by johnnymarin | Dec 22, 2017 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
The view of the lake from the Krishnadevaraya statue on Tank Bund is just spectacular. As traffic zips past on the busy road, the statue of Buddha shimmers in the evening sun; the concrete structures, Birla Mandir on the left and the fluttering national flag on the right create a picturesque effect. The air is charged with buoyancy as a group of four friends from Ram Nagar High School in Zamistanpur take turns to model for a photo session. “It will be uploaded for friends on Facebook,” cheers Vishnu from the group.
Connecting road
Although this road connecting Hyderabad and Secunderabad is one of the favourite destinations for Hyderabadis, most of the time it evokes mixed feelings. Thanks to the stench coming from the algae-laden green water dumped with debris and garbage, it is common to see people in the vicinity covering their noses. Fitness enthusiasts, friends and selfie-seekers walk on the pavement clicking pictures with Buddha in the background; green lawns on the opposite side attracts families with children and also youngsters in love. One can often spot couples chatting and laughing away while relaxing on the steps of these statues. Masala murmura sellers, ice cream carts, soda bandis do brisk business here. Venkataiah, who waits for customers with his cart rues the business has drastically reduced. “Ippudu giraaki ledu,” he states with a disappointed tone but adds Sundays and holidays sees many visitors. “The evening rains also stop people from coming here,” observes another hawker.
Public apathy
The walk continues with Nandu and Vijay, students of MediCiti Nursing College. The duo reside in Yakutpura and have accompanied their friends from village to a trip to Tank Bund. The nursing students voice their concern at the water’s condition. “We come here for time pass. The scenery is good but our heart breaks when we see the water. It is not good for the environment and it can also lead to diseases.”Nearby is an extended area above the Maisamma temple, which is home to pigeons. Groups of pigeons take flight as people feed them grains and corn. Shanta, who sells these grains sits nearby under a shade with her baby. “People come for different reasons to feed these pigeons,” she points out. “Some believe it is a virtuous act and others want to take pictures with fluttering pigeons in the background,” she observes. Her husband Shiva is a braveheart and saves people when they try to commit suicide in Tank Bund. She shows a hoarding nearby with his photograph and the number of people he has saved till now.
As we speak, an auto stops by and a woman walks in to take the quota to feed the pigeons. This has been the daily routine of Sangeeta Rani, an employee of a firm. “I enjoy coming here everyday; I feel at peace when I feed these birds,” she smiles. The steps at this walkway lead to lower Tank Bund but the walls drown in the smell of urine. The overwhelming smell is repulsive and can make your Tank Bund trip a total disaster.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Dec 21, 2017 | Bird Deterrent Products
We are all familiar with the cautionary tale of the Passenger Pigeon Ectopistes migratorius — once the most abundant species in North America, and possibly the entire world. Numbering well into the billions at the peak of its existence, flocks of Passenger Pigeons flying overhead were likened to deafening hurricanes. It seemed unthinkable that this superabundant bird could go extinct.
Yet, it did. Unchecked hunting and the widespread clearance of hardwood trees, which provided the bulk of its diet, drove a steep decline in numbers in the late 19th Century. By the time we realised what was happening, it was too late to reverse the decline, and Martha, the last known Passenger Pigeon, died in captivity in 1914. This sorry tale serves to remind us that although many birds are classified as Least Concern by BirdLife on behalf of the IUCN Red List, if we ignore the warning signs, no species is immune from the threat of extinction.
In the mid-1990s, the observed decline of the Yellow-breasted Bunting Emberiza aureolain Hokkaido, Japan alerted conservationists that another super-abundant species might be in trouble. Now we know it has suffered a huge decline, possibly as much as 95 percent of its population, in the span of just two to three decades. Prior to 2004 the Yellow-breasted Bunting was not regarded as of conservation concern, but since 2013 it has been listed as Endangered, and this year the discussion on BirdLife’s Globally Threatened Birds Forum concerned a potential further uplisting to Critically Endangered.
