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Why Pigeons Fly In Circles

Pigeon Patrol — Sun, 29 Nov 2020 07:32:24 +0000

Ever wondered why pigeons fly in circles? Keep on reading to find out why!

Why Pigeons Fly In Circles

Pigeons fly in circles to better navigate. These birds have a great sense of smell which they use to navigate. They fly in circles to locate the smell that reminds them of home. They could also be flying in a thermal, these help them look for food and conserve energy when flying.

Pigeons can be weird sometimes. The fact that these birds live close to humans, gives us the privilege to study and learn about their many animal behaviours.

You may have seen a flock of pigeons fly in circles and wonder what’s going on. Well, you are not alone. A lot of humans with an interest in birds have also been baffled by this.

Source

The good news is, thanks to countless scientific research and studies, the reason for this bird phenomenon has been cracked.

This article carefully explains why pigeons and a few other birds fly in circles. We hope it answers your questions.

Pigeons fly in circles to find their way around. These birds are gifted with a strong and acute sense of smell. We humans use our eyes to find our way home, pigeons use their sense of smell to locate their destination.

Flying in circles allows pigeons to sense the earth’s magnetic field and smell the many odours in the air. They do this until they find the smell native to their home.

Another possible reason why pigeons fly in circles is to discourage raptors from preying on them. Pigeons live in the same environment as crows and peregrine hawks, and they sometimes fall prey to these birds.

When a flock of pigeon senses danger from one of these birds, they are likely to leave their area of rest and fly in circles till the threat passes.

Without their sense of smell, these birds would literally be lost. But pigeons aren’t the only birds that fly in circles, many birds fly in circles for various reasons.

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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.

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Rare virus from pigeons ‘can spread to humans’

Pigeon Patrol — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 21:20:17 +0000

A rare virus that can be contracted by humans has killed a large number of Victorian pigeons after being detected in Australia for the first time.

A type of avian paramyxovirus has resulted in the deaths of a number of hobby pigeon flocks.

Australian chief veterinary officer Dr Mark Schipp said the birds had died suddenly in large numbers.

The birds had sometimes appeared tired or shown neurological signs such as circling or head flicking before death.

He said human infection was extremely rare and usually occurred after contact with an infected bird.

“The rare virus causes only mild, short-term conjunctivitis or influenza-like symptoms [in humans],’’ Dr Schipp said.

“State veterinary authorities have been asked to review the health of their pigeon and poultry flocks.

“At this stage, there are no reports of this virus causing disease in wild birds, but we have asked the Australian Wildlife Health Network to be alert to this possibility.’’

Dr Schipp said the national Consultative Committee on Emergency Animal Disease had met twice to discuss the outbreak, which is being managed by Victorian chief veterinary officer Dr Hugh Millar and industry and veterinary authorities.

Dr Schipp said the consultative committee has agreed to investigating pigeon and other bird holdings where disease is suspected and to quarantine affected properties.

Anyone concerned about their pigeons or birds should contact an experienced poultry veterinarian, their local department of agriculture, or the Emergency Animal Disease Watch hotline on 1800 675 888.

Source

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Woman battling crippling disease caused by pigeon feces

Pigeon Patrol — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 20:44:09 +0000

Woman battling crippling disease caused by pigeon feces

In the span of a few weeks, Erica Richards has been transformed from a vibrant 23-year-old woman who loved nature to a person battling for her life.

In early January, the Fredericton woman contracted a potentially fatal condition called cryptococcal meningitis, a fungal disease carried in pigeon feces.

The debilitating illness attacks the spine and brain, causing severe swelling. It left her confined to a hospital bed in a state of delirium for weeks.

But the most devastating side effect is that Ms. Richards is now blind.

“Be aware of this disease. It could kill a child in a heartbeat,” Ms. Richards said in an interview from her hospital bed.

“It could kill a senior in a heartbeat without you even having to worry about the symptoms. It comes on that fast. If you don’t realize the symptoms, it could kill you, too.”

Her emotional warning comes on the heels of city council’s approval earlier this month of a recommendation that it toughen its animal control bylaw to allow for fines for feeding pigeons. Once the amendment is drafted and declared law, it will give the city’s bylaw enforcement officers the power to ticket and fine offenders.

Ms. Richards said she decided to go public about her illness after learning about a recent newspaper story about a problem with pigeon poop in the city.

“Please don’t feed the pigeons,” she said. “Try to shoo them away if you see them. … It (the disease) is horrible. The pain that you get from this disease is crippling.

“The after-effects are with you for life and you just can’t stop thinking about it. I just want other people to know and try to stay away from pigeons and pigeon feces.”

Oddly enough, Ms. Richards said she has no recollection of ever being anywhere near pigeons.

“I am still wondering to this day where I got it,” she said. “I could have stepped in it and brought it into the home. I just don’t know.”

Ms. Richards said the symptoms started with a migraine headache that wouldn’t go away. She was admitted to hospital on Feb. 10 after many days of intense head pain. Shortly after, she went into a coma-like state.

“When I woke up I thought I had a mask over my eyes, but I was wrong. I was blind. I was recently told that I will be blind for the rest of my life. This is a tough thing for a 23-year-old to go through. … My world crumbled around me.”

Ms. Richards said the odds of surviving the disease are 50-50.

“However, I managed to make it through,” she said, battling tears. “I don’t know how but I am still here, and I am glad because I get to warn everyone else of this.”

