by Ryan Ponto | Feb 5, 2017 | Animal Deterrent Products
The fate of Abbotsford’s urban pigeon prohibition is still unclear after council received a report last week that noted the bird ban aligns with the city’s current zoning bylaw, but that those regulations are currently under review.
The issue was raised last fall by Gurbir Brar, who raises pigeons and says the bylaw banning them is irrational and unnecessary.
Brar told council in October that other jurisdictions, including Calgary and Surrey, allow the keeping of hobby pigeons in residential areas, without a problem. He compared pigeons to cats, and said the birds – when properly trained – are much less disruptive than felines to the surrounding community. He was accompanied by more than a dozen fellow pigeon fanciers.
Staff were directed to prepare a report, which was presented to council last week.
In it, assistant planner Nick Crosman notes that pigeons are currently defined as poultry, rather than pets, and thereby are an agriculture use. Currently, residential zones don’t permit such uses.
But the city’s zoning bylaw is currently undergoing a revision to align it with the 2016 Official Community Plan. That document would seem to be more friendlier to pigeon-rearing, and includes a statement that suggests council consider allowing “urban agriculture activities that encourage self-sufficiency.” Pigeons and backyard fowl aren’t mentioned in the OCP.
The updated zoning bylaw will come to council for approval or revision. Any changes would require a public hearing.
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 Ryan Ponto | Feb 4, 2017 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent
Sunday was not just the polling day for Old City. It was also a day for setting up the traditional weekly ‘kabootar mandi’ (pigeon market) on the lane that runs adjacent to Company Bagh. Despite the poll fever, which had the entire city in its grips, the spirit of the pigeon handlers remained high and they turned up in good numbers to purchase the birds of their choice.
It is believed that the ‘kabootar mandi’ is the preferred destination of pigeon handlers from all parts of the country. “‘Shauk badi cheez hai’ (hobby / interest means a lot). That’s why we are here all the way from Varanasi to buy pigeons of a specific breed,” said Mohammed Salman, a pigeon handler fond of ‘Kabootar-baazi’ (pigeon racing).
The sport, said Salman , is an age-old tradition from the time of the Nawabs and the Mughals, who started and promoted the practice. “It is as common as reading, listening to music, swimming or any other hobby,” Salman told HT.
This pigeon market too is an old one, going back to the times of the Nawabs. It includes some 100-odd makeshift shops, neatly arranged alongside the road. They sell a variety of pigeons, including some much sought-after species. “We deal in all varieties, including Bedag, Ambarsaria, Saldaar, China, Shajahanpuri, Hara Shajahanpuri, Girabaaz and many others,” said Shahbaaz Khan, a shop owner.
Each variety has its own speciality, he added. “The key factor that guides a handler’s preferences is the pigeon’s ability to fly for a long time. Girabaaz can fly non-stop for 12 hours. It’s the most preferred species and costs around Rs 1,200-10,000,” said Khan.
Javed Khan, a pigeon handler who bought birds worth Rs 23,000 on the day, said, “Generally, there are two sports that are common among pigeon handlers. In one, the competing handlers will set of their group of pigeons (both groups having equal number of birds). While coming back, whichever group has more pigeons in it, that handler wins the contest. The second type involves solo flight – where only one pigeon per handler is set off. In this, the ability of the pigeon to fly for a long time will ultimately decide who gets to be the winner,” he explained.
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 Ryan Ponto | Feb 3, 2017 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
SINGAPORE — When it comes to managing Singapore’s animal population, culling will be done only as “a last resort”, said Minister of State for National Development Koh Poh Koon in Parliament on Monday (Feb 20).
He was responding to questions by Member of Parliament (MP) Louis Ng (Nee Soon GRC) and Non-Constituency MP Daniel Goh in relation to the culling of 24 free-roaming chickens in the Sin Ming area, which had sparked a public outcry recently.
Dr Koh pointed out that the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) had found that the free-roaming chicken population in the Sin Ming area had “more than doubled” in the past two years, from about 20 in 2014 to 50 last year.
Given that chickens are more susceptible to bird flu, compared to other birds such as pigeons, and can transmit the virus to humans, Dr Koh said the AVA decided to remove some of the chickens, and to keep their population close to the “baseline level”.
When asked by Mr Ng for the number of people who complained, rather than the number of complaints relating to the chickens in Sin Ming, Dr Koh disclosed there were three people who complained in 2014, five in 2015 and 13 people last year.
