AS I SEE IT HEIDI PRESCOTT
Extinction
Monday, September 01, 2008
The Patriot News
By the time they enter high school, most children have learned about the great bison herds of North America, and how men with guns brought these animals to the brink of extinction.
As students gain understanding of America's past, they are exposed to a second, even more troubling massacre. The passenger pigeon was once the most common bird on the continent, maybe in the world -- migrating in flocks that took days to pass overhead. Thanks to the unwavering zeal of shooters, the last known passenger pigeon, "Martha," died in Ohio on Sept. 1, 1914.
This condensed version of history, however, pulls up short after that, right where it counts.
Those responsible for the buffalo and passenger-pigeon massacres are portrayed as people who just didn't understand the power that humans could wield over nature. The tragic stories of these animals are chalked up as examples of ecological ignorance and unknowing people getting carried away with themselves. By this reckoning, we've learned the lessons of history. We're much more in tune with nature now.
But sadly there is more to it. These stories from our past are windows into something else, something darker in the human character. I'm speaking about bloodthirsty wantonness: The inexplicable lust to kill and kill and kill.
Unfortunately, the passage of time has not blunted this impulse in some of us.
Right here in 21st century Pennsylvania, gunfire rings out during the weekends from people engaged in orgies of killing that are even more gratuitous than the assaults on bison and passenger pigeon. That's right, not on the same epic scale but morally more repugnant. Back then, buffalo hides had economic value, at least. And passenger pigeons provided food, first to slaves and then to the underclass.
By contrast, today's pigeon shoots in Pennsylvania are without any purpose whatsoever. Nothing except competition killing for the sake of macabre trophy belt buckles.
These semi-tame pigeons are captured elsewhere, including the streets of New York. On any given Wednesday, they might be nibbling cracker crumbs out of grandma's hand in Central Park. Then they are trapped by a shadowy network of dealers and transported here. By Sunday, they could be stuffed into a box in front of shooter to be launched as living targets.
The "lucky" among these birds die swiftly. Their heads are snipped off by eager apprentices. The carcasses are discarded with the other garbage.
The less fortunate birds are wounded. They disappear into the trees and brush to suffer and die days later.
Don't be fooled by extremists who defend their blood-thirst as part of Pennsylvania's heritage. What grim heritage would that be? And if a zealot dares speak of "hunting" in the same breath as these shoots -- and sure enough, radicals like those of the National Rifle Association do -- please remind them that no traditional hunter kills for the sake of feeding garbage cans. No self-respecting hunter wounds animals and leaves them to die in the woods.
At The Humane Society of the United States we have a saying: Shooting pigeons and calling yourself a sportsman is like hiring an escort service and calling yourself a ladies' man.
THE GOOD NEWS is that we can end these savage displays of inhumanity. Ten years ago marked the end of the notorious Hegins pigeon shoot. Now a decade later, the Pennsylvania Legislature is considering catching up with the other 49 states in disallowing pigeon shoots. Let the shooters go play video games if they cannot find something constructive to do. The whole spectacle of pigeon shoots is just a ghoulish game anyway.
The trouble is, these few shooters and their extremist allies are a noisy bunch. To counter them, legislators need to hear that sensible voters are fed up. It is time for logic and decency to carry the day in the Capitol.
It requires not an iota of courage to shoot at a pigeon netted from the city park. It shouldn't require very much more for a legislator to decree that it's wrong to do so. A sensible law will send these contest kills into history's shameful dustbin along with stories of other human carnage against animals.
HEIDI PRESCOTT is senior vice president/campaigns for The Humane Society of the United States.
Showing posts with label pigeon nettings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pigeon nettings. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Friday, August 8, 2008
More Pigeon-Nappings in New York City
New York Times article:
First, a confession. I am not a fan of pigeons. I have even eaten a pigeon, while on vacation in Egypt – more for the culinary adventure than revenge, but whatever the reason, I ate the bird and felt not a twinge of guilt.
Still, I was left rocked back on my heels this afternoon when I witnessed – for the first and hopefully only time – a pigeon-napping.
The curious incident happened in Columbus Park, a small oasis tucked behind the State Supreme Court complex on Centre Street, on the border of Chinatown.
The park itself is one of the more intriguing gathering spots in Manhattan. All day, elderly Chinese men play a Chinese version of chess as crowds gather to watch. There are other clusters of Chinese women playing card games. Little English is spoken. The lawyers and government functionaries who work nearby also swing through the small, unkempt grounds, but it is largely a Chinese crowd.
They sit not only on the benches and at the tables, but on rocks and the small slivers of earth surrounding the largely paved area.
In the western corner of the park, some men had hung cages with lovely songbirds in them, listening to their chirping as they sprawled out in the shade of the trees.
It was among this crowd that a burly white man in a blue shirt sat down.
He threw some crumbs on the ground in front of him and almost immediately, a flock of pigeons was at his feet.
Then, with a quick thrust of his right arm, he seized one of the birds. As the other pigeons scattered, he stuffed his captured prey into a large white box. We made brief eye contact. Then he bolted, thrusting his box with the rustling bird on his shoulder and disappearing into the crowded alley ways of Chinatown. I was mystified.
Was he capturing dinner? Taking the bird to his own flock to be raced or trained? Getting food for some voracious pet?
He was gone before I could ask, but a quick search on bird-napping revealed that it is topic that has come up in the past in the city.
The New Yorker reported last summer that residents in some neighborhoods were reporting a wave of pigeon robbers. A writer for the magazine was contacted by someone from “Bird Operations Busted, a self-styled pigeon-liberation outfit.” The man, who was not named in the story, said that generally, there were two kinds of birdnappers: “netters and hoopers,” referencing the tools used to capture pigeons.
There were enough incidents in Greenwich Village for The Villager, a community newspaper, to warn residents: “Someone is scooping up Village pigeons and no one knows why.”
But the man in Columbus Park was neither a netter nor a hooper, but rather a hand-scooper, and a deft one at that.
It calls to mind another man who captured pigeons in a public park to sustain himself during a particularly lean season: Ernest Hemingway.
In “A Moveable Feast,” Hemingway describes how he would wait for the gendarme at the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris to wander off for a break or a glass of wine and then seize a pigeon, dispatching quickly with a swift twist of the neck before taking it home to prepare to eat.
In New York City, it seems, there is no need to fear the law when it comes to pigeon hunting.
My estimable colleague Al Baker, who covers the Police Department, made a quick inquiry about the incident and was told there was no indication a crime had been committed.
Asked if a man grabbing a pigeon, stuffing it in a box and running was a crime of some sort, a straight-faced police spokesman said, “No, not really.” “There’s no real crime,” the spokesman said, adding that more facts would be needed. “Maybe he’s trying to save the pigeon’s life. You cannot say it is a crime, because there is nothing to conclude it is a crime.”
First, a confession. I am not a fan of pigeons. I have even eaten a pigeon, while on vacation in Egypt – more for the culinary adventure than revenge, but whatever the reason, I ate the bird and felt not a twinge of guilt.
Still, I was left rocked back on my heels this afternoon when I witnessed – for the first and hopefully only time – a pigeon-napping.
The curious incident happened in Columbus Park, a small oasis tucked behind the State Supreme Court complex on Centre Street, on the border of Chinatown.
The park itself is one of the more intriguing gathering spots in Manhattan. All day, elderly Chinese men play a Chinese version of chess as crowds gather to watch. There are other clusters of Chinese women playing card games. Little English is spoken. The lawyers and government functionaries who work nearby also swing through the small, unkempt grounds, but it is largely a Chinese crowd.
They sit not only on the benches and at the tables, but on rocks and the small slivers of earth surrounding the largely paved area.
In the western corner of the park, some men had hung cages with lovely songbirds in them, listening to their chirping as they sprawled out in the shade of the trees.
It was among this crowd that a burly white man in a blue shirt sat down.
He threw some crumbs on the ground in front of him and almost immediately, a flock of pigeons was at his feet.
Then, with a quick thrust of his right arm, he seized one of the birds. As the other pigeons scattered, he stuffed his captured prey into a large white box. We made brief eye contact. Then he bolted, thrusting his box with the rustling bird on his shoulder and disappearing into the crowded alley ways of Chinatown. I was mystified.
Was he capturing dinner? Taking the bird to his own flock to be raced or trained? Getting food for some voracious pet?
He was gone before I could ask, but a quick search on bird-napping revealed that it is topic that has come up in the past in the city.
The New Yorker reported last summer that residents in some neighborhoods were reporting a wave of pigeon robbers. A writer for the magazine was contacted by someone from “Bird Operations Busted, a self-styled pigeon-liberation outfit.” The man, who was not named in the story, said that generally, there were two kinds of birdnappers: “netters and hoopers,” referencing the tools used to capture pigeons.
There were enough incidents in Greenwich Village for The Villager, a community newspaper, to warn residents: “Someone is scooping up Village pigeons and no one knows why.”
But the man in Columbus Park was neither a netter nor a hooper, but rather a hand-scooper, and a deft one at that.
It calls to mind another man who captured pigeons in a public park to sustain himself during a particularly lean season: Ernest Hemingway.
In “A Moveable Feast,” Hemingway describes how he would wait for the gendarme at the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris to wander off for a break or a glass of wine and then seize a pigeon, dispatching quickly with a swift twist of the neck before taking it home to prepare to eat.