Cristin Muecke, the Health Department’s regional medical officer, confirmed the disease is often associated with pigeon droppings. She said the illness can’t be spread person to person and is more common with someone who has immune problems.

Ms. Richards, however, said she has never had a problem with her immune system and that’s what’s so puzzling about contracting the affliction.

“I do not want anyone else to suffer this agonizing disease and I ask anyone who is feeding pigeons to stop,” she said. “It’s not just a matter of keeping your neighbourhood clean … it’s a matter of keeping people healthy.”

Source

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Feeding pigeon is like feeding flying RAT

Pigeon Patrol — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 09:22:04 +0000

Feed a Pigeon, Breed a Flying RAT

Q: I’ve often heard that it is illegal to feed pigeons in New York, yet I see people doing it all the time. Is there really such a law? And if so, why isn’t it enforced?

A: Despite a common public perception, there is no law that makes pigeon feeding illegal everywhere in the city. That said, the Parks Department posts notices prohibiting feeding in many areas under its control. If you ignore the sign, you may get an Environmental Control Board summons from the parks enforcement patrols or from the Police Department. The usual penalty is the minimum of $50, which you can mail in. You can fight it in court, but you can be fined $100 if you are found guilty.

Even where pigeon feeding is not prohibited, both the Parks and Health Departments discourage the practice, citing litter and rodent problems. A Health Department poster warns: “Feed a Pigeon, Breed a Flying Rat.”

This attitude irks Anna Dove, founder and director of the New York Bird Club. “There is never any left-over feed from people feeding pigeons and other wildlife in the city, so littering is a poor excuse against pigeon feeding,” said Ms. Dove. (Yes, that’s her name; she had it legally changed from Augusta Kugelmas when she founded the club about three years ago.)

“After I feed,” she added, “most of the time I remain in the area to make sure the feed is not swept away by building maintenance people. Every morsel is eaten.”

Source: NY Times

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Hutchinson battles growing pigeon problems

Pigeon Patrol — Thu, 30 Jan 2020 09:20:22 +0000

Is Hutchinson facing growing pigeon problems? The experts agree: There are definitely more pigeons in Hutchinson these days.

And with the increased population comes growing pigeon problems related both to public health and property maintenance.

Pigeons plague the Reno County Courthouse, several churches and most of the downtown area.

Many people are resigned that pigeons are a natural addition to any tall building, but some Hutchinson business owners are taking a stand.

Last week, Advance Pest Control performed a “baiting” of pigeons in the downtown area.

Advance was hired by a coalition of business owners – who have remained anonymous to The Hutchinson News – who sought to reduce the pigeon population downtown because of health concerns and property damage.

In the baiting, toxic corn was strategically placed about the downtown area.

The birds who eat the bait eventually die but first display intoxicated behavior.

“Basically, this behavior is a stress signal to the other birds, which leave the area because they sense that something is not right,” said Jeff Wells, vice president of Advance. “So it results in a great reduction in population in a specific area because of the birds who take a toxic dose as well as the repellency issue.”

The baiting has resulted in a reduced population of pigeons downtown, but Wells said he has noticed that there are more birds roosting on nearby buildings that weren’t baited.

Health, property concerns

Pigeon droppings aren’t just a nuisance or an extra chore for property owners. Because they are acidic, they actually cause property damage, eating through metal and deteriorating signs and other metal objects at a rapid rate.

The biggest growing pigeon problems, though, comes in cleaning the droppings.

Pigeon fecal matter is a breeding ground for a spore called histoplasmosis, which can cause an infection that leads to respiratory disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The infection, if it affects other organs, can be fatal if untreated.

Workers cleaning up the droppings cause histoplasmosis spores to become airborne and are infected when they breathe them in.

Pigeons are also known to carry or transmit pigeon ornithosis, encephalitis, Newcastle disease, cryptococcosis, toxoplasmosis, salmonella food poisoning and several other diseases, according to the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.

For that reason, the Kansas Department of Agriculture files the use of certain pigeon-control products under the category of public health and safety.

It’s a problem not lost on local businesses.

Next week, workers trained in safely removing pigeon waste will clean piles of pigeon droppings from the Fox Theatre marquee, which is being eroded by the waste, said board president Greg Payton.

Payton added that some theater employee illnesses have been blamed on the droppings.

Birds not protected

Pigeons are not protected by Kansas law, meaning property owners are free to dispose of them as they wish, Wells said.

But until the recent baiting, little has been done over the past seven years to control the pigeon population, which has led to the increase Hutchinson is seeing now, Wells said.

“The population has definitely increased,” Wells said. “There’s no question about that.”

In 2001, a baiting occurred, although it wasn’t performed by Advance, Wells said. A reduction in the pigeon population followed, but then the pigeon population was generally left alone except for some property owners putting up spikes or other roosting deterrents.

“These birds breed so quickly that the population explodes when nothing is done to limit them,” Wells aid.

Even some pigeon enthusiasts seem to understand the need for the population control.

“I don’t know the real solution,” said Mel Voth, a Garden City man who raises homing pigeons. “There are ways to divert them to other places, but I think a lot of folks feel like the baiting is the easiest way to reduce the population.”

Wells said there will always be a struggle between people who want pigeons eliminated and those who believe it’s wrong to kill them off, but he believes there can be a healthy compromise.