Countering suggestions that the chickens could have been easily relocated to the wild, such as in Pulau Ubin or other forested areas, Dr Koh said this could create a situation of inter-breeding, thus adversely affecting the genetic stock of the endangered species of red junglefowl, which are found in Ubin and the Western Catchment area.
And while rehoming of chickens is a possible solution, it cannot be done in the same way it is done for cats and dogs, since the fowl cannot be housed in Housing and Development Board flats and they also carry the risk of transmitting avian influenza.
However, Dr Koh said that the AVA acknowledged that engagement and communications with residents and other stakeholders on the Sin Ming chickens issue “ought to have been better managed”.
Adding that there is no “magic number” on what the threshold figure should be before the authorities decide to cull, and citing a lack of specific recommendations on when to cull free-roaming chickens when there is no bird flu infection, Dr Koh reiterated that the AVA takes a “calibrated and measured approach” to reduce the risks posed to public health.
To find the best way to manage the population of free-ranging chickens and other birds, the AVA is currently undertaking research with academics, wildlife experts and other public agencies, he added.
For instance, in January last year, the authority initiated a study with the National University of Singapore to better understand the ecology and population of selected bird species, such as free-range chickens, in Singapore.
Separately, in response to another parliamentary question filed by Dr Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon GRC), Dr Koh said the AVA received about 21,000 cases of bird-related complaints in the last three years, mostly related to the feeding of pigeons by the public, and pigeon nuisance.
Beyond reducing cases of birds feeding on leftover food in hawker centres, Dr Koh cited other solutions to the problem, such as bird deterrent gels, oral contraceptives for pigeons, and fogging trees to deter mynahs.
However, in situations where the authorities perceive the risk is high or there is a higher incidence of bird flu around the region, for instance, they might have to step up measures “more aggressively”, such as culling these birds to reduce the risk.
“Clearly, there is no perfect answer. If you want a perfectly safe environment, then yes, we should go all out, guns blazing, to remove every single bird from the sky of Singapore.
“But that’s not a practical approach … You can cull a thousand birds today and tomorrow, another thousand will fly in from somewhere else … So, it’s something we have to take a practical view and escalate when necessary,” Dr Koh said.
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 Ryan Ponto | Feb 2, 2017 | Bird Deterrent Products
Doha: A race of carrier pigeons were held recently from Al-Qassim in Saudi Arabia to Hazm Al-Markhiya in Doha.
The 800-kilometre challenge was organized by the carrier pigeon section of Youth Hobbies Center, which comes under the Ministry of Culture and Sports.
The popular race saw 16 competitors with 222 carrier-pigeons taking part.
Setting a record, the pigeons reached the destination at the Youth Hobbies Centre building at Hazm Al-Markhiya in Doha on the same day starting from Al-Qassim, Saudi Arabia.
One of the participants from Qatar said: “The record and the enthusiasm of participants in this race may help to developing this hobby in the country.”
Ali Al Ajmi came first in the challenge with his champion pigeon. Injaz Loft with two pigeons stood second and third. Pigeon of Khaled Al-Emadi was fourth, Katara Loft fifth, Rawdat Al Hamama came sixth and pigeons named Darb Al Saei took positions from seven to eleven.
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 Ryan Ponto | Feb 1, 2017 | Bird Deterrent Products
Hackney Council’s proactive work to rid the streets of pigeons and gulls has made it the second biggest spender on bird control in the country.
Figures obtained by the BBC show the town hall forked out £162,683 between 2013 and 2016 on ridding streets of pigeons and gulls, second only to Southwark.
The sum has been put down to the town hall staying ahead of the problem.
Neighbourhoods and parks boss Cllr Feryal Demirci, said: “Our in house pest control team proactively deals with pigeons on our 35,000 council homes as well as private homes and commercial premises.
“Prevention is better than cure, so last year we installed pigeon proofing measures on over 500 buildings.
“This means we get relatively few complaints about pigeons from residents, as we try and sort the situation out before it becomes too serious.”
Dee Ward-Thompson, technical manager at the British Pest Control Association, said proofing was the ultimate way to tackle the problem.
“It’s the best solution,” she told the Gazette. “Proactive work is the right way to go about it and we fully support that. “But if you do one building it can encourage them to move on to the one next door. What a lot of councils are doing is working with other building owners to proof as many as possible.”
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)