The main reason for its decline is also comparable to that of the Passenger Pigeon: the species migrates in huge flocks, which are hunted in massive numbers. Again paralleling the Passenger Pigeon, the Yellow-breasted Bunting’s plight has been worsened by improvements in communication and transportation. The species gathers in large numbers at night to roost, making the birds easy to trap in high numbers.
The species is known as the “rice bird” in China, where it is hunted for food — a practice that has been illegal since 1997, but continues on the black market to this day. Such unsustainable and mostly illegal hunting on migratory passerines in Asia has pushed not only the Yellow-breasted Bunting to the edge of extinction; according to preliminary monitoring projects performed in Amur Region (Russia) and Hong Kong SAR (China), all migratory bunting species in eastern Asia are declining.
In order to address and confront this little-known crisis, BirdLife International co-organised an international workshop on conservation of the Yellow-breasted Bunting with the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society (BirdLife in China (Hong Kong)) and the Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China in November 2016. The purpose of the workshop was to collect information and opinion for drafting an International Conservation Action Plan on the Yellow-breasted Bunting, and to form an international conservation network on this and other migratory passerines.
More than 50 experts from almost all major range countries attended the workshop. The main recommendations from the workshop were that the Yellow-breasted Bunting should be officially protected in all range countries, that its migration patterns should be managed using colour banding and geolocators, and that its breeding, migration and wintering sites need to be identified, surveyed, protected, and managed. It is also imperative to study the effect of agrochemicals on migratory passerines that use farmlands, and promote wildlife-friendly farming practices. International cooperation on the research and conservation of this species and other migratory passerines is necessary if we are to stabilise the numbers of Asia’s vanishing migrants.
The International Conservation Action Plan of the Yellow-breasted Bunting is expected to be published by 2019, as good consultation with different countries and stakeholders, including some regional and national workshops, are needed. However, important actions are already underway. In the breeding season of 2016, BirdLife International and Birds Russia conducted a preliminary study on the Yellow-breasted Bunting in Sakhalin, Russia. The result was alarming: it has seemingly disappeared completely from southern Sakhalin, and could only found at a few localities in northern and central parts of the island.
The next year, a joint team from BirdLife International, Wild Bird Society of Japan (BirdLife Partner) and Birds Russia visited northern Sakhalin and colour-banded eighteen Yellow-breasted Buntings so we could study its migration. Geolocators will be used in the breeding season of 2018 if the banded birds have proven they are returning to the same breeding sites.
This year, China has made a very positive move in saving the Yellow-breasted Bunting and other migratory passerine by enforcing a revised Wildlife Conservation Law. It outlaws the eating of protected species, which includes the Yellow-breasted Bunting. The key to success is higher awareness among the general public so they will refuse to buy the birds and report any illegal activities seen.
BirdLife International and the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society have produced a poster to support implementation of the new conservation law. BirdLife Partners will also support an education programme on prevention of hunting and wildlife consumption in all other range countries as the fight continues to ensure that the Yellow-breasted Bunting doesn’t become another cautionary tale for future generations.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Dec 20, 2017 | Animal Deterrent Products
Residents of Sydney’s most notorious public housing complex are being told not to feed the local rats, as the city is plagued by a worsening rodent problem.
A day after pictures emerged of a rat the size of a small cat found dead in a family’s backyard, Daily Mail Australia can reveal residents in inner-city Surry Hills have been feeding the creatures.
‘Please do not feed rats or pigeons or leave food or rubbish out of bins,’ a sign in a Family and Community Services (FACS) office window opposite Northcott towers in Belvoir Street states.
This sign appears in the window of a Family and Community Services office in Surry Hills
Pictures of a monster rat show a man with a plastic bag holding the huge rodent by the tail
Northcott towers, opposite the Family and Community Services office in Sydney’s Surry Hills
The sign telling residents not to feed rats is stuck up with other community service messages
‘Housing NSW asks that residents dispose of rubbish thoughtfully and not feed the pigeons or rats.’