“Ultimately, we are trying to protect public health and safety, not eliminate a species of birds,” he said. “I place the safety of my kids above the population of pigeons. When the population reaches a certain point, it becomes an issue and something needs to be done.”

Source of the Story

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Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird issues in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions.

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People facing pigeons

Pigeon Patrol — Thu, 30 Jan 2020 08:32:37 +0000

People facing pigeon

I never thought much about people facing pigeon excrement until I moved into a condo several years ago and discovered two birds nesting on the balcony. Because my daughter was worried about the cute little eggs, I waited till the squabs were old enough to fly before clearing out the nest and piles of excrement, along with all my pigeon-defaced outdoor furniture. Then a building reno temporarily solved the problem, but as soon as the jackhammers stopped, the pigeons were back and defecating with impunity

I decided to take action, and quickly discovered some hard facts. Pigeons, instead of nesting in trees, prefer buildings, especially tall buildings with ledges and balconies – i.e., condos. This was bad news in a city undergoing an extended real-estate boom, and this past week analysts were guessing the condo market’s record growth (about 40,000 a year for the past five years) will continue at least until 2010 – which means even more condos, i.e., more perfect pigeon abodes, i.e., more excrement.

Though there’s no pigeon census, many Toronto residents are feeling plagued by pigeons this summer. And it’s possible with the rise of condos, people will be facing the increase in pigeon population, says Tom Mason, curator of invertebrates and birds at the Toronto Zoo.

“As the human population has increased, the pigeon population has increased with it.”

Homeowners are complaining of backyard birdfeeders being overrun with pigeons. And certain areas – like the “pigeon gauntlet” north of Broadview subway station – have become legendary. “When they’re not feasting on bread strewn by crazy old people, they’re packed onto the hydro lines above,” says a Riverdale resident. She cited a recent incident involving a man in a crisp suit, “obviously a stranger to the neighbourhood,” who walked straight under the line of fire. “It looked like someone had upended a container of yogurt on him, honestly, it was that copious. He started running around in circles, screaming, then ran off.”

So Toronto’s people facing pigeon problem was bigger than I’d bargained for – but surely I could get them off my own balcony. I started with humane pigeon deterrents: a bobble-headed “scary” owl, fluttering strips of aluminum foil, twirly children’s toys. Nothing worked.

Whenever I heard pigeons cooing on the balcony, I hammered on the window, or leaped out the door shrieking, “Get out of here, you bastards!” In fact, I got so used to the routine that I stopped explaining the outbursts during business calls. As the battle escalated, I laid in wait with water guns, ambushing the enemy as they landed on my railing, or sneaking over to my neighbour’s balcony – where I knew pigeons were nesting behind a deck chair. There, I would jump up, crane around the partition and blast away at the cornered pigeons as they ran around in circles. One day, it occurred to me that I might encounter – and shoot – the neighbour, so I stopped.

It was time to do more research.

Know the enemy

Toronto’s feral pigeons are descended from domestic birds brought over by early settlers. Males and females look the same, are monogamous and take turns incubating eggs, which arrive two at a time. Both parents nurse the babies with a nutrient-laden “crop milk,” which can double the wee ones’ weight in 34 hours.

“What’s also amazing,” said ornithologist Mark Peck of the Royal Ontario Museum, “is that, as far as I know, they are the only bird in Ontario that breeds throughout the entire year,” which means up to nine “clutches” per annum.

Pigeons are also uniquely skilled at navigation – able to fly 70 kilometres per hour, covering up to 1,000 kilometres in a single race. In wartime, pigeons saved lives by carrying military messages across enemy lines. Science hasn’t figured out the exact mechanism, but the motivation, explains the zoo’s Mr. Mason, is that they’re frantically trying to get back to their nestlings.

This is the trouble with research. You seek data to support a pigeon-killing spree, and you end up discovering pigeons are a lot like humans, except pigeons have a lower divorce rate.

So let’s not forget their capital offences. The Nixalite Architectural Bird Control website states that pigeons are “a vector for more than 50 human and livestock diseases.” Their droppings fade finishes on cars and planes, can destroy wood, stone and marble, corrode I-beams, ruin cloth awnings, short out electrical equipment and fill attics with so much excrement “that the actual ceiling collapses.”

On an excrement-removal website, the U.S. General Services Administration warns that pigeon excrement can “lead to potentially fatal diseases of the lungs and central nervous system such as histoplasmosis and cryptococcosis.”

In fact, the Web is packed with anti-pigeon content. The problem: There seems to be no evidence of pigeon-caused plagues in real life. “That’s correct,” said Dr. David McNeely, associate professor of infectious diseases at University of Toronto. Avian-related diseases are rare to begin with, he said, and they’re usually caused by other species. “Don’t pick on poor pigeons,” Dr. McNeely said. “If you want to worry about bird-related diseases, worry about budgie dander.”

Similarly, Mr. Mason, who works at the zoo with pigeons and other birds daily, has never heard of a case. Nor has Mr. Peck at the ROM, who adds how important pigeons have been to science, from Darwin and B.F. Skinner to the present. “Pigeons are not bad birds,” Mr. Peck said. “They’re just successful.”

Taking action

These scientist types weren’t helping my of people facing pigeon problems at all. I phoned the city to ask if it was legal to kill them. “There are no bylaws that apply to wild pigeons,” said Rishma Govani in the public health department, though “there are rules” about owned pigeons.