In New York City, it seems, there is no need to fear the law when it comes to pigeon hunting.
My estimable colleague Al Baker, who covers the Police Department, made a quick inquiry about the incident and was told there was no indication a crime had been committed.
Asked if a man grabbing a pigeon, stuffing it in a box and running was a crime of some sort, a straight-faced police spokesman said, “No, not really.” “There’s no real crime,” the spokesman said, adding that more facts would be needed. “Maybe he’s trying to save the pigeon’s life. You cannot say it is a crime, because there is nothing to conclude it is a crime.”
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Stolen Pigeons
STOLE PIGEON
New York Post
January 13, 2008 --
On behalf of the Humane Society of the United States, I would like to commend The Post for highlighting the cruel practice of pigeon netting (“Fresh Pigeon Snit," Jan. 6).
Thousands of pigeons are netted in New York and sold to live pigeon shoots across state lines.
Similar to dog fighting, pigeon shooting exists so shooters can gamble against one another. Netted birds are stuffed into boxes and released 30 yards from shooters motivated by monetary prizes.
Most hunters condemn these seedy events, disturbed by the idea of blowing away thousands of animals launched out of boxes at close range.
New Yorkers can help end these events by reporting information about illegal pigeon nettings to 311.
The HSUS offers a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of individuals illegally netting and transporting pigeons.
Heidi Prescott
Senior Vice President
The Humane Society of the United States
Washington, DC
New York Post
January 13, 2008 --
On behalf of the Humane Society of the United States, I would like to commend The Post for highlighting the cruel practice of pigeon netting (“Fresh Pigeon Snit," Jan. 6).
Thousands of pigeons are netted in New York and sold to live pigeon shoots across state lines.
Similar to dog fighting, pigeon shooting exists so shooters can gamble against one another. Netted birds are stuffed into boxes and released 30 yards from shooters motivated by monetary prizes.
Most hunters condemn these seedy events, disturbed by the idea of blowing away thousands of animals launched out of boxes at close range.
New Yorkers can help end these events by reporting information about illegal pigeon nettings to 311.
The HSUS offers a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of individuals illegally netting and transporting pigeons.
Heidi Prescott
Senior Vice President
The Humane Society of the United States
Washington, DC
Monday, January 7, 2008
New York City Officials Moving on Pigeon Poaching
FRESH PIGEON SNIT
Crackdown on Bird Poaching
By ANGELA MONTEFINISE and CATHY BURKE
By ANGELA MONTEFINISE and CATHY BURKE
New York Post
January 6, 2008
January 6, 2008
NET WORTH: Swarms of pigeons — even these pests being fed at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens — can mean cash to an unscrupulous few. Some rustlers sell the fowl for $10 each to legal, out-of-state pigeon shoots, the city Health Department says.
According to city Health Department Commissioner Thomas Frieden, several city and state agencies have recently joined forces to combat "pigeon netting," the underground act of snatching pigeons off the streets and selling them for $5 and $10 each, mostly to legal, out-of-state pigeon shoots.
According to bird advocates, men armed with large nets drive around the city - particularly in the early-morning hours, when birds are hungry - and place seed on the ground to attract pigeons. When the birds come to eat, the men throw nets over them, place them in trucks, and drive off.
"It happens incredibly fast," said one advocate. "This is a solid operation. There are usually groups of guys, and they use several cars with switched license plates. They get $5 a bird to ship them off to pigeon shoots, particularly in Pennsylvania. It's cruel, it's wrong, and it's happening right under our noses and no one's doing anything about it."
Anna Dove of the New York Bird Club, who complained of the bird-napping to Queens City Councilman Tony Avella, said she's battled the problem for 10 years.
"We don't know how big it is, but I think it's big business," she said. "Transporting birds over state lines is illegal. They're not allowed to remove them from their habitat unless they have a permit."
Other advocates said pigeon-nappers also sell to restaurants, although they couldn't provide any evidence.
"We've followed the netters to a warehouse in Queens that sells poultry," said one advocate, who also didn't want to be named. "We're still trying to pull together evidence.
"This is not a joke. A lot of people think, 'Oh, pigeons, what's the big deal?' But it is a big deal. These are wild birds, and they're being stolen right off the street. It's not right."
Avella contacted Frieden's office after receiving Dove's shocking complaint.
Avella contacted Frieden's office after receiving Dove's shocking complaint.
"I was quite surprised," he said of the pigeon-poaching phenomenon. "The city's already moving on this. I think their response proves their level of seriousness."
Health Commissioner Frieden, in a Dec. 14 letter to Avella, said his agency, along with "the Department of Environmental Protection, the Police Department [and] the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation . . . are coordinating our resources in an attempt to address this illegal activity."
He added: "At this time, any citizen observing the illegal netting of pigeons can report details of this act by dialing 311."
angela.montefinise@nypost.com
Related article: http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2008/01/06/nyc_not_getting_safer_for_birds/3879/
Related article: http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2008/01/06/nyc_not_getting_safer_for_birds/3879/
NYC not getting safer for birds
Published: Jan. 6, 2008 at 6:44 PM
NEW YORK, Jan. 6 (UPI) -- New York City officials are cracking down on poachers trapping pigeons for sale to out-of-state bird hunters and possibly even restaurants.
Bird lovers say the bird-nappers drive through the city in the early morning, tempting birds with seed and then trapping them in large nets, the New York Post reported Sunday. Then they are sold for $5 or $10. Animal advocates gained the ear of City Councilman Tony Avella, who passed their complaint along to the city, the Post said.
In response, Health Department Commissioner Thomas Frieden said he is starting a coordinated effort with other city and state agencies to combat the practice.Concerned citizens who witness pigeon harvesting can inform authorities by calling the city's 3-1-1 citizen access hotline.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Commissioner Thomas R. Frieden Responds to Pigeon Nettings
The New York Bird Club has received the following correspondence from Council Member Tony Avella (District 19) after he contacted the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene concerning the matter of illegal pigeon nettings occuring in the New York City area.
December 14, 2007
Honorable Tony Avella
Council Member, District 19
38-50 Bell Boulevard
Bayside, NY 11361
Re: Capturing of Pigeons
Dear Council Member Avella:
This correspondence is in response to your constituent, Anna Dove of the New York Bird Club, who is concerned about the capturing of pigeons, by people armed with nets on our streets. We apologize for our delay in response.
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Police Department, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the American Society for the Protection and Care of Animals are coordinating our resources in an attempt to address this illegal activity.
At this time, any citizen observing the illegal netting of pigeons can report details of this act by dialing 311.
Thank you for taking the time to bring this matter to our attention.
Sincerely,
(signature)
Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H.
Commissioner
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Office of the Commissioner
December 14, 2007
Honorable Tony Avella
Council Member, District 19
38-50 Bell Boulevard
Bayside, NY 11361
Re: Capturing of Pigeons
Dear Council Member Avella:
This correspondence is in response to your constituent, Anna Dove of the New York Bird Club, who is concerned about the capturing of pigeons, by people armed with nets on our streets. We apologize for our delay in response.
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Police Department, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the American Society for the Protection and Care of Animals are coordinating our resources in an attempt to address this illegal activity.
At this time, any citizen observing the illegal netting of pigeons can report details of this act by dialing 311.
Thank you for taking the time to bring this matter to our attention.
Sincerely,
(signature)
Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H.
Commissioner
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Office of the Commissioner
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Rewards Offered for Apprehension of Pigeon Netters/Pigeon Shoots
Reward Offered by:
Humane Society of the United States:
http://www.hsus.org/acf/news/pressrel/rewards/reward_offered_pigeon_shoots_pennsylvania_102907.html
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Reward Offered for Exposing Cruelty at Live Pigeon Shoots
(October 29, 2007) — The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of persons committing acts of cruelty to animals before, during and after live pigeon shoots.
The HSUS is seeking information about instances of cruelty during the shoots, as well as information pertaining to the illegal trafficking of pigeons across state lines to supply shoots, and illegal gambling occurring at events.
“It’s time to expose the seedy cruelty that occurs almost every weekend in Pennsylvania during live pigeon shoots,” stated Heidi Prescott , HSUS senior vice president of campaigns, “We encourage anyone with information related to supplying birds, gambling, or specific acts of cruelty occurring at shoots to come forward.”
Individuals with information may call the toll-free live pigeon shoot tip line at 1-800-637-4124.
Live Pigeon Shoots:
Live pigeon shoots are events where shooters fire at birds released one at a time from boxes in an attempt to shoot each animal down within a ring for prizes.
Live pigeon shoots occur almost every weekend during the fall and winter primarily in Pennsylvania.
Although an underground, illegal pigeon shoot circuit exists, Pennsylvania is the last state where live pigeon shoots knowingly, regularly occur.
During past live pigeon shoots, participants have beaten the pigeons against barrels, buried wounded animals with dead ones in containers, and abandoned wounded animals.
At least 1,000 birds are typically used for one shoot.
In past shoots, seventy percent of the birds are shot and wounded rather than killed outright, with some wounded animals escaping into the area to suffer for hours or days before dying.
Visit www.humanesociety.org/hunt for more information.
The HSUS Contacts:
Jordan Crump, Phone: 901-581-5666; jcrump@humanesociety.org
The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization – backed by 10 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs.
Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty
The Humane Society of the United States
2100 L Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20037
International animal protection organization In Defense of Animals (IDA) is offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for illegally netting, capturing, and killing pigeons in New York City.
"Reports of large numbers of pigeons being netted in New York City have grown over the last year," said IDA's East Coast Director, Valerie Sicignano.
"IDA is offering a $2,500 reward in the hope of turning up evidence that will identify the offender(s). We suspect that the majority of birds are being transported out of state for canned hunts in a neighboring state and that a smaller number may be for human consumption.
Emails mentioning a concern about bird flu are false - Pigeons do not transmit bird flu. If the Avian Flu does reach New York, New Yorkers will have to be concerned about catching it from other humans - not from the birds," added Sicignano.
Fill out the form entitled "Bird Netting Sightings Report" found at http://www.idausa.org/
2) Call New York City Humane Law Enforcement at (212) 876-7700, ext. 4450 and file a report using the information you gathered on the form.
3) Next, Call NYS-DEC District 2 at (718) 482-4885 and file a 2nd report using the information that you gathered on the form.
4) To register for the reward offered by IDA, mail a photocopy of your completed form to:
Valerie Sicignano
In Defense of Animals
3010 Kerner Blvd.
San Rafael, CA 94902
Humane Society of the United States:
http://www.hsus.org/acf/news/pressrel/rewards/reward_offered_pigeon_shoots_pennsylvania_102907.html
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Reward Offered for Exposing Cruelty at Live Pigeon Shoots
(October 29, 2007) — The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of persons committing acts of cruelty to animals before, during and after live pigeon shoots.
The HSUS is seeking information about instances of cruelty during the shoots, as well as information pertaining to the illegal trafficking of pigeons across state lines to supply shoots, and illegal gambling occurring at events.
“It’s time to expose the seedy cruelty that occurs almost every weekend in Pennsylvania during live pigeon shoots,” stated Heidi Prescott , HSUS senior vice president of campaigns, “We encourage anyone with information related to supplying birds, gambling, or specific acts of cruelty occurring at shoots to come forward.”
Individuals with information may call the toll-free live pigeon shoot tip line at 1-800-637-4124.
Live Pigeon Shoots:
Live pigeon shoots are events where shooters fire at birds released one at a time from boxes in an attempt to shoot each animal down within a ring for prizes.
Live pigeon shoots occur almost every weekend during the fall and winter primarily in Pennsylvania.
Although an underground, illegal pigeon shoot circuit exists, Pennsylvania is the last state where live pigeon shoots knowingly, regularly occur.
During past live pigeon shoots, participants have beaten the pigeons against barrels, buried wounded animals with dead ones in containers, and abandoned wounded animals.
At least 1,000 birds are typically used for one shoot.
In past shoots, seventy percent of the birds are shot and wounded rather than killed outright, with some wounded animals escaping into the area to suffer for hours or days before dying.
Visit www.humanesociety.org/hunt for more information.
The HSUS Contacts:
Jordan Crump, Phone: 901-581-5666; jcrump@humanesociety.org
The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization – backed by 10 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs.
Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty
The Humane Society of the United States
2100 L Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20037
International animal protection organization In Defense of Animals (IDA) is offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for illegally netting, capturing, and killing pigeons in New York City.
"Reports of large numbers of pigeons being netted in New York City have grown over the last year," said IDA's East Coast Director, Valerie Sicignano.
"IDA is offering a $2,500 reward in the hope of turning up evidence that will identify the offender(s). We suspect that the majority of birds are being transported out of state for canned hunts in a neighboring state and that a smaller number may be for human consumption.
Emails mentioning a concern about bird flu are false - Pigeons do not transmit bird flu. If the Avian Flu does reach New York, New Yorkers will have to be concerned about catching it from other humans - not from the birds," added Sicignano.
Fill out the form entitled "Bird Netting Sightings Report" found at http://www.idausa.org/
2) Call New York City Humane Law Enforcement at (212) 876-7700, ext. 4450 and file a report using the information you gathered on the form.
3) Next, Call NYS-DEC District 2 at (718) 482-4885 and file a 2nd report using the information that you gathered on the form.
4) To register for the reward offered by IDA, mail a photocopy of your completed form to:
Valerie Sicignano
In Defense of Animals
3010 Kerner Blvd.
San Rafael, CA 94902
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Despite Bad Rap Pennsylvania Pigeon Shoots Go On
Critics still take aim at Pa. pigeon shoots
Enthusiasts press on despite bad rap.
By Amy Worden
Inquirer Staff Writer
Find this article at: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20071205_Critics_still_take_aim_at_Pa__pigeon_shoots.html
PIKEVILLE, Pa. - At the cry of "Pull!" a pigeon is catapulted from a small spring-loaded metal box in the middle of a field at the Pike Township Sportsmen's Club. A shooter poised 30 yards away with a shotgun fires, sending the gray and white bird plummeting to the ground.
Over and over for two hours scores of live pigeons are launched into the air as shooters vie to kill the most birds and take home the prize money.
Some birds are killed instantly. Others land wounded, flapping helplessly on injured wings. The lucky ones escape and cluster in nearby trees and rooftops.
This is the scene at the Pike Township Sportsmen's Club, 56 miles northwest of Philadelphia, where Sunday pigeon shoots are a longtime tradition. Fewer than a half-dozen gun clubs - most of them in Berks County - still stage shoots in the state. Pennsylvania is one of two states where the events are legal, but the only one where the shoots are still being held.
Under fire from lawsuits, bad publicity and hostile legislation, the clubs operate in near secrecy. They do not advertise their shoots, nor are they open to the public. Efforts by a reporter to talk to participants at one recent pigeon shoot were rebuffed.
The Humane Society of the United States has been trying to end pigeon shoots in Pennsylvania since the mid-1980s. It has filed lawsuits on animal-cruelty allegations and pushed bills to ban the shoots in every legislative session without success.
The group argues the unregulated shoots are cruel because so many birds are slaughtered at close range and the injured suffer needlessly. The injured that fall inside the rings have their heads snapped off by ring crew members and those that fly away injured, critics say, languish in pain for hours or days before dying.
But they also contend that the shoots, like dog fights, are rife with other kinds of illegal activity occurring across multiple states in the region: trapping birds in New York City, transporting animals across state lines, tax fraud and gambling.
"Animal cruelty alone should be enough to shut down this practice, but there are many other compelling reasons as well," said Heidi Prescott, vice president for the Humane Society. "Our intelligence about the sordid and secretive pigeon-shoot circuit highlights the similarity to dogfighting and cockfighting in terms of the extent of gambling and illegal animal trafficking."
Officials at three gun clubs contacted by The Inquirer did not return calls seeking comment. An official reached at the Strausstown Gun Club, where pigeon shoots are held seven times a year, said he was not involved.
"I don't approve of them, but I don't condemn them," said Tom Leary, vice president of the club.
Don Bailey of Strausstown, who organizes shoots and provides pigeons at the Strausstown club and elsewhere, said he viewed the events as an effective way to get rid of vermin. "We kill pigeons," said Bailey. "What do you think they do when they poison birds in Philadelphia?"
Monitoring the Action
From her perch a few hundred yards away from the shooting rings, humane officer Johnna Seeton has a clear view of the action.
The retired teacher stands on a public road, dutifully recording on paper and with a video camera the license plates of participants, the numbers of birds used, and how the injured birds are treated before they are destroyed.
This has been Seeton's weekend routine for 20 years.
"I guess I'm obsessed," she said. "But I figure if I have the documentation, no one can say it's hearsay."
After each round, a flock of teenagers, called "trappers," is dispatched with sacks to pick up the injured and dead birds. They disappear into a small lean-to. Typically, the injured birds are disposed of by breaking their necks or ripping their heads off.
Seeton goes out to comb the countryside to try to rescue the wounded the next day. She has brought scores of badly injured birds to vets, where most are euthanized.
"I feel like I'm cleaning up their mess," Seeton said of the shoot organizers.
Bailey claims he picks up birds from the perimeter of the rings and disposes of them. Birds that go farther afield are "taken care of by hawks," he said.
Pigeon shoots have been held in Pennsylvania since before the Civil War. It was a notorious Schuylkill County shoot that put pigeon shooting on the national radar in the 1980s. The annual fund-raiser in the town of Hegins drew as many as 10,000 people to its Roman circus-like atmosphere.
Animal-welfare advocates set up triage tents for the wounded birds. In 1993, mounted state troopers wielding tear gas arrested 114 protesters.
In 1999, amid a court battle with an animal-rights group, the shoot was canceled by its organizers.
"Most people now think the shoots are over," Seeton said.
But they continue to be held almost every weekend from September through February in other Pennsylvania clubs. At least 22 shoots were held in the last year, according to a schedule assembled by the Humane Society.
It's unclear exactly where the pigeons come from.
The pigeon broker and shoot organizer Bailey told a New York Times reporter in 2004 that he paid farm boys to collect pigeons from barns, but that he had heard of people taking birds from the streets of Philadelphia and New York.
The Humane Society alleges a large number continue to be brought in from New York City, where residents have reported witnessing people throwing nets over pigeons and whisking them away in vehicles.
With the clubs on the defensive, access to their shoots has become limited.
At the Pike Township club, where roughly 20 shooters showed up on a recent Sunday morning, a cluster of participants turned their backs on a reporter trying to ask questions.
