula, on Saturday morning, after reports that a flare had been sighted.
It was later discovered that the flare had been released to mark a racing pigeon ‘liberation’, near Barleycove.
The alarm was raised around 11am, when a person with a holiday home near the scenic Three Castle Head, a few miles west of Barleycove, reported seeing a trail of smoke and a flare, and that its trajectory suggested that someone was in distress near the coast, or or just off shore.
The marine rescue centre, at Valentia, tasked Goleen Coast Guard, and its members were deployed along the coastline, from Barleycove to Dunlough Bay.
As the operation continued, the occupants of several yachts reported to Valentia that they had seen nothing unusual. Coast guard members eventually spoke to a backpacker, who solved the mystery — they had seen a flare being set off as hundreds of pigeons were released from a truck, parked on The Causeway, near Barleycove.
The search operation was stood down.
Mr Sheehan said the holidaymaker did the right thing by raising the alarm.
“The person should be commended for being so observant and civic-minded,” he said.
“You should never be afraid of making that call. If you are in doubt at all, our advice is to alert the authorities and let us check it out. And don’t hesitate. Minutes can be vital.”
He also said that those involved in released the racing pigeons may not have been aware of the protocols around the release of flares, especially near coastal areas.
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)
