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
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Friday, May 9, 2008
The Last Pigeon
A.M. Richard Fine Art is pleased to announce The Last Pigeon a group exhibition curated by Andrew Garn. Selected works by Vyahir Golub, Livan Pombo, Luis Piccione, Paloma Columbia, Piotr Peristeri, Dieter Tauben, and Dan Duif.
Since 1996, the common pigeon (columba livia) population has been steadily declining. According to the American Audubon Society, between 2002-2008, still-born pigeon death syndrome (SBPDS) has increased ten fold. While New York City councilman Simcha Felder has called for the criminalization of pigeon feeding, their population is decreasing. Targeted by various political agendas, the endangered species could well become but a memory in the collective city experience. The fate of the columba livia, may meet that of the ectopistes migratorius (passenger pigeon) which in the 1850s was the most ubiquitous bird living in the U.S. Commonly, passenger pigeons would darken the skies with dense flocks measuring a mile in width and up to three miles in length. Sadly, in 1913, the last passenger pigeon died in captivity.
The Last Pigeon, an exhibition concerned with the study of this specific bird, brings awareness to the issue of urban wildlife preservation.
Raised in Manhattan, Mr Garn was, from early times, well aware of the plight of the urban pigeon. Occasionally, he would prevent stumblebums from using sling-shots to wound or kill the feathery creatures. Pre-occupied with their rescue, Mr. Garn attempted to hatch abandoned eggs using a desk lamp as an incubator. Today a New York-based artist and photographer, Mr. Garn has invited a select group of artists to conceive a tribute to the much underappreciated columba livia.
Mr. Garn has created a captivating photographic portfolio of pigeon life - from birth to hoary age. To the uninitiated eye, the pigeon portraits reveal a beauty of subtle nature. Distinct personalities, peculiar character traits, odd signs of time and experience are unveiled. Rarely seen are photographs of baby pigeons. A short video montage features a Muybridge-like sequencing and morphing of pigeon types in motion. Standing on a wood platform before a slate grid, the birds slowly move and timidly bop to the sound of Thelonious Monk's Epistrophy. Actual pigeons, for the duration of the exhibition, can be seen living in a reconstructed Brooklyn rooftop diorama. A series of small sculptures conceived in the form of pigeons made of clear glass filled with feathers, are strewn in the main gallery space. One can only wish that these fanciful renderings not become the last flock of lost pigeons.
Press release
March 28th - May 11th, 2008
Gallery Hours: weekdays by appointment, weekends 1-6 pm
Gallery Contact: A.M. Richard (917) 570-1476
Since 1996, the common pigeon (columba livia) population has been steadily declining. According to the American Audubon Society, between 2002-2008, still-born pigeon death syndrome (SBPDS) has increased ten fold. While New York City councilman Simcha Felder has called for the criminalization of pigeon feeding, their population is decreasing. Targeted by various political agendas, the endangered species could well become but a memory in the collective city experience. The fate of the columba livia, may meet that of the ectopistes migratorius (passenger pigeon) which in the 1850s was the most ubiquitous bird living in the U.S. Commonly, passenger pigeons would darken the skies with dense flocks measuring a mile in width and up to three miles in length. Sadly, in 1913, the last passenger pigeon died in captivity.
The Last Pigeon, an exhibition concerned with the study of this specific bird, brings awareness to the issue of urban wildlife preservation.
Raised in Manhattan, Mr Garn was, from early times, well aware of the plight of the urban pigeon. Occasionally, he would prevent stumblebums from using sling-shots to wound or kill the feathery creatures. Pre-occupied with their rescue, Mr. Garn attempted to hatch abandoned eggs using a desk lamp as an incubator. Today a New York-based artist and photographer, Mr. Garn has invited a select group of artists to conceive a tribute to the much underappreciated columba livia.