Participants pay high fees - at Strausstown they start at $270, plus $7 for practice pigeons - for purses as small as $20. At the big events, winners can take home as much as $4,000. But the Humane Society's Prescott believes those purses represent a fraction of the real stakes - tens of thousands of dollars wagered under the table - at some events.
Leary, of the Strausstown club, said that the shoots' attraction was "gambling pure and simple."
Enthusiasts press on despite bad rap.
By Amy Worden
Inquirer Staff Writer
Find this article at: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20071205_Critics_still_take_aim_at_Pa__pigeon_shoots.html
PIKEVILLE, Pa. - At the cry of "Pull!" a pigeon is catapulted from a small spring-loaded metal box in the middle of a field at the Pike Township Sportsmen's Club. A shooter poised 30 yards away with a shotgun fires, sending the gray and white bird plummeting to the ground.
Over and over for two hours scores of live pigeons are launched into the air as shooters vie to kill the most birds and take home the prize money.
Some birds are killed instantly. Others land wounded, flapping helplessly on injured wings. The lucky ones escape and cluster in nearby trees and rooftops.
This is the scene at the Pike Township Sportsmen's Club, 56 miles northwest of Philadelphia, where Sunday pigeon shoots are a longtime tradition. Fewer than a half-dozen gun clubs - most of them in Berks County - still stage shoots in the state. Pennsylvania is one of two states where the events are legal, but the only one where the shoots are still being held.
Under fire from lawsuits, bad publicity and hostile legislation, the clubs operate in near secrecy. They do not advertise their shoots, nor are they open to the public. Efforts by a reporter to talk to participants at one recent pigeon shoot were rebuffed.
The Humane Society of the United States has been trying to end pigeon shoots in Pennsylvania since the mid-1980s. It has filed lawsuits on animal-cruelty allegations and pushed bills to ban the shoots in every legislative session without success.
The group argues the unregulated shoots are cruel because so many birds are slaughtered at close range and the injured suffer needlessly. The injured that fall inside the rings have their heads snapped off by ring crew members and those that fly away injured, critics say, languish in pain for hours or days before dying.
But they also contend that the shoots, like dog fights, are rife with other kinds of illegal activity occurring across multiple states in the region: trapping birds in New York City, transporting animals across state lines, tax fraud and gambling.
"Animal cruelty alone should be enough to shut down this practice, but there are many other compelling reasons as well," said Heidi Prescott, vice president for the Humane Society. "Our intelligence about the sordid and secretive pigeon-shoot circuit highlights the similarity to dogfighting and cockfighting in terms of the extent of gambling and illegal animal trafficking."
Officials at three gun clubs contacted by The Inquirer did not return calls seeking comment. An official reached at the Strausstown Gun Club, where pigeon shoots are held seven times a year, said he was not involved.
"I don't approve of them, but I don't condemn them," said Tom Leary, vice president of the club.
Don Bailey of Strausstown, who organizes shoots and provides pigeons at the Strausstown club and elsewhere, said he viewed the events as an effective way to get rid of vermin. "We kill pigeons," said Bailey. "What do you think they do when they poison birds in Philadelphia?"
Monitoring the Action
From her perch a few hundred yards away from the shooting rings, humane officer Johnna Seeton has a clear view of the action.
The retired teacher stands on a public road, dutifully recording on paper and with a video camera the license plates of participants, the numbers of birds used, and how the injured birds are treated before they are destroyed.
This has been Seeton's weekend routine for 20 years.
"I guess I'm obsessed," she said. "But I figure if I have the documentation, no one can say it's hearsay."
After each round, a flock of teenagers, called "trappers," is dispatched with sacks to pick up the injured and dead birds. They disappear into a small lean-to. Typically, the injured birds are disposed of by breaking their necks or ripping their heads off.
Seeton goes out to comb the countryside to try to rescue the wounded the next day. She has brought scores of badly injured birds to vets, where most are euthanized.
"I feel like I'm cleaning up their mess," Seeton said of the shoot organizers.
Bailey claims he picks up birds from the perimeter of the rings and disposes of them. Birds that go farther afield are "taken care of by hawks," he said.
Pigeon shoots have been held in Pennsylvania since before the Civil War. It was a notorious Schuylkill County shoot that put pigeon shooting on the national radar in the 1980s. The annual fund-raiser in the town of Hegins drew as many as 10,000 people to its Roman circus-like atmosphere.
Animal-welfare advocates set up triage tents for the wounded birds. In 1993, mounted state troopers wielding tear gas arrested 114 protesters.
In 1999, amid a court battle with an animal-rights group, the shoot was canceled by its organizers.
"Most people now think the shoots are over," Seeton said.
But they continue to be held almost every weekend from September through February in other Pennsylvania clubs. At least 22 shoots were held in the last year, according to a schedule assembled by the Humane Society.
It's unclear exactly where the pigeons come from.
The pigeon broker and shoot organizer Bailey told a New York Times reporter in 2004 that he paid farm boys to collect pigeons from barns, but that he had heard of people taking birds from the streets of Philadelphia and New York.
The Humane Society alleges a large number continue to be brought in from New York City, where residents have reported witnessing people throwing nets over pigeons and whisking them away in vehicles.
With the clubs on the defensive, access to their shoots has become limited.
At the Pike Township club, where roughly 20 shooters showed up on a recent Sunday morning, a cluster of participants turned their backs on a reporter trying to ask questions.
Participants pay high fees - at Strausstown they start at $270, plus $7 for practice pigeons - for purses as small as $20. At the big events, winners can take home as much as $4,000. But the Humane Society's Prescott believes those purses represent a fraction of the real stakes - tens of thousands of dollars wagered under the table - at some events.
Leary, of the Strausstown club, said that the shoots' attraction was "gambling pure and simple."
Is It Hunting?
Many hunters say pigeon shoots are cruel and not a legitimate form of hunting. Game Commission officials say that leaving behind a wounded animal violates the state game law.
The commission has not taken a position on the shoots or gotten involved because pigeons are not classified as wildlife, said spokesman Jerry Feaser.
But he said the pigeon shoots are "not what we would classify as fair-chase hunting."
David Kozloff, a Wyomissing lawyer who is representing the Pike Township club in a suit filed by Seeton, said he didn't see the difference between pigeon shoots and hunting in the field.
"Isn't the end result the same?" he said.
Sen. Patrick Browne (R., Lehigh), the sponsor of the latest version of the pigeon shoot bill, is still confident he has the support to pass the bill. (A companion bill has been introduced in the House.)
Many hunters say pigeon shoots are cruel and not a legitimate form of hunting. Game Commission officials say that leaving behind a wounded animal violates the state game law.
The commission has not taken a position on the shoots or gotten involved because pigeons are not classified as wildlife, said spokesman Jerry Feaser.
But he said the pigeon shoots are "not what we would classify as fair-chase hunting."
David Kozloff, a Wyomissing lawyer who is representing the Pike Township club in a suit filed by Seeton, said he didn't see the difference between pigeon shoots and hunting in the field.
"Isn't the end result the same?" he said.
Sen. Patrick Browne (R., Lehigh), the sponsor of the latest version of the pigeon shoot bill, is still confident he has the support to pass the bill. (A companion bill has been introduced in the House.)
"I think in terms of the issue of a balance between the hunters and the cruelty to animals, this is something that breaches that," Browne said. "Traditional sportsmen find it offensive, and a large majority of Pennsylvanians agree."
Contact staff writer Amy Worden at 717-783-2584 or aworden@phillynews.com
Reference: Humane Society of Berks County
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Unlawful Pigeon Nettings Continue as New York City Does Nothing
For the past several months the New York Bird Club has been concerned with the matter of pigeon nettings in the New York City area.
Hungry pigeons are baited with food, netted and dumped into a van and then allegedly sold to out of state pigeon shoots and restaurants as fare for the menu.
The Humane Society of the US in Washington, DC has been working on the Hegins pigeon shoots in Pennsylvania for years. Pennsylvania is the last state to allow the cruel practice of pigeon shoots to continue.
Although the public has expressed sympathy, outrage and concern for pigeons and there have been eye witnesses, to date the New York Bird Club has not received any tangible information to turn over to the District Attorney's office who have expressed an interest in the situation. Several persons have attempted to file complaints with the New York Police Department, but they refused to cooperate and Incident Reports were not taken.
The New York Bird Club contacted the Civilian Complaint Revue Board to file a complaint against the New York City Police Department, but they would not accept it. Once we can establish precisely what the law is concerning removing pigeons from their habitat, we will be standing on firmer ground.
Laws concerning pigeons are ambiguous and difficult to find since pigeons are not considered native wildlife, and laws that protect wildlife do not apply to pigeons since they are not indigenous to the United States. Government agencies we should be concerned with are New York City Department of Agriculture and Market, the Department of Environment Conservation and the New York City Department of Health.
The following statutes may apply.
21 NYCRR § 9003.12 (2007)§ 9003.12 Park animals.No person shall within any park molest, chase, wound, trap, hunt, shoot, throw missiles at, kill, remove or have in his possession any undomesticated animal, or any significant portion of the remains of any domesticated or undomesticated animal, or any nest, or the young of any undomesticated animal or the egg(s) of any undomesticated animal; or knowingly buy, receive, have in his possession, sell or give away any such undomesticated animal or egg taken from or killed within any park.