The sign appears in a window with posters advertising interpreter services, the Salvation Army, the Surry Hills Drug Action Team and Northcott Community Sharps Bin.
Kandas Jordain, who lives nearby, said the extraordinary warning was needed.
‘There’s an elderly woman who sits out and feeds the ibises and the pigeons and the rats,’ Mr Jordain said.
‘I’ve told her off a few times. Every time I see her with a plastic bag I confront her.’
Mr Jordain said the ongoing light rail construction in Devonshire Street, coupled with rubbish left to rot outside buildings, contributed to the rising number of rats around his home.
Bags of rubbish are strewn in a Surry Hills street near the continuing light rail construction
Rats, including rattus norvegicus are a constant problem in large cities including Sydney
The Family and Community Services office where the ‘do not feed the rats’ sign is posted
‘I’ve got them running under my unit,’ he said. ‘When the sun goes down we’ll start hearing the rats running around.
‘You can hear them of a night time scurrying in and out.’
The FACS office caters for residents including those who live across the road in the 14-storey Northcott towers, which have a reputation for drug abuse, high unemployment and violent crime.
Earlier this week a family from Alexandria displayed a giant rat they found dead in their backyard.
The family was so afraid after the discovery they would not let their young daughter play in the backyard.
A resident feeds pigeons in Ward Park, near the Northcott towers, in Sydney’s Surry Hills
Residents in Surry Hills have been told to stop feeding local rats and pigeons (stock image)
A gigantic rat has been found dead in a Sydney family’s Alexandria backyard (stock image)
The rodent is about the size of a small cat.
The grim find follows months of concern over rat problems across Sydney.
Independent City of Sydney councillor Angela Vithoulkas has called for action on the issue.
She said the rat problem had possibly improved in the city since March but was ‘still very active in other areas’.
‘It’s the price you pay for progress and development when you choose to not address other factors that come up and allow them to get this bad,’ Cr Vithoulkas said.
Cr Vithoulkas said she was not surprised by the size of the rodent in the Alexandria backyard, stating Sydney rats were ‘well fed’.
She said the ‘public health issue’ called for the city to set up a ‘rat taskforce.’
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Dec 19, 2017 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
Diwali is one of those times when animals — both pets and strays — become highly agitated and panicky because of their inability to bear high-decibel sounds. In fact, it is during this festival of lights that several cases of missing pets, injured animals and dead birds are reported.
“The sensitivity of animals to the sound and smell produced by fireworks is extremely high. The sound we humans hear, is highly amplified for them and that’s why they are impacted a great deal,” explains Dr Praveen Kumar of Canfel Pet Clinic in Banjara Hills.
While pets have their human friends to look after them, strays face a tough time. Mahesh Agarwal of the city-based Bharatiya Prani Mitra Sangh and member of the state’s Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, and Shruti Darak, animal activist share stories of cruelty towards animals often seen during Diwali. Both of them reveal how the need for fun brings out the brutish side in people. Shruti says, “The kind of injuries reported during Diwali are pretty horrific. Animals undergo a psychological disturbance.”
Dr Praveen points out one common case that he comes across during the festival. “There are certain breeds of cats and dogs that find fireworks very exciting to watch, and try to approach and play with crackers that are lit. It’s absolutely important to keep them away from that.”
Meanwhile, the plight of pigeons is another heart-breaking scenario. Mahesh, who has actively been observing and protecting pigeons from these festival-time injuries, shares, “Two things happen. One, the birds tend to panic because of the proximity to the sound and two, fireworks like rockets hurt them, leaving them injured. The mental trauma causes quicker deaths in birds. They fall from their platform and often you see dogs and cats waiting to catch hold of them. In the last seven years, with awareness and certain precautions, we have seen a reduction in the number of pigeons getting hurt.” In fact, he reveals that the scenario at the Kabootar Khana in Sultan Bazaar has drastically improved in the last few years.
