by johnnymarin | Aug 2, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
It doesn’t happen often but if pigeons escape at organised shows, most will find their way home.
Otatara pigeon breeder David Service said he had been lucky that none of his birds had broken free at shows during his 54 years of entering competitions.
“They’re a homing bird … they [show pigeons] are not that fit and it might take them a few days, but they will get home,” Service said.
Poultry and pigeon breeder David Service holds one of his entries, a brown leghorn rooster, for the Invercargill Poultry & Pigeon Show this weekend.
This weekend, Service will have eight pigeons and seven hens-roosters at the Invercargill Poultry & Pigeon Club’s show at Kennington. He’s a life member of the club, and a big part of the enjoyment for him is catching up with fellow bird lovers.
Service has taken entries to shows all over the South Island and, occasionally, to the North Island. Three weeks ago, he took eight pigeons to the Wairarapa show in Masterton and returned home with several awards, including best young bird and second-best at the show.
Some of the things judges look for in poultry and pigeons are: body type, stance, balance, legs not too close together, missing feathers and shape of the head.
As a 14-year-old in 1964, Service entered pigeons at a show for the first time. He started racing them at the same time and continued doing that until 15 years ago.
When pulling the pin on racing, he decided to remove all pigeons from his property and concentrate on hens.
“I tried to get rid of them but I couldn’t,” Service said.
“When you’ve had a hobby for a long time, it’s hard to part with things.”
Service currently owns 30 hens-roosters and 20 show pigeons. Some of the roosters crow a bit at night when there’s a bright or full moon.
Occasionally, he has been attacked by a rooster using its spurs when believing its territory has been threatened.
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 | Aug 1, 2018 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
THE SIGHT of a gull eating a dying pigeon in a town centre has provoked a storm on social media and calls by a community leader for a region-wide approach to managing the seabirds.
The herring gull, was seen dragging the injured pigeon out of the road on to the pedestrian crossing opposite the B&M store and the SeaQuarium on East Parade in Rhyl.
The incident was photographed by Mark Challoner, deputy manager of the nearby Apollo Bingo, who shared the image on the 5,000-strong Facebook group, Rhyl Forum.
It led to 304 responses, with differing views on how to deal with the gulls.
Mr Challoner said: “I was just at the top of High Street when it happened, so I can’t be sure the seagull attacked it, but you could see it dragging it on to the footpath and the pigeon was defenceless against it.
“I shared it on social media because I just felt I needed to get things off my chest.
“In the space of that day, I saw three people on different occasions walking down high street and the birds swoop down and took food from people’s hands and in one case a little toddler in a pram.
“I had one swoop down on me and I didn’t even have any food. These are vicious creatures now.”
Rhyl town councillor Tony Thomas, who is also Denbighshire County Council’s lead member for housing, regulation and the environment, said: “On behalf of the [county] council, I have written to Welsh Government about seagulls in respect of what can be done across North Wales and we are awaiting a response.
“I am currently pushing through a bylaw for the public not to feed the seagulls, but this will take 12 months.”
Cllr Thomas added: “Seagulls are a protected species but as we all know, their desire for a food source is insatiable.
“I live by Splash Point in Rhyl and as soon as a car pulls up on the front the seagulls are there waiting for any leftovers which are often tossed out to them.
“Culling would prove fruitless and any action to sort out the situation would be expensive and only temporary.
“Realistically there is no easy answer, but public education can reduce the problems.”
Some Rhyl Forum users said this was a typical sight in the town as the herring gull is known to eat other birds and carrion as part of its normal diet and they called for strong action to deal with the birds.
Martin Barker wrote: “By the Blue Bridge, we see the seagulls nudge the pigeons into the water then dive down and drag them to the shore to eat.”
Lynda Fisher posted: “They are disgusting dangerous vermin and one actually killed and ate a bird on the roof opposite my house last week.
“We are over-run with them and culling is overdue. At least prick the eggs.
However, the majority of the comments have rallied to the defence of the seagulls.
Sandra Bassett wrote: “It’s eating to stay alive; it might not be pleasant to watch, but it’s nature.
“Would you be so offended by a lion eating a deer? People have made them the way they are.