Mr. Garn has created a captivating photographic portfolio of pigeon life - from birth to hoary age. To the uninitiated eye, the pigeon portraits reveal a beauty of subtle nature. Distinct personalities, peculiar character traits, odd signs of time and experience are unveiled. Rarely seen are photographs of baby pigeons. A short video montage features a Muybridge-like sequencing and morphing of pigeon types in motion. Standing on a wood platform before a slate grid, the birds slowly move and timidly bop to the sound of Thelonious Monk's Epistrophy. Actual pigeons, for the duration of the exhibition, can be seen living in a reconstructed Brooklyn rooftop diorama. A series of small sculptures conceived in the form of pigeons made of clear glass filled with feathers, are strewn in the main gallery space. One can only wish that these fanciful renderings not become the last flock of lost pigeons.
Press release
March 28th - May 11th, 2008
Gallery Hours: weekdays by appointment, weekends 1-6 pm
Gallery Contact: A.M. Richard (917) 570-1476
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Monday, May 5, 2008
Pigeons in the Military, Police and Trafficking Service
Military
In the late 19th and early 20th century, homing pigeons were frequently used as message carriers within European battle zones. Equipped with a small message capsule, pigeons would carry messages between troops and allies, alerting people if soldiers were captured behind enemy lines. They would also provide important time sensitive information that couldn't be sent by other means. Pigeons were hard to detect, difficult to shoot down, and fast commuters.
In 1903, German Engineer Julius Neubronner combined a small analogue camera with a mechanical timer and attached it around a pigeon's neck. This innovative approach to aerial photography soon raised interest from the German military. Shortly thereafter, exploring the potential for secret aerial photography carried out by pigeons began in earnest.
By Word War II entire "Pigeon Corps" had been established, serving both the Army and Air Force of several countries including England, Germany, France and the United States. Pigeon fanciers were consulted and encouraged to donate special breeds, and to provide expertise in pigeon handling and training to the military. Collaborations between pigeon fanciers and military personnel started to occur more frequently. In fact, the human pigeon handlers dedicated to the war messaging service became fondly known as the "Pigeoneers" by American forces.
Several decades later during the Vietnam War, the US Military developed a small radio-tracking device for attaching to homing pigeons. The idea was to capture the birds belonging to the Vietkong and follow their flight path home. Knowing the pigeons’ destination would help the US find hidden enemy camps. Pigeons have continued to be used in military and other governmental efforts. More recent examples include their alleged use by Iraqi troops during the second gulf war in 1991, and as discussed briefly below, as messengers for the Indian police in the state of Orissa, and to traffic illicit goods across state borders in South Africa, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Mexico and the US.
Police
The state of Orissa in India has used homing pigeons as part of their police service for over sixty years. This remote state used messenger pigeons to send reports throughout the state and to the country's capital during floods and other environmental conditions that cut the region off from other means of communication. The pigeon courier service or "P-mail" was handed to the police by the army in 1946, one year prior to India's independence from England. In 2002 it was decided that the pigeon courier service was too costly for the state and that email would be a more efficient way of communicating in contemporary India.
Trafficking
While homing pigeons have largely been retired from official governmental and military purposes, they are still being used for less official underground activities such as transporting small amounts of precious goods across country borders. In South Africa, pigeons are reportedly used to smuggle diamonds out of the country, in Afghanistan, pigeons assist in sending small portions of heroin over to Pakistan, and in the United States pigeon-enhanced drug trafficking between the US-Mexican border continues to flourish.
Civic
According to the International Harold Tribune, pigeons continue to be used in remote parts of Britain and France to carry blood samples from one location to another.
In the late 19th and early 20th century, homing pigeons were frequently used as message carriers within European battle zones. Equipped with a small message capsule, pigeons would carry messages between troops and allies, alerting people if soldiers were captured behind enemy lines. They would also provide important time sensitive information that couldn't be sent by other means. Pigeons were hard to detect, difficult to shoot down, and fast commuters.
In 1903, German Engineer Julius Neubronner combined a small analogue camera with a mechanical timer and attached it around a pigeon's neck. This innovative approach to aerial photography soon raised interest from the German military. Shortly thereafter, exploring the potential for secret aerial photography carried out by pigeons began in earnest.
By Word War II entire "Pigeon Corps" had been established, serving both the Army and Air Force of several countries including England, Germany, France and the United States. Pigeon fanciers were consulted and encouraged to donate special breeds, and to provide expertise in pigeon handling and training to the military. Collaborations between pigeon fanciers and military personnel started to occur more frequently. In fact, the human pigeon handlers dedicated to the war messaging service became fondly known as the "Pigeoneers" by American forces.