While the list of problems animals face comes across as endless, all these animal-loving activists and experts have a common piece of advice to offer: “Prevention is better than cure.”
Says Shruti, “While I’d like to ask people to have an eco-friendly Diwali; since fireworks are something people cannot let go of, I’d suggest small precautions. For instance cleaning up after bursting crackers because animals tend to chew on the stuff, and it’s possible that they take in harmful chemicals. Also, stepping on sharp objects could hurt their paws.” She adds, “It’s one of those times when strays find it difficult to find food and a place to stay too. If people could temporarily give them shelter and food, nothing could be more beneficial.”
While Dr Praveen suggests preparing pets for the day. “It would be ideal to keep them in an enclosed room stocked with their favourite goodies. Also, turning up the volume of the TV or radio could help nullify outside sounds. But instead of pushing them into such an enclosure all of a sudden, it would be good to prepare them in advance. I suggest giving them early meals on these days,” he shares, adding that anxiety medication prescribed by a vet could also help pacify the animals.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Dec 18, 2017 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
The fall migration is on the decline now, with most of our flycatchers, swallows and warblers gone for the next seven months. All of these birds depend on insects for their sustenance, a resource in short supply now.
Sparrows and other seed-eaters have a more leisurely migration. They can find seeds, at least until the first snows arrive. Even so, by the end of the month most of our sparrows will be gone to more moderate southern areas.
As I discussed in the last column, we know that the majority of migratory bird species have an innate knowledge of where they should go to spend the winter. It boggles the mind to realize that many first-year birds find their way – unaided by adults – to a wintering habitat they have never seen. Travel instructions are encoded in their genes.
In considering how migratory birds find their way, we need to recognize two different abilities of birds. First, the birds have a well-developed sense of navigation. In other words, they can set a course and follow it, barring intervention from hurricanes or other weather phenomena.
Second, some birds have well-developed abilities of orientation. Most migratory birds can navigate well but fewer can orient.
A famous experiment done with European starlings in Eastern Europe nicely distinguishes navigation and orientation. Some starlings were captured and placed in a cage in the spring. This particular population of starlings is migratory. In the spring, the caged birds attempted to depart on a northwesterly vector to reach their breeding grounds.
Other birds were transported several hundred miles to the west. Again, the direction that the captive birds chose was recorded. The transplanted birds again tried to migrate to the northwest. They were unable to correct for the fact that they had been moved westward. The starlings showed a good sense of navigation but a poor sense of orientation.
Contrast that result with the abilities of white-crowned sparrows. A wintering population of birds in southern California migrates each spring to Alaskan breeding grounds. Wintering birds that were flown either to New Orleans or Maryland ultimately found their way to their Alaskan breeding grounds. These birds were able to compensate for their eastward displacement by biologists. These birds are great at both navigation and orientation.
The abilities to orient and navigate are not restricted to migratory birds. During the nesting season, birds need to be able to find their way to their nests. The need is particularly acute for birds like bald eagles that maintain huge territories, or ospreys or albatrosses that may fish miles away from their nests.
Domestic pigeons have been the subjects of the most illuminating studies on navigation and orientation. Pigeons can return to their roosts from distances as far as 1,100 miles.
They use multiple cues for navigation. An internal clock allows them to determine direction from the position of the sun in the sky. This so-called sun compass is the most important cue. They also can sense the earth’s magnetic field. On cloudy days, magnetic cues become important. We even have evidence that pigeons can smell their home over the last few yards.
Pigeons are able to fly steadily at 50 miles per hour. It’s not surprising that competitive homing pigeons beat their owners home from a release point.
Pigeons can be used for nefarious purposes as well. Recently, a pigeon whose roost is in an Argentinian prison was caught smuggling 8 grams of marijuana and a memory stick.
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)