21 NYCRR § 9003.12 (2007)§ 9003.12 Park animals.No person shall within any park molest, chase, wound, trap, hunt, shoot, throw missiles at, kill, remove or have in his possession any undomesticated animal, or any significant portion of the remains of any domesticated or undomesticated animal, or any nest, or the young of any undomesticated animal or the egg(s) of any undomesticated animal; or knowingly buy, receive, have in his possession, sell or give away any such undomesticated animal or egg taken from or killed within any park.
There are multiple statutes that protect pigeons.
New York Agricultural and Markets Law ("Ag & Mkts Law") section 353-a protects pigeons from aggravated cruelty. Ag & Mkts Law section 353 provides that anyone who beats a pigeon (or other animal) or causes it to be deprived of necessary food or drink, among other acts, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
New York Agricultural and Markets Law ("Ag & Mkts Law") section 353-a protects pigeons from aggravated cruelty. Ag & Mkts Law section 353 provides that anyone who beats a pigeon (or other animal) or causes it to be deprived of necessary food or drink, among other acts, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
Ag & Mkts Law section 362 provides that throwing a substance at a pigeon (or other animal) to willfully injure it is punishable by imprisonment of up to a year, a fine of up to $1,000 or both.
NYS Environmental law § 11-0513. Pigeons.
1. No person shall at any time, by any means or in any manner capture, kill or attempt to capture or kill any Antwerp or homing pigeon, wearing a ring or seamless leg band with its registered number stamped thereon; nor shall any person remove such mark. No person except the lawful owner shall detain, possess, or transport Antwerp or homing pigeons wearing a ring or seamless leg band with the registered number thereon.
1. No person shall at any time, by any means or in any manner capture, kill or attempt to capture or kill any Antwerp or homing pigeon, wearing a ring or seamless leg band with its registered number stamped thereon; nor shall any person remove such mark. No person except the lawful owner shall detain, possess, or transport Antwerp or homing pigeons wearing a ring or seamless leg band with the registered number thereon.
2. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the local legislative body of any city, town or village, or in the city of New York the Department of Health may take or issue a permit to any person to take pigeons at any time and in any humane manner in such municipality, whenever such body or administration finds that pigeons within such municipality are or may become a menace to public health or a public nuisance; provided, however, that no pigeon may be taken in a manner which will endanger other animal life, persons or property.
New York State Department of Environmental and Conservation Law states that all birds are entitled to protection afforded by §11-1101(1), and that this protection is also afforded to pigeons. This was conceded by the Division of Legal Affairs at NYS-DEC Albany, in a Petition For Declaratory Ruling settlement in June 2005.
Only a coward would shoot down a defenseless bird weighing but a few ounces with no means of escape for their amusement and egos. If you would like to put an end to the cruel matter of netting pigeons, please contact the New York Bird Club.
Summary:
Pigeon nettings in the New York City area are becoming more aggressive and frequent. Netters working in a pair start before sunrise netting in Manhattan, the five boroughs and beyond. They have been seen in brand new SUVs, and since it is a cash-only business with no taxes paid, this appears to be a lucrative business.
Pigeons are sold to out of state shooting galleries and restaurants.
Although it is against the law to remove pigeons from their habitat, no one has stopped the netters from doing so.
Although it is against the law to remove pigeons from their habitat, no one has stopped the netters from doing so.
The public may be eating pigeon meat as it unknowingly may be substituted for quail, chicken or other meat products.
Only the New York City Board of Health has the authority to remove pigeons, or a permit or license is required from them.
If you care about pigeons and justice, please contact the Mayor of New York City and demand that the appropriate action be taken.
From In Defense of Animals
New York, N.Y.
July 24, 2007
July 24, 2007
International animal protection organization In Defense of Animals (IDA) is offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for illegally netting, capturing, and killing pigeons in New York City."Reports of large numbers of pigeons being netted in New York City have grown over the last year," said IDA's East Coast Director, Valerie Sicignano. "IDA is offering a $2,500 reward in the hope of turning up evidence that will identify the offender(s). We suspect that the majority of birds are being transported out of state for canned hunts in a neighboring state and that a smaller number may be for human consumption.
Emails mentioning a concern about bird flu are false - Pigeons do not transmit bird flu. If the Avian Flu does reach New York, New Yorkers will have to be concerned about catching it from other humans - not from the birds," added Sicignano.
To Report a Bird Netting in New York City: (edited by NY Bird Club on 03/09/2008)
1) Contact the New York Bird Club: luciedove@yahoo.com
2) Call New York City Humane Law Enforcement at (212) 876-7700, ext. 4450 and file a report using the information you gathered on the form.
3) Next, Call NYS-DEC District 2 at (718) 482-4885 and file a 2nd report using the information that you gathered on the form.
4) To register for the Reward offered by IDA, mail a photocopy of your completed form to:
Valerie Sicignano
In Defense of Animals
3010 Kerner Blvd.San Rafael, CA 94902
3010 Kerner Blvd.San Rafael, CA 94902
New Yorkers Love Pigeons!
The response from people who are concerned about pigeon poaching in NYC has been overwhelming! New Yorkers love these birds and we're not surprised given that the city even has a "Pigeon Registry" where people can name a pigeon after someone just like the Star Registries where you can name a star after someone.
To Name a Pigeon After Someone You Love:
Visit the Pigeon Registry started by Kerry Lea, IDA volunteer and Director of the world famous Veg Kids, at http://www.thepigeonregistry.com/
Recommended Reading:
PIGEONS: The Fascinating Saga of the World's Most Revered and Reviled Bird by Andrew Blechman.
Discussions:
Press Release:
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/07/prweb539172.htm
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/07/prweb539172.htm
Correspondence Sent to Group (9/22/07):
Just a note to stay in touch concerning the pigeon nettings.A few weeks ago, I was contacted by someone through our blog who witnessed a pigeon netting. She managed to get a picture of the criminal - only his back was photographed, but a picture of the van and license plate number was taken, and I sent this to Bill Dunn of the ASPCA and the D.A. office, but have not heard further.
Some disturbing news was sent to us, but cannot share until I get specifics; however, please be aware of PICAS - Pigeon Control, that I have reason to believe is being implemented in our city by government agencies. Pigeons do not have an easy life, as you can see by their scrawny appearance and apparent hunger. Some people believe it is better to eradicate them than to let them live a life of misery. I have seen pigeons in the park sunning and enjoying life, and the NY Bird Club is against intentionally killing healthy birds. However, this is an area open for debate and we should keep an open mind to this sensitive issue.
Thank you for caring about pigeons....we are a small group but are growing as more people learn about what beautiful and sweet birds they are.
9/27/07:
I have had this in my mailbox for close to a month now, and have put off sharing for reasons that I think are obvious; however, I see the investigation of apprehending the poachers/hunters/netters is stymied, and this may be some explanation as to why nothing is being done and the netters have free reign to do as they please.
Please know that the source of the email is reliable. Personally in my opinion, apprehending the netters is not a top priority with any agency or organization and perhaps it may be welcomed, cruel as it seems. Again, this is only my opinion; the email is real.
"This week Tuesday I was buying a used book at a stand in front of a Beauty Salon on 812 West 181 Street, that is in Manhattan (upper) by Fort Washington ave. The person that was selling the books told one of the men standing outside of the Beauty Parlor 'Give that pigeon some food' as he was eating a sandwich, so he threw the pigeon a piece of bread. I remarked that he was very kind. He then proceeded to tell me that the one pigeon that was there was the only survivor. He told me that a truck pulled up last week and threw out a net and took all the pigeons away directly across the street. I asked him if he remembered the license or if he could describe the car. He told me it was an ASPCA truck. I was shocked!
Can it be that we are complaining to an organization that is looking to cut down on the amount of pigeons in the city and periodically goes around and collects pigeons. THEY DON'T TAKE THEM TO THE COUNTRY FOR A BETTER LIFE. I was nieve when I witnessed my first bird netting. I believe the man's name is Victor and he sells used paperbacks at that location. He likes pigeons and shares when he is eating. What can you do?I am not an eyewitness to the crime, but I know the writer to be reliable."
What Can Be Done:
Most of the pigeons being netted are crossing state lines into Pennsylvania, the last state where it is still LEGAL to shoot pigeons in shoots. Pennsylvania is the state of hunters and pigeon shoots, a state where "real men" go for "entertainment".Pennsylvania - state of the wimps and cowards.Please contact all of the government officials on this link whichever way you choose and ask them anyway you choose, to please MAKE PIGEON SHOOTS ILLEGAL! Any way you can get the word out to ask people not to visit this state and not to do business there would help all animals that are hunted down in cold blood. Government is cruel, unprincipled and immoral.
Most of the pigeons being netted are crossing state lines into Pennsylvania, the last state where it is still LEGAL to shoot pigeons in shoots. Pennsylvania is the state of hunters and pigeon shoots, a state where "real men" go for "entertainment".Pennsylvania - state of the wimps and cowards.Please contact all of the government officials on this link whichever way you choose and ask them anyway you choose, to please MAKE PIGEON SHOOTS ILLEGAL! Any way you can get the word out to ask people not to visit this state and not to do business there would help all animals that are hunted down in cold blood. Government is cruel, unprincipled and immoral.