Several decades later during the Vietnam War, the US Military developed a small radio-tracking device for attaching to homing pigeons. The idea was to capture the birds belonging to the Vietkong and follow their flight path home. Knowing the pigeons’ destination would help the US find hidden enemy camps. Pigeons have continued to be used in military and other governmental efforts. More recent examples include their alleged use by Iraqi troops during the second gulf war in 1991, and as discussed briefly below, as messengers for the Indian police in the state of Orissa, and to traffic illicit goods across state borders in South Africa, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Mexico and the US.
Police
The state of Orissa in India has used homing pigeons as part of their police service for over sixty years. This remote state used messenger pigeons to send reports throughout the state and to the country's capital during floods and other environmental conditions that cut the region off from other means of communication. The pigeon courier service or "P-mail" was handed to the police by the army in 1946, one year prior to India's independence from England. In 2002 it was decided that the pigeon courier service was too costly for the state and that email would be a more efficient way of communicating in contemporary India.
Trafficking
While homing pigeons have largely been retired from official governmental and military purposes, they are still being used for less official underground activities such as transporting small amounts of precious goods across country borders. In South Africa, pigeons are reportedly used to smuggle diamonds out of the country, in Afghanistan, pigeons assist in sending small portions of heroin over to Pakistan, and in the United States pigeon-enhanced drug trafficking between the US-Mexican border continues to flourish.
Civic
According to the International Harold Tribune, pigeons continue to be used in remote parts of Britain and France to carry blood samples from one location to another.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
PETA Offers $2,000 Reward for Information on Blow-gun Shootings of Pigeons in Seattle
Monday, April 28, 2008 - Page updated at 06:02 PM
FRANZISKA EDWARDS/PETA
This pigeon was photographed in downtown Seattle. The bird is still alive because the dart did not hit any of its vital organs.
PETA offers $2,000 reward for information on blow-gun shootings of pigeons in downtown Seattle
By Sonia Krishnan
Seattle Times staff reporter
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals announced today it is offering a $2,000 reward for information on one or more shooters involved in impaling pigeons in downtown Seattle with metal darts.
Several Seattle residents have called PETA in the past two weeks to report seeing three injured pigeons fluttering around with needle-like projectiles — about three to four inches long — piercing their heads, said Tori Perry, cruelty case worker for the Norfolk, Virginia-based organization. The birds were spotted on the 1400 block of Third Avenue and at the corner of Third Avenue and Union Street, she added.
The darts were fired from a blow gun, lodging directly behind the birds' eyes without penetrating their brains, Perry said.
The longer the darts remain, the higher the chance for the injury to get worse and infection to set in, she said. The end result: "a very, very painful death," Perry said.
"This is just a horrifying case," she said. "Someone who would do this to an animal is a short step away from doing this to a human being."
Authorities at the Seattle Animal Shelter said they have also gotten several complaints about the darted pigeons. And, they add, it's been difficult to track and capture the birds to get them proper treatment.
"They are quite athletic, good fliers," said Don Baxter, enforcement supervisor. "They're not hanging around waiting for an officer to get close" and take it to a veterinarian, he said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Seattle Animal Shelter at 206-386-7387.
Sonia Krishnan: 206-515-5546 or skrishnan@seattletimes.com
Related Article
Monday, April 28, 2008
Pigeons are Doting Parents
By Hannah Holmes
Maybe the old ones never die. My Portland flock could be the self-same bunch of birds that filched clams from the Abenaki Indians and pooped upon approaching Viking boats. In addition to adapting flawlessly to the total nature-fake of a human habitat, maybe pigeons have also adapted perfectly to life: It doesn't make them die.
But because that's improbable, and because I was terribly curious about what kind of guy intentionally associates with pigeons, I called John Heppner, president of the National Pigeon Association.
"Absolutely," he said in a sobering tone of voice when I asked if there is such a thing as a baby pigeon. "I've been raising 'em for fifty years." What he went on to tell me gave me a new respect for the grubby, shining, strutting, victorious