Next, I spoke with Donald Fraser, principal of Beacon Environmental impact-assessment (and a former researcher on goose defecation habits, which I figured was close enough to my area of interest), who explained: “It is legal to shoot or kill pigeons because they are a non-migratory bird, and thus not covered by the migratory bird act between Canada and the United States.” You need a permit to shoot gulls, or a hunting licence to shoot geese or ducks, for example, but pigeons are fair game. Mr. Fraser did caution, however, that there might be consequences if firearms were discharged within the city.

Indeed, Constable Wendy Drummond of Toronto Police Services confirmed that, while feral pigeons were not protected by the Criminal Code (the sections on animal cruelty pertain mainly to owned animals such as cattle, she said), any discharge of a pellet gun with intent to kill would result in a weapons charge. Snapping their little necks, quickly and humanely, would be tolerated, she said, “unless, you know, we find 100 dead pigeons.”

So pigeons are good family birds, heroic during wartime and, as Mr. Fraser also pointed out, good scavengers who help keep city streets clean (when not filling them with excrement, that is, but never mind). So maybe we shouldn’t kill them. But feed and encourage them? No way.

On this point, I agreed with London Mayor Ken Livingstone, who reduced pigeon numbers in Trafalgar Square by imposing a controversial feeding ban in 2003. A friend recommended I speak to a woman who fed pigeons in her local park. Oh goody, I thought – my anti-pigeon case would definitely be enhanced by a real-live wacko, probably wearing old rags and a squashed hat covered in excrement, ranting about pigeon rights.

Well, the crazy pigeon lady turned out to be novelist Barbara Gowdy, who may or may not be as deranged as the next writer, but who is undeniably smart, attractive, well-groomed and socially responsible.

“I only feed them at the end of the park, away from homes, during inclement weather, when there is snow and ice on the ground and it’s impossible for them to get food,” Ms. Gowdy said.

For a while, when she was facing people having problems on her feeding pigeons, she handed out pamphlets from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which stated, she said, that “even if you ate pigeon excrement, the only thing you’d get is a mild stomach ache.”

Ms. Gowdy is nothing if not persuasive. Or maybe I was ready to crack. After starting out on a crusade to kill all pigeons, I now considered eating pigeon excrement in order to properly research this article.

In any case, the fight had gone out of me – mainly, I think, because of one detail I couldn’t get out of my head: The reason pigeons love condos is because the high-rise towers resemble ancient cliff faces, near Asian seas, where rock doves originally made their homes. That image of our city’s condos as soaring cliffs along the edge of Lake Ontario transformed my view of both the buildings and pigeons.

Ms. Gowdy was right: Toronto’s feral rock pigeons have as much right to live here as we do, and the city would be a much poorer place without its wild animals. I’m willing to live and let live – though it would still be nice to find a way to stop them from living on my particular balcony.

Special to The Globe and Mail

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Pigeon Ban Leads To Conflict Of Interest Allegations In B.C. Community

Pigeon Patrol — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 06:24:30 +0000

Pigeon Ban Leads To Conflict Of Interest Allegations In B.C. Community

The District of North Vancouver is now investigating council after it passed a bylaw targeting a councillor’s neighbour and pet pigeons.

A new pigeon prohibition in a North Vancouver community has roused suspicions that a councillor’s continued grudge against the birds has led to a serious conflict of interest.

Thursday, in response to concerns from the public, district Mayor Mike Little ordered an independent investigation into the events leading up to and the passage the controversial ban known as the “Pigeon Prohibition Bylaw.” It bans residents from harbouring what some consider intelligent animals (who mate for life!), and others believe are rats with wings.

The chief administrative officer will look into the conduct of all councillors, including Little.

The pigeon squabble started almost three years ago, when Kulwant Dulay and his multi-generational family moved to the north shore neighbourhood and transformed a dilapidated backyard chicken coop into a charming miniature cottage for his homing pigeons.

“I fixed it up. I wash the coop every week. I keep it clean. There’s no smells at all,” Dulay told councillors Nov. 18. He and his family wash the pigeons and clean up their droppings.

His neighbour, councillor Betty Forbes, saw the situation differently. She declined to comment, as the independent review is being conduct and therefore would not be “appropriate.”

In emails to staff, released through a freedom of information request and first provided to CBC News, Forbes complained of her neighbour’s pigeons flying over her house and landing on her roof, and requested staff review a bylaw from 1971 to “control” the look of the coups, and limit the number allowed.

“Both chickens and pigeons can carry disease and are dirty,” Forbes wrote to staff in May 2017, before she was councillor. “How can you control health risks, monitor that the chickens or pigeons are being kept in approved coups, under humane living conditions, food is stored so as not to attract other animals, the number of kept birds is within the by-law?”

Forbes was elected Oct. 20, 2018. Five days later she requested staff act on her “pigeon complaint.”

“I have been patient but I feel that 1.5 years of asking for this issue to be dealt with in accordance with the bylaw is long enough,” Forbes said in her email.

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Kulwant Dulay is pictured in his pigeon coop

Pigeon Patrol — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 06:22:35 +0000

Forbes recused herself from the vote because of a conflict of interest. Before being elected, she had made several complaints to staff about the pigeons and said they had damaged her lawn, and in 2017 spoke at a public hearing and said they could impact her property values.