Without pigeon shoots in PA, the nettings will dramatically decrease in frequency or even be given up.http://www.governor.state.pa.us/governor/cwp/view.asp?a=1117&q=437853&governorNav=
What's At Stake?
Pennsylvania: Stop Pigeon Shoots
Pennsylvania: Stop Pigeon Shoots
Pennsylvania is one of the last states to practice these outdated events in which shooters kill thousands of pigeons for prizes or cash. Tame pigeons are stockpiled for months prior to a pigeon shoot. Obtained on the sly, the birds are typically kept in packed cages and arrive at the shoot malnourished and dehydrated. At the shoot, the birds are usually released one at a time from traps. As the disoriented birds leave the box, waiting shooters fire rounds of shells at the animals. More than 70 percent of the pigeons are not killed outright, but fall to the ground wounded. In past shoots, children called "trapper boys" then took to the fields to rip the heads off of wounded pigeons, and slam others against the ground.Thousands of dollars exchange hands during these events, with prizes being awarded for the most birds killed. The Pennsylvania pigeon shoot circuit attracts out-of-state extremists looking to target animals for kicks. Since almost every other state prohibits pigeon shoots, these shooters come to Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania has a long, controversial history of battling pigeon shoots. In 1999, the infamous Hegins Pigeon shoot in Schuylkill County ended after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court unanimously ruled that humane officers could prosecute shoot participants for animal cruelty. The opinion issued by the court characterized pigeon shoots as "cruel and moronic." Now, only a handful of floundering shoots serve as reminders that the fight to end the wanton and wasteful events is not yet over.
Please urge your Pennsylvania representative to stop pigeon shoots in your state.
https://community.hsus.org/campaign/PA_2007_pigeons3
http://www.hsus.org/hunt/news/making_pigeon_shoots_history_092007.html
https://community.hsus.org/campaign/PA_2007_pigeons3
http://www.hsus.org/hunt/news/making_pigeon_shoots_history_092007.html
New York State law:
New York Agricultural and Markets Law ("Ag & Mkts Law")Section 353-a protects pigeons from aggravated cruelty.Provides that anyone who beats a pigeon (or any other animal) or causes it to be deprived of necessary food or drink, among other acts, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
Section 362 provides that throwing a substance at a pigeon to willfully injure it is punishable by imprisonment of up to a year, a fine of up to $1,000 or both.
New York Times Article
New York Times Article
Wing and a PrayerA
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/28/nyregion/thecity/28pige.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
By WYNNE PARRY
Published: October 28, 2007
WHEN Eduardo Urbina’s pet pigeon disappeared from his apartment in Spanish Harlem three summers ago, he suspected something nefarious.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/28/nyregion/thecity/28pige.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
By WYNNE PARRY
Published: October 28, 2007
WHEN Eduardo Urbina’s pet pigeon disappeared from his apartment in Spanish Harlem three summers ago, he suspected something nefarious.
Mr. Urbina, a street vendor who sells hats and watches along Third Avenue in the East 80s, recalled having seen a burly man with dreadlocks scooping live pigeons off Third Avenue with a fishing net, then depositing them into the back of his van.
Mr. Urbina, who knows that pigeons are not in the habit of wandering off on their own, says he believed that the man with the dreadlocks had taken his bird.In a town where pigeons have long been relegated to the status of pest, Mr. Urbina is part of a loose cadre of New Yorkers who see the birds as gentle, misunderstood creatures worthy of protection from human cruelty and indifference.
The problem of pigeon netting has continued unabated, and over the summer, organizations like the Wild Bird Fund, a local group, and In Defense of Animals, based in California, offered thousands of dollars in rewards for information leading to the arrest of netters, as the bird-nappers are known. A few months ago, an official of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals met with local pigeon protectors to discuss effective ways to address their complaints.
But Mr. Urbina worked alone.
He had been given this pigeon by a building superintendent when the bird was still tufted in yellow baby fuzz. He raised it to adulthood inside his apartment, feeding it seed through a straw and, later, from a dish, then released the pigeon outdoors — a routine he has followed with other rescued birds. Even so, the pigeon returned every morning through his apartment window for breakfast. One day, it did not.
“I loved that animal,” said Mr. Urbina, a soft-spoken 60-year-old who immigrated to New York 28 years ago from Peru. “So beautiful. So smart.”He had heard rumors that netters lure the birds with food, then spirit them away to mysterious destinations.
Many bird lovers believe that the pigeons become living targets at private gun clubs in Pennsylvania. Others say they end up in voodoo ceremonies, in the hands of pigeon breeders, at live poultry markets where they are sold for human consumption or at restaurants, particularly in Chinatown.
And while catching wild birds like pigeons on the street is a violation of state environmental law, one New York police sergeant said that as a practical matter, enforcement is a low priority. After Mr. Urbina’s pigeon vanished, he set up his own sting operation at Third Avenue and 103rd Street, near his apartment.
A bakery on the corner discarded large bags of old bread that attract flocks of birds, and Mr. Urbina suspected that the birds would in turn attract the netter. Every morning for two months, he waited on the corner from 6 until after 7, his camera in hand. According to Mr. Urbina’s account of what happened next, early one morning in late August, he finally saw his target driving north in a white truck. Along the way, the man would stop to park the truck, climb out and go after his prey with a long-handled net. Mr. Urbina pursued him, snapping photos as he went.
AFTER the netter sped off, Mr. Urbina hailed a taxi and sped north for six blocks, where he saw the netter scooping up more birds. Mr. Urbina leaped from the taxi and took photos of the truck, on the bed of which rested a portable pigeon coop. Turning away from the birds, the netter approached Mr. Urbina from behind, snatched his camera and drove off.
At this point, a police officer named Jon Stueckenschneider entered the case.“I always refer to this case as my great pigeon caper,” said Sergeant Stueckenschneider, who at the time was an officer with a detective unit at the 23rd Precinct station house on East 102nd Street. He had been assigned to the case to investigate not the netting but the theft of Mr. Urbina’s camera.The officer’s search for the thief ended the following February, when he got a call from police officers in the Bronx who had found the man in question.
Subsequently, according to court records, a man named Dwayne Daley, now 49, pleaded guilty to possession of stolen property and was sentenced to the day he had spent in police custody. According to Mr. Daley — who identified himself in a telephone voice message as “the birdman” — the case was dismissed.“
My take on Dwayne Daley is he just wants to do his thing,” Sergeant Stueckenschneider said. “He might have felt Eduardo was invading his space by taking pictures.”
In a telephone interview, Mr. Daley said he had been fascinated by pigeons ever since he was a child trapping them in shoeboxes in Brownsville and East New York, the Brooklyn neighborhoods where he grew up. He now lives in Bushkill, Pa., near the Delaware Water Gap, where he keeps hundreds of birds, but he occasionally visits New York. He uses the birds he nets to interbreed with his own birds, he said, or sell at auction, where some can fetch more than $100.“It’s not like I’m doing anything wrong with them,” Mr. Daley added. In his opinion, it is the birds’ defenders who do the real harm, by giving the creatures food that is meant for humans and that subsequently attracts rats.
Mr. Urbina never again set eyes on his 6-month-old pigeon, which he had named January, after the month he adopted it. But he did get back his camera, along with copies of the photographs he had taken. Exactly who had made the copies is unclear, but the final image showed Mr. Daley in the driver’s seat of his cab, wearing sunglasses and a half-smile.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Reward Offered for Exposing Cruelty at Live Pigeon Shoots
(October 29, 2007) —
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of persons committing acts of cruelty to animals before, during and after live pigeon shoots.The HSUS is seeking information about instances of cruelty during the shoots, as well as information pertaining to the illegal trafficking of pigeons across state lines to supply shoots, and illegal gambling occurring at events.“It’s time to expose the seedy cruelty that occurs almost every weekend in Pennsylvania during live pigeon shoots,” stated Heidi Prescott , HSUS senior vice president of campaigns, “We encourage anyone with information related to supplying birds, gambling, or specific acts of cruelty occurring at shoots to come forward.”
Individuals with information may call the toll-free live pigeon shoot tip line at 1-800-637-4124.
Live Pigeon Shoots:Live pigeon shoots are events where shooters fire at birds released one at a time from boxes in an attempt to shoot each animal down within a ring for prizes.Live pigeon shoots occur almost every weekend during the fall and winter primarily in Pennsylvania . Although an underground, illegal pigeon shoot circuit exists, Pennsylvania is the last state where live pigeon shoots knowingly, regularly occur. During past live pigeon shoots, participants have beaten the pigeons against barrels, buried wounded animals with dead ones in containers, and abandoned wounded animals.At least 1,000 birds are typically used for one shoot.In past shoots, seventy percent of the birds are shot and wounded rather than killed outright, with some wounded animals escaping into the area to suffer for hours or days before dying.
Live Pigeon Shoots:Live pigeon shoots are events where shooters fire at birds released one at a time from boxes in an attempt to shoot each animal down within a ring for prizes.Live pigeon shoots occur almost every weekend during the fall and winter primarily in Pennsylvania . Although an underground, illegal pigeon shoot circuit exists, Pennsylvania is the last state where live pigeon shoots knowingly, regularly occur. During past live pigeon shoots, participants have beaten the pigeons against barrels, buried wounded animals with dead ones in containers, and abandoned wounded animals.At least 1,000 birds are typically used for one shoot.In past shoots, seventy percent of the birds are shot and wounded rather than killed outright, with some wounded animals escaping into the area to suffer for hours or days before dying.