“We over fish from the seas and dump our rubbish and overflowing bins all over the land and then get annoyed about birds that have every right to be there.
Allyson Jones agreed: “It’s a seaside town. You’re going to get seagulls, they are struggling to eat so attack people with food.
“They were here before people. Animals eat animals. That’s how the world works.”
Joseph Coleman wrote: “Who would clean up that pigeon otherwise? Environmental health would probably take weeks to sort it and RSPCA won’t touch it. The seagull is actually helping clear up the mess.”
Responding to the feedback, Mr Challoner said: “I’m surprised there is more in favour of the seagull than against it, but personally I feel there has to be something done in the town to try and control things.
“I have been to many other seaside towns and there is visibly more gulls around here in Rhyl and they are more vicious.
“I agree its their environment and they have a right here as much as us, but I don’t remember it being this bad a few years back.
“Do we see this in Colwyn Bay, Llandudno or Blackpool? No, not half as bad”
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 | Jul 31, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
Living in the city, pigeons are part of our everyday life. In others, they are disgusting – “rats of the city” they call them – others give sweetness. Whatever it is, it is part of our lives. But what if they are monitoring tools of what we do?
According to reports, this is already happening in China. At least 30 military and civilian services use the robot birds. Details of the technology that has been in place for some years now gave a source that it did not want to be named in the South China Morning Post.
Spy pigeons move their wings to make maneuvers mimicking the movement of birds and are so silent that when they flown a flight over a flock of sheep in Inner Mongolia, the sheep – which are scattered with the slightest – did not get news!
The program, code-named “Peristeri,” is led by Professor Sung Bifeng of Northwestern Polytechnical University in Hsian (he has already worked in the construction of the J-20, the Chinese stealth fighter aircraft).
The opening of their (artificial) wings is about half a meter, weighing 200 grams each, flying at a speed of up to 40 km / h for about 30 minutes at most. They are equipped with high-resolution camera, with GPS, and are capable of communicating with satellite.
Last April, in an interview with the Chinese Aeronautical Manufacturing Technology Review, Song confirmed that they are already being used in Xinjiang province (the Chinese Uighurs, with subdued separatist tendencies), but also in other provinces in China.
In the near future, “Pigeons” can have “the same or greater intelligence than nature’s creatures,” promised Professor Song Bifeng.
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 | Jul 30, 2018 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
Did you know the feral pigeon is a very common resident of Alberton that was introduced to South Africa?
The feral pigeon is a wild living form of the domestic rock dove that is found in Europe and North Africa. They are the descendants of homing pigeons brought to South Africa early in the 1800s. The feral pigeon is highly variable in colour. Different breeds of feral pigeons are all the same species and can reproduce with all the different breeds. Many of the colour forms range from dark grey to pure white. The main colour form in South Africa is largely grey with a brush of iridescent green and pink on the neck.
Feral pigeons retain the nesting habits of their ancestors, which nested largely on cliffs. With the increase in human settlements, a new breeding location became available to the pigeons: buildings. The pigeon makes use of the ledges and roofs of manmade structures to build their nests on. The feral pigeon is therefore largely dependent on humans for its survival.
Feral pigeons are able to breed throughout the year due to an adaptation known as crop milk. Crop milk is produced by the parents and fed to chicks which lessen the need for bringing food back to the nest. The pigeon is one of only three species of bird that produces milk.
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 | Jul 29, 2018 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
Ducks, hens and pigeons are all on show at the Auckland Poultry and Pigeon show.
More than 160 birds have been dropped off to Kumeu Showgrounds, for the last minute preparations before judging day on Saturday.
The Poultry and Pigeon Association dates back 134 years to 1884.
The silverware is what everyone wants, but there’s less people vying for it as the years go on.
“In another thirty years most of them could be gone,” said Jay Smith, President of the Auckland Poultry and Pigeon Association.
“These are our heritage birds and we need to protect them. We need to have more people taking them on and breeding them and showing them.”
The documentary, Pecking Order, helped put the spotlight on the hobby, but organisers need more people.
So that it’s not just the birds on the chopping block.
“Those who don’t win first prize I’ve told them if you don’t win you’re pigeon pie,” pigeon owner Paul Decker said.
The pigeons are fighting for gold and quite possibly survival too.
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)