But according to Freedom of Information documents, after Forbes was elected — but before she was officially sworn in — she sent an email to city staff complaining about the situation and asking for action. In recent months she also exchanged emails with the councillor who put forward the pigeon ban motion about the situation.

In praise of pigeons: Enthusiast chirps the praises of ‘troublesome’ birdThe new information has prompted the two councillors who voted against the ban to ask for a reconsideration — which would require a request from either Mike Little or one of the three councillors who voted in favour of it.

“There was clearly some background information we didn’t know,” said Jordan Back.”I’d like to have a better understanding as to why [Forbes] thought it was OK to use her position to bring forward a personal matter. I don’t think it’s appropriate, and I think we’ve heard widespread feedback from the community that they don’t think it’s appropriate.”

Forbes has ultimately declined multiple requests for an interview by CBC News, but through a spokesperson indicated she would make a statement at Monday’s council meeting and speak to the media afterwards.As for Hassko? He says he’ll also be at Monday’s meeting, with a clear message for the district.

“Something does smell fowl here, and it’s not the pigeons.”

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Stop the pigeons!

Pigeon Patrol — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 06:13:28 +0000

Stop the pigeons! Birds fed birth-control drug at SkyTrain station to reduce population

Pigeons can seem pretty innocuous in the city, but according to TransLink, the birds can cause all kinds of problems along the SkyTrain system. Now, along with the BC SPCA, TransLink is testing a birth control drug on the birds to reduce the population. To start, there’s the issue of poop. CBC News first reported in December that pigeon droppings had dogged the transit authority as it prepared to open a new platform at the Commercial-Broadway station. TransLink has a poopy pigeon problem on its hands at new Expo Line platform

The problems don’t just revolve around the nasty mess. According to TransLink, pigeons can interfere with the transportation system, causing SkyTrain delays when they trigger track intrusion alarms, and automatic brakes are activated. TransLink has tried to discourage the birds from roosting in its stations. The spikes installed along perches didn’t do it. Nor did low-voltage strips or netting. According to TransLink, a falconer has been hired to make the rounds at pigeon-plagued stations to scare off the birds. But according to spokesperson Jill Drews, what’s needed is a long term solution. Along with the BC SPCA, TransLink is testing a feeding system that distributes corn laced with a contraceptive called OvoControl. Sara Dubois, chief scientific officer with BC SPCA shows the feeding unit placed at the VCC-Clark SkyTrain station. (Michaële Perron-Langlais/CBC) The drug has to be eaten daily to keep the pigeons from laying fertilized eggs, and its effects are reversible.”We’re going to be working with the SPCA here at VCC-Clark for a few weeks and determine the effectiveness and hopefully roll out the feeders at other stations soon,” said Drews.

‘Disruptive and inconvenient’: Granville SkyTrain station escalator shutdown to last 2 years According to Sara Dubois, chief scientific officer with BC SPCA, the drug breaks down in the pigeons’ blood stream and won’t affect any predators that may eat the birds, nor any mammals in the area. “It’s safe; it’s not toxic. It was approved by Health Canada last year. We’ve been waiting for several years for it to come to Canada,” said Dubois. Pigeons seem harmless, but according to TransLink they’re a big problem. Their droppings make a mess of transit platforms, and they can trigger intrusion alarms, causing trains to automatically brake, leading to delays. (Rafferty Baker/CBC) “The goal’s not to get rid of pigeons, the goal is to manage the pigeon situation to the point where it’s not causing problems for TransLink,” she said. Dubois said the results of the pilot program will be carefully tracked, both in terms of whether the birds are consuming the drugged food, but also the number of track intrusion alarms set off by pigeons. Drews said that people are partly to blame for the number of pigeons around SkyTrain stations.

“We would like to tell our customers that we would really like it if they stop feeding birds near our stations,” she said. “It isn’t good for the pigeons — they’re best off to find their own natural food — and it isn’t good for our customers, because it caused delays and unsightly health hazard mess in our stations.” With files from Michaële Perron-Langlais. Follow Rafferty Baker on Twitter: @raffertybaker

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CIA unveils Cold War spy-pigeon missions

Pigeon Patrol — Thu, 03 Oct 2019 20:54:00 +0000

By Gordon Corera

The CIA has declassified details of its secret Cold War spy-pigeon missions.

The files reveal how pigeons were trained for clandestine missions photographing sensitive sites inside the Soviet Union.

The release also reveals how ravens were used to drop bugging devices on window sills and dolphins were trained for underwater missions.

The CIA believed animals could fulfil “unique” tasks for the agency’s clandestine operations.

Inside the CIA’s headquarters in Langley, Virginia, is a museum, sadly closed to the general public. During a visit to interview the then-director I caught sight of something unusual amid all the bugging devices and spy gadgets.

It was a model pigeon with a camera strapped to it.

The 1970s’ operation was codenamed Tacana and explored the use of pigeons with tiny cameras to automatically take photos, newly released files show.

It took advantage of the fact that the humble pigeon is possessed of an amazing ability – almost a superpower. They can be dropped somewhere they have never been before and still find their way hundreds of miles back home.

In World War Two a little known branch of British intelligence – MI14(d) – ran a Secret Pigeon Service which dropped birds in a container with a parachute over Occupied Europe. A questionnaire was attached. More than 1,000 pigeons returned with messages including details of V1 rocket launch sites and German radar stations.