Visit www.humanesociety.org/ hunt for more information.
The HSUS Contacts:
Jordan Crump, phone: 901-581-5666
The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization – backed by 10 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs.
Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty --
On the web at http://www.humanesociety.org/.
The Humane Society of the United States
2100 L Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20037
Councilman Wants Birth Control for Pigeons 11/02/2007
Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty --
On the web at http://www.humanesociety.org/.
The Humane Society of the United States
2100 L Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20037
Councilman Wants Birth Control for Pigeons 11/02/2007
Related:
Pigeon Nettings
Pigeon Nettings
(reference: Tales & Tails of New York):
It is beyond comprehension how anyone could complain about the number of pigeons now in New York City.
In the above (emphasis supplied) essay, it states that thousands of pigeons are being netted weekly in NYC and sent to Pennsylvania gun clubs where they are used as "targets."With this kind of continued and unabetted cruelty and assault on our urban population of birds, it won't take long for pigeons to go the way of the Do Do bird. Already, the pigeon population in Manhattan has been severely decimated. In another 5 years or so, there won't be any.
Pigeon Nettings
Pigeon Nettings
(reference: Tales & Tails of New York):
It is beyond comprehension how anyone could complain about the number of pigeons now in New York City.
In the above (emphasis supplied) essay, it states that thousands of pigeons are being netted weekly in NYC and sent to Pennsylvania gun clubs where they are used as "targets."With this kind of continued and unabetted cruelty and assault on our urban population of birds, it won't take long for pigeons to go the way of the Do Do bird. Already, the pigeon population in Manhattan has been severely decimated. In another 5 years or so, there won't be any.
About 8 or 9 months ago, I yelled at two men netting pigeons on the corner of Lexington Avenue in the East 80's. Although there were many people around, NO ONE assisted me in trying to stop these men. I got the licence number of the car they threw the pigeons into and reported it to the ASPCA. The ASPCA never even returned my call.Small wonder the men conducting this henious deed every day have NO FEAR to do it out in the open and even in front of crowds of people. They certainly have no fear of the ASPCA.
The ASPCA is no friend to the animals in allowing -- and tacitly supporting this kind of blatent cruelty to animals. Anyone supporting the ASPCA should no longer do so and let them know WHY. -- PCA
The ASPCA is no friend to the animals in allowing -- and tacitly supporting this kind of blatent cruelty to animals. Anyone supporting the ASPCA should no longer do so and let them know WHY. -- PCA
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Gun Lovers & City Leaders Driving NYC Pigeons to Extinction
Andrew Blechman op-ed on pigeon feeding ban in New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/25/opinion/nyregionopinions/25CIblechman.html
November 25, 2007
Op-Ed Contributor
By ANDREW D. BLECHMAN
WHILE a proposal by Councilman Simcha Felder, a Democrat from Brooklyn,to ban the feeding of pigeons in New York City - and fine the violators- may speak to those who detest the humble rock dove, the proposition itself is sadly misguided.
Not only is the measure difficult to enforce - who wants to ticket toddlers and grandparents? - it skirts the real issue. While overfeeding does lead to overbreeding, the city's alleged overpopulation of pigeons has little to do with casual park bench encounters.
It has a lot more to do with the amount of litter we leave behind. It's important to remember that pigeons basically subsist on the food we drop. Pizza crusts, doughnuts, bagels, hot pretzels - sadly, these arethe cornerstones of many a modern pigeon's diet, instead of the seedsand grains they should be eating. The city can install trashcans that leak less garbage, as Mr. Felder suggests, but New Yorkers need to actually use them.
The other problem has to do with compulsive overfeeders. Every city has them. New York probably has a couple of dozen - or two - of them. These are the people who disperse 50 to 100 pounds of feed every day. They are generally eccentric loners who view flocks of pigeons as their friends-and their responsibility.
These people will continue to feed pigeons no matter what. If need be,they'll do it under the cover of darkness. The only way to handlehabitual overfeeders is to identify them, befriend them and urge them to stop. The city can also establish designated areas for feeding. For example, urban dovecotes, where weekly egg culling retards population growth, are a perfect place to encourage bird feeders.
If New York is truly concerned about harnessing its pigeon population,then a comprehensive and coordinated strategy is needed, and there are a number of national animal-rights groups that can help. Such an effort would include controlled breeding in urban dovecotes, increased deterrent measures like netting and possibly feedlaced with birth control drugs. Most important, the public must be thoroughly educated about the hazards of overfeeding, which harms everyone, pigeons included. (Overbreeding stresses the pigeon population and can lead to starvation.)
To be sure, Councilman Felder suggested some of these measures in his report to the City Council, but the question remains: Are pigeons reallythe problem? Like all living creatures, pigeons defecate. If that's a crime, then perhaps we should target squirrels for filching the city's acorns. Or instead, maybe we should celebrate the wildlife that is thankfully still in our midst.
Pigeons, squirrels, sparrows and the like animate our often-drab urbanvista and give us something natural to marvel at. Indeed, Cornell University runs Project PigeonWatch, which encourages the city's school children to study pigeons as an introduction to the wonders of urban wildlife.
Moreover, pigeons pose little to no threat to human health. Their modern-day reputation as filthy disease carriers is unwarranted. Nor are they stupid. In addition to their heroic history and unparalleled athleticism, pigeons are among the most intelligent creatures in the animal kingdom. They mate for life and are wonderful parents as well.
And if you happen to appreciate pigeons, you are in good company. The Queen of England, Paul Newman and Mike Tyson are all pigeon fanciers.
Unfortunately, an irrational hatred of pigeons has led to their daily abuse. In addition to the use of poisons and caustic gels by landlordsto drive away birds, thousands of pigeons are poached weekly from citystreets and taken to Pennsylvania gun clubs where they are used as target fodder in lieu of clay pigeons. This brutal practice has been brought to the city's attention, but to no avail. After all, they're just pigeons....
It's true that wildlife can be inconvenient; nobody enjoys a windowledge or car hood splattered with excrement. But that doesn't mean we should persecute the animals in our midst, let alone those New Yorkers who appreciate and care for them. Councilman Felder's policy is flawed precisely because it fails to see this reality.
Andrew D. Blechman is the author of "Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga ofthe World's Most Revered and Reviled Bird."
Interested in taking action online to help animals? Then join our online community! Go to: https://community.hsus.org/humane/join
Personal Comment (Tales & Tails of New York):
It is beyond comprehension how anyone could complain about the number of pigeons now in New York City.
In the above (emphasis supplied) essay, it states that thousands of pigeons are being netted weekly in NYC and sent to Pennsylvania gun clubs where they are used as "targets."
With this kind of continued and unabetted cruelty and assault on our urban population of birds, it won't take long for pigeons to go the way of the Do Do bird.
Already, the pigeon population in Manhattan has been severely decimated.
In another 5 years or so, there won't be any.
About 8 or 9 months ago, I yelled at two men netting pigeons on the corner of Lexington Avenue in the East 80's. Although there were many people around, NO ONE assisted me in trying to stop these men. I got the licence number of the car they threw the pigeons into and reported it to the ASPCA. The ASPCA never even returned my call.
Small wonder the men conducting this henious deed every day have NO FEAR to do it out in the open and even in front of crowds of people. They certainly have no fear of the ASPCA.
The ASPCA is no friend to the animals in allowing -- and tacitly supporting this kind of blatent cruelty to animals.
Anyone supporting the ASPCA should no longer do so and let them know WHY. -- PCA
Related:
Councilman Wants Birth Control for Pigeons
A councilman has a unique solution to reducing the pigeon population at the Staten Island ferry terminals: Put them on birth control.
Councilman James Odd says OvoControl-P, a drug that renders pigeon eggs unhatchable, could help to thin out the pesky birds and thus the droppings they leave behind inside the terminals where they like to nest.
Oddo says the drug - which would be mixed into standard seed - has not yet been approved for pigeons by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. A similar product meant for geese was given the OK last month.
Information from: Staten Island Advance
November 25, 2007
Op-Ed Contributor
By ANDREW D. BLECHMAN
WHILE a proposal by Councilman Simcha Felder, a Democrat from Brooklyn,to ban the feeding of pigeons in New York City - and fine the violators- may speak to those who detest the humble rock dove, the proposition itself is sadly misguided.
Not only is the measure difficult to enforce - who wants to ticket toddlers and grandparents? - it skirts the real issue. While overfeeding does lead to overbreeding, the city's alleged overpopulation of pigeons has little to do with casual park bench encounters.
It has a lot more to do with the amount of litter we leave behind. It's important to remember that pigeons basically subsist on the food we drop. Pizza crusts, doughnuts, bagels, hot pretzels - sadly, these arethe cornerstones of many a modern pigeon's diet, instead of the seedsand grains they should be eating. The city can install trashcans that leak less garbage, as Mr. Felder suggests, but New Yorkers need to actually use them.
The other problem has to do with compulsive overfeeders. Every city has them. New York probably has a couple of dozen - or two - of them. These are the people who disperse 50 to 100 pounds of feed every day. They are generally eccentric loners who view flocks of pigeons as their friends-and their responsibility.