Experts found that the quality of the photographs was higher than those produced by spy satellites operating at the time. One fear raised during the tests was if a member of the public stumbled upon “pigeon and camera” and assumed that the government was spying on its own, so an elaborate cover story was cooked up.

How many actual missions did the spy-pigeons fly and what intelligence did they collect? That, apparently, is still secret.

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Inside the fascinating and sometimes brutal world of pigeon racing in China

Pigeon Patrol — Tue, 17 Sep 2019 20:11:53 +0000

By Karoline Kan, CNN • 6th April 2019

Every day during the racing season, 55-year-old Zhang Yajun wakes at 4 a.m. and carefully loads bamboo cages containing his 76 cherished racing pigeons into a van. Then he drives up to 200 kilometers (124 miles) from his Beijing apartment to release them. They are in training for the October and November racing season, during which time millions of dollars can be won in total prize money across races.

Zhang is just one of some 100,000 pigeon breeders living in Beijing, according to Sun Yan, the deputy general-secretary of the Beijing Changping District Racing Pigeons Association.

“Pigeon racing is a culture, but it’s also a sport,” Sun says.

On a crisp fall morning, Zhang opens the cages in a cornfield at Niutuo in Hebei province, 80 km (50 miles) south of Beijing. Forty minutes later, he uses his phone connection to a rooftop camera to watch the birds arriving home. He’s happy with their speed.

Zhang, who was a state-owned beverage factory manager before retiring in the early 2000s, says he spends about 100,000 yuan ($14,900) a year on his pigeons. That covers food, medicine, race entry fees and transport costs for training sessions — as well as equipment such as his rooftop camera gear.

Each spring, Zhang says, some 100 pigeons are born on his roof but by fall only about 20 are left. The rest have either succumbed to illness or died of injuries suffered from hitting telegraph poles or other obstacles. Or else they just got lost on the way home.

But pigeon racing also has a darker side.

Zhang says “bird-napping” — when pigeons are baited and netted during training sessions before being sold off — is a common problem.

And then there is the cheating.

In April last year, two men hid their birds in milk cartons and caught a bullet train in Henan before releasing them in Shanghai, 750 km (466 miles) away. But the birds’ unusually fast speed aroused suspicion, and the men were fined and given suspended three-year prison sentences for fraudulently obtaining prize money totaling about $147,000.

However; Beijing is becoming less and less friendly to bird fanciers.

In the spring of 2017, under a city beautification campaign targeting two-story buildings in the lanes known as hutongs, many rooftop pigeon lofts were subsequently demolished.

The government classified them as illegal buildings.

Breeder Zhang Jian says four large pigeon cages on his roof were demolished, although he still surreptitiously keeps four other cages housing about 100 pigeons. Most of his neighbors have known Zhang Jian since he was a boy and he says they understand his passion for the birds.

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Clients drop $180 for bird-poop facials at New York City spa

Pigeon Patrol — Sun, 01 Sep 2019 19:25:13 +0000

Bird feces being rubbed on a woman’s face.

NEW YORK — Bird poop for beauty?

That’s what goes into facials at a luxury spa where the traditional Japanese treatment using imported Asian nightingale excrement mixed with rice bran goes for $180 a pop.

About 100 women and men go into the Shizuka New York skin care salon, just off Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue, each month to get the treatment, which is promoted as a way to keep the face soft and smooth using an enzyme in the poop to gently exfoliate the skin.

Spa owner Shizuka Bernstein, a Tokyo native married to an American, has been offering what she calls the Geisha Facial for about five years.

“I try to bring Japanese beauty secrets to the United States,” says Bernstein, who learned the treatment from her mother.

The Geisha Facial poop treatment, while relatively rare in the United States, is no secret in Japan, where it was first used in the 1600s by actors and geishas.

“That’s why Japanese grandmothers have beautiful complexions,” says Duke Klauck, owner of the Ten Thousand Waves health spa in Santa Fe, N.M., which offers a Nightingale Facial for $129.

In this Wednesday, July 17, 2013 photo, salon owner Shizuka Bernstein mixes ingredients for what she calls a Geisha Facial at Shizuka New York skin care in New York. The facial, which Bernstein has been offering for five years, is a traditional Japanese treatment using imported Asian nightingale excrement mixed with rice bran, and goes for $180 a pop. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
In this Wednesday, July 17, 2013 photo, salon owner Shizuka Bernstein mixes ingredients for what she calls a Geisha Facial at Shizuka New York skin care in New York. The facial, which Bernstein has been offering for five years, is a traditional Japanese treatment using imported Asian nightingale excrement mixed with rice bran, and goes for $180 a pop.

On a recent afternoon in Manhattan, Mari Miyoshi arrived at the sixth-floor Shizuka New York spa to try the treatment for the first time.

“I’m a stressed-out New Yorker,” the 35-year-old occupational therapist announced as she reclined on a table, relaxing amid aromas of camellia, lavender and rose.

The treatment begins with steam to open the pores and soften the skin. Cream is applied. And then comes what Bernstein calls “the nightingale part.”

She pours the cream-coloured poop, dried and finely ground, into a bowl, mixing it with the rice bran using a small spatula. She applies the potion to Miyoshi’s face with a brush, rubbing it in with her hands.

Does it smell?

“Yes, but like toasted rice,” Miyoshi says.