These people will continue to feed pigeons no matter what. If need be,they'll do it under the cover of darkness. The only way to handlehabitual overfeeders is to identify them, befriend them and urge them to stop. The city can also establish designated areas for feeding. For example, urban dovecotes, where weekly egg culling retards population growth, are a perfect place to encourage bird feeders.
If New York is truly concerned about harnessing its pigeon population,then a comprehensive and coordinated strategy is needed, and there are a number of national animal-rights groups that can help. Such an effort would include controlled breeding in urban dovecotes, increased deterrent measures like netting and possibly feedlaced with birth control drugs. Most important, the public must be thoroughly educated about the hazards of overfeeding, which harms everyone, pigeons included. (Overbreeding stresses the pigeon population and can lead to starvation.)
To be sure, Councilman Felder suggested some of these measures in his report to the City Council, but the question remains: Are pigeons reallythe problem? Like all living creatures, pigeons defecate. If that's a crime, then perhaps we should target squirrels for filching the city's acorns. Or instead, maybe we should celebrate the wildlife that is thankfully still in our midst.
Pigeons, squirrels, sparrows and the like animate our often-drab urbanvista and give us something natural to marvel at. Indeed, Cornell University runs Project PigeonWatch, which encourages the city's school children to study pigeons as an introduction to the wonders of urban wildlife.
Moreover, pigeons pose little to no threat to human health. Their modern-day reputation as filthy disease carriers is unwarranted. Nor are they stupid. In addition to their heroic history and unparalleled athleticism, pigeons are among the most intelligent creatures in the animal kingdom. They mate for life and are wonderful parents as well.
And if you happen to appreciate pigeons, you are in good company. The Queen of England, Paul Newman and Mike Tyson are all pigeon fanciers.
Unfortunately, an irrational hatred of pigeons has led to their daily abuse. In addition to the use of poisons and caustic gels by landlordsto drive away birds, thousands of pigeons are poached weekly from citystreets and taken to Pennsylvania gun clubs where they are used as target fodder in lieu of clay pigeons. This brutal practice has been brought to the city's attention, but to no avail. After all, they're just pigeons....
It's true that wildlife can be inconvenient; nobody enjoys a windowledge or car hood splattered with excrement. But that doesn't mean we should persecute the animals in our midst, let alone those New Yorkers who appreciate and care for them. Councilman Felder's policy is flawed precisely because it fails to see this reality.
Andrew D. Blechman is the author of "Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga ofthe World's Most Revered and Reviled Bird."
Interested in taking action online to help animals? Then join our online community! Go to: https://community.hsus.org/humane/join
Personal Comment (Tales & Tails of New York):
It is beyond comprehension how anyone could complain about the number of pigeons now in New York City.
In the above (emphasis supplied) essay, it states that thousands of pigeons are being netted weekly in NYC and sent to Pennsylvania gun clubs where they are used as "targets."
With this kind of continued and unabetted cruelty and assault on our urban population of birds, it won't take long for pigeons to go the way of the Do Do bird.
Already, the pigeon population in Manhattan has been severely decimated.
In another 5 years or so, there won't be any.
About 8 or 9 months ago, I yelled at two men netting pigeons on the corner of Lexington Avenue in the East 80's. Although there were many people around, NO ONE assisted me in trying to stop these men. I got the licence number of the car they threw the pigeons into and reported it to the ASPCA. The ASPCA never even returned my call.
Small wonder the men conducting this henious deed every day have NO FEAR to do it out in the open and even in front of crowds of people. They certainly have no fear of the ASPCA.
The ASPCA is no friend to the animals in allowing -- and tacitly supporting this kind of blatent cruelty to animals.
Anyone supporting the ASPCA should no longer do so and let them know WHY. -- PCA
Related:
Councilman Wants Birth Control for Pigeons
A councilman has a unique solution to reducing the pigeon population at the Staten Island ferry terminals: Put them on birth control.
Councilman James Odd says OvoControl-P, a drug that renders pigeon eggs unhatchable, could help to thin out the pesky birds and thus the droppings they leave behind inside the terminals where they like to nest.
Oddo says the drug - which would be mixed into standard seed - has not yet been approved for pigeons by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. A similar product meant for geese was given the OK last month.
Information from: Staten Island Advance
Friday, November 23, 2007
Subject of a Picture Not Taken
From Tales and Tails of New York:
It was a peaceful, but questionable and in some ways, disquieting Thanksgiving.
The weather in NYC was unusually warm yesterday with temperatures in the 60's.
I headed out to Central Park with Tina and Baby around 11AM and was surprised by the seemingly thousands of people already taking advantage of the beautiful fall day in the park.
I had a goal to take some pictures of pigeons, as they have become a subject of discussion in recent days.
But, to my great surprise, there were few pigeons to actually be seen!
The dogs and I had already walked around the bridal path (which no longer contains horses) surrounding the Jackie Onassia Reservoir before we saw any pigeons at all!
The pigeons flew in a few small flocks near the Great Lawn. And though a few birds occasionally descented towards the grass to seek tidbits or take a sip of water, as soon as I tried to get a little close with my camera, they immediately took off.
I was not able to get any pictures of the few pigeons I saw.
I don't recall NYC pigeons ever appearing to be so fearful of people before!
What presumably should or would have been an easy task on any day or year of the past, yesterday, was impossible.
Have pigeons wised up to one City Councilman's (and the ASPCA's) plan to rid NYC of pigeons through proposed legislation?
Have those guys who have been "netting" pigeons around the city, (and who I reported to the ASPCA without results) succeeded in killing a good part of our natural, urban wildlife? Or, has NYC itself, already embarked on some kind of "extermination" of pigeons without telling its citizens?
I don't know.
Usually, I take the dogs to the park in the evenings when sightings of pigeons or squirrels would not be expected.
Occasionally, in the evenings, one sees a raccoon scurrying up a tree. It is easy and always lovely to see the ducks swimming peacefully in the waters of the Reservoir. This is actually my very favorite sight in all of NYC. -- the Central Park ducks.
But, yesterday, I couldn't help wondering about the pigeons?
I recalled how, in the early 70's my husband and I would take bags of bread and peanuts to Central Park and within minutes, have hundreds of pigeons flying close to us for treats and dozens of squirrels scurrying up for the nuts. The more courageous (or hungry) pigeons would even take bread from our hands!
It would have been so easy to get pigeon pictures, then.
Today, we would be arrested for doing the exact, same thing.
It all sadly reminds me of the old, Joni Mitchell hit, "Big, Yellow Taxi:"
"Don't it always go to show, that you don't know what you've got till its gone?"
Pigeons aren't gone from the park, but they are certainly in much lower numbers now than they used to be.
Most significantly though, pigeons are now, seemingly, very afraid of and avoiding of people -- unfortunately, for good reason.
Pigeons are thus, the subject of this entry, but a picture, never taken. -- PCA
It was a peaceful, but questionable and in some ways, disquieting Thanksgiving.
The weather in NYC was unusually warm yesterday with temperatures in the 60's.
I headed out to Central Park with Tina and Baby around 11AM and was surprised by the seemingly thousands of people already taking advantage of the beautiful fall day in the park.
I had a goal to take some pictures of pigeons, as they have become a subject of discussion in recent days.
But, to my great surprise, there were few pigeons to actually be seen!
The dogs and I had already walked around the bridal path (which no longer contains horses) surrounding the Jackie Onassia Reservoir before we saw any pigeons at all!
The pigeons flew in a few small flocks near the Great Lawn. And though a few birds occasionally descented towards the grass to seek tidbits or take a sip of water, as soon as I tried to get a little close with my camera, they immediately took off.
I was not able to get any pictures of the few pigeons I saw.
I don't recall NYC pigeons ever appearing to be so fearful of people before!
What presumably should or would have been an easy task on any day or year of the past, yesterday, was impossible.
Have pigeons wised up to one City Councilman's (and the ASPCA's) plan to rid NYC of pigeons through proposed legislation?
Have those guys who have been "netting" pigeons around the city, (and who I reported to the ASPCA without results) succeeded in killing a good part of our natural, urban wildlife? Or, has NYC itself, already embarked on some kind of "extermination" of pigeons without telling its citizens?
I don't know.
Usually, I take the dogs to the park in the evenings when sightings of pigeons or squirrels would not be expected.
Occasionally, in the evenings, one sees a raccoon scurrying up a tree. It is easy and always lovely to see the ducks swimming peacefully in the waters of the Reservoir. This is actually my very favorite sight in all of NYC. -- the Central Park ducks.
But, yesterday, I couldn't help wondering about the pigeons?
I recalled how, in the early 70's my husband and I would take bags of bread and peanuts to Central Park and within minutes, have hundreds of pigeons flying close to us for treats and dozens of squirrels scurrying up for the nuts. The more courageous (or hungry) pigeons would even take bread from our hands!
It would have been so easy to get pigeon pictures, then.
Today, we would be arrested for doing the exact, same thing.
It all sadly reminds me of the old, Joni Mitchell hit, "Big, Yellow Taxi:"
"Don't it always go to show, that you don't know what you've got till its gone?"
Pigeons aren't gone from the park, but they are certainly in much lower numbers now than they used to be.
Most significantly though, pigeons are now, seemingly, very afraid of and avoiding of people -- unfortunately, for good reason.
Pigeons are thus, the subject of this entry, but a picture, never taken. -- PCA
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