After about five minutes, it comes off with a foaming cleanser and Miyoshi’s face is draped in a warm, wet towel bathed in lavender and geranium essences. Finally, the grand finale — a green-tea collagen mask.

“Sooooo nice,” Bernstein says softly, looking at Miyoshi’s radiant face.

Dr. Michele Green, a Manhattan cosmetic dermatologist, says that while the nightingale facial “definitely has some rejuvenating effect, I don’t think it’s any different than, say, an apricot scrub or a mask that you could buy in a local pharmacy.”

A common misconception is that any old bird poop, even from pigeons, is used. Bernstein says only droppings from birds of the nightingale species are used because they live on seeds, producing the natural enzyme that is the active ingredient.

“We don’t do Central Park facials,” she says, “because those birds eat garbage.”

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Rescuers Looking For Owner Of Mysterious Bedazzled Pigeon

Pigeon Patrol — Wed, 21 Aug 2019 21:05:39 +0000

Blinged out Bird!

A lot of us look at pigeons less than fondly – but clearly not all of us. A bird shelter in Arizona, USA, is looking for the owner of a pigeon found wearing a rhinestone-covered vest. The bird, now nicknamed ‘rhinestone bird’ and ‘Liberace’, was given to the Fallen Feathers rescue and rehabilitation facility for birds in Phoenix.

According to local reports, the pigeon was found by a woman in Glendale, wearing a blingy flight suit.

The woman said he wouldn’t fly away and she was afraid an animal would eat him, so she turned in the bedazzled bird to Judy Kieran – the founder of Fallen Feathers.

The bedazzled bird received instant online fame once Judy shared his picture on Facebook a week ago, in hopes of tracing his owner. Comments quickly flooded in, ranging from ‘fabulous’ to ‘fancy’ to ‘rhinestone birdy’.

“Looks like it’s maybe El Chapo’s pigeon with that fancy gold encrusted vest,” wrote one person in the comments section. “You have to name him Elvis!!!” joked another.

In fact, the lost bird received so much attention that Judy shared some better pictures later.

(We must say he’s a fabulous bird)

“Apparently he did belong to somebody, because he does keep going to cages and being as friendly as he is, he’s missing his home,” said Judy.

The search is still underway for Rhinestone Pigeon aka Liberace’s owner.

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Overpopulation has Wisconsin town putting pigeons on the pill

Pigeon Patrol — Thu, 08 Aug 2019 20:25:34 +0000

Business owners in La Crosse are putting pigeons on birth control – sort of.

Feeding stations atop downtown buildings include a contraceptive feed. It’s aimed at lowering reproduction in the birds that leave droppings on sidewalks, awnings and park benches.

Wayne Oliver, a member of the Downtown Mainstreet Board, tells WXOW that it’s the most successful idea the board has tried.

Maria Norberg, owner of a downtown coffee shop and food truck, says she supports anything that can cut down on the overhead threat to her customers.

Funding comes from a city beautification grant.

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Pigeon droppings equate to 230 parked cars on bridge.

Pigeon Patrol — Thu, 08 Aug 2019 20:01:34 +0000

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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Pigeons trapped in ceiling after new roof installed at Albuquerque salon

Pigeon Patrol — Thu, 11 Jun 2015 07:26:28 +0000

Trapped with no way out – at risk of losing their lives – creating fears of a health risk to people nearby…relax. We’re talking about pigeons here.

Pigeons. They’re just rats with feathers, right? But nobody wants to see them suffer, even if they are trespassing. The birds apparently got caught between the roof of a strip mall and a drop ceiling in a hair salon during a renovation job.

Employees at the Style America salon at Central and Tramway removed some of the ceiling panels, hoping that the birds would fly down and out the door. No luck. The fat little knuckleheads just squat up there doing what pigeons do – which leads to worries about illness and disease from pigeon poop.

“With some basic precautions, unless you’re going to put yourself right in contact with it, there’s really very little risk,” said biologist Justin Stevenson who runs a Los Lunas-based company called RD Wildlife Management. “That’s based on a tremendous amount of science and research, which is what we base everything on.“

Stevenson did say people with immune system issues do need to worry about even small amounts of pigeon droppings. He said that based on his experience, there is probably a way in and out for the pigeons, and people in the building see them roosting and think they’re trapped. He said if in fact they are trapped, he will conduct a rescue operation for free.

A Style America customer said she called City Hall at 311 to get some help, but learned that the city is not in the business of removing pigeons from private property. It’s up to the owner or the tenants to deal with it.

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67 suspected bird strikes at airport last year

Pigeon Patrol — Tue, 02 Jun 2015 08:51:07 +0000

Despite measures in place at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport to keep birds away, bird strikes have gone up over the years, shows data. In 2014, around 67 suspected bird strikes at the Mumbai airport were reported to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), up from 49 suspected bird strikes in 2013.
The growing number forced the Mumbai International Airport Pvt Ltd (MIAL) to purchase an avian-deterrent variety of grass recently to plant near the runway on a trial basis.
Pariah kites, pigeons, common myna, egrets and crows are some of the birds involved in bird strikes at the airport, according to MIAL.
When an aircraft makes the final approach towards the airport, these birds are likely to hit the aircraft.
Avian-deterent Ryegrass, purchased by MIAL, has natural fungus in the form of endophyte, which produces chemicals that deter insect growth. According to the Association of Private Airport Operators, while bird strikes lead to losses of over Rs 20 crore annually to the Indian aviation industry, they are also a serious threat to passenger safety.
“A 30-lbs goose striking the windscreen of a plane flying at 200 knots (in circuit speed) creates a relative impact of 20 tonne, which could cause serious damage to aircraft and pose a risk to the lives of passengers. The civic authorities never pay attention to environmental issues when it comes to airline operations,” said Captain Mohan Ranganathan, an aviation safety expert.
There are approximately 250 slaughterhouses near the airport, which attract birds in the area, besides the garbage ‘hill’ at the Deonar dumping ground that lies in the approach funnel of the Mumbai airport.
“Besides the Deonar garbage hill attracting birds, flowing near the airport is the filthy Mithi river. Further, within the airport, there are open drains, making it a haven for birds,” said Dr Satish Pande, director of Ela Foundation, an NGO. MIAL has asked the NGO to conduct a survey to understand the behaviour of birds in the 10-km radius of the airport (risk zone), and suggest solutions to avoid bird strikes.
“There is also a small bat colony in front of terminal 1-B and these bats leave their roost at night. We have proposed trimming of trees to dissuade such colonies after taking all necessary permission,” said Pande, whose report will be submitted to MIAL this month.
Besides bursting crackers, MIAL uses launchers and cartridges that cause an exploding and whistling sound, and vehicle mounted scarecrow during the day. At night, laser bird repellent torches are used to scare birds during poor visibility.

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Jacksonville transient arrested after wing torn off live pigeon

Pigeon Patrol — Wed, 01 Apr 2015 06:49:23 +0000

A 26-year-old transient was arrested Wednesday on a charge of cruelty to animals after a wing was ripped off a live pigeon in a parking lot at 221 W. Union St., according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
Simon Abromson remains in the Duval County jail on $10,000 bail after his 1 p.m. arrest, according to jail records.

Abromson was feeding birds in the parking lot at noon Monday and threw bread on the ground to gather birds, a witness told police. After gathering birds around him, he grabbed one pigeon and ripped off a wing before it fell back to the ground. The bird tried to run away, but died behind a dumpster, according to the arrest report.

The witness confronted Abromson about torturing the bird and was told to “back off or I’ll slit your throat and drink your blood,” according to the arrest report.

Police found the man two days later, but he became violent when arrested and said he would come back and shoot people in the parking lot. The man told police he eats pigeons regularly, according to the arrest report.

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Pigeons attack: “bring your umbrella” says Worcester councillor

Pigeon Patrol — Wed, 01 Apr 2015 06:42:40 +0000

PEDESTRIANS have resorted to walking under a Worcester bridge with an umbrella to protect them from pigeon attacks and droppings says a councillor.

Residents have resorted to walking under the bridge, on Bromyard Road, with an umbrella to protect them from attacks and droppings. However, Network Rail say they do plan to install some ‘pigeon spikes’ to prevent them roosting there which they hope will curb the nuisance.

It is believed the pigeons are attacking people as they feel the need to protect their young.

St John’s county councillor, Richard Udall, has received many complaints about the hostile birds, and has written to the chief executive of Network Rail to tackle the problem. Netting was suggested by cllr Udall but Network Rail now say spikes may solve the problem.

Cllr Udall said: “I have been receiving complaints for a few years, both Environmental Health and Worcestershire Highways have made formal requests to ask Network Rail to erect netting to prevent the birds from nesting.

“Receiving a coating of pigeon droppings and feathers can clearly be a danger to health.

“However, they have no powers to force them to do so, and Network Rail just appear to ignore the requests. They clearly have taken no action and the problem is getting worse.

“They need to act now to prevent the birds returning next spring.” It is hoped, with the spotlight now on the issue, public pressure will force them to act.

Cllr Udall said: “I believe that public pressure will force them into action, the problem is not going to go away without their intervention.

“Residents who walk to work, school or the local shops must walk under the bridge, any alternative route would be too far or just too inconvenient.

“People are fed up with the problem and we need the owners of the bridge to take some responsibility to help”.

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Bird fans in a flap over Redhill’s apparent pigeon

Pigeon Patrol — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 06:52:31 +0000

Bird fans are in a flap after there appeared to be fewer of the feathered inhabitants around Redhill’s shopping area and station in recent weeks.

Natalee Spencer, 20, said she feared for the birds’ safety when they did not take the food she left.

She told the Mirror: “I was wandering through the town centre on my way to work one day when I noticed I couldn’t see many of them.

“I sometimes put some food out for them because they need to eat too. But I couldn’t see any of them around so I just left the food on the ground.

“That night I went to Sainsbury’s with my dad and the food was still there. It hadn’t been touched. I was worried there had been a cull or something.”

Others have also noticed the area around Redhill Station, once littered with pigeon droppings, is now clearer.

Daniel Nixon, 36, who works in the area, said: “I have noticed the pavement is cleaner these days; there doesn’t seem to be so many birds chilling out overhead.” “Pigeons have no predators and they have an easy life with food easy to find.

“If their easy life has been disturbed by roosting being made more difficult or less food being available, then they might have simply gone somewhere else where it is easier for them.”

He added the pigeons could have caught a bug which depleted the population, but could not be sure without investigating.

In response to concerns about bird droppings on the pavement, Network Rail said it would look into installing new measures, such as mesh or nets, to deter the birds.

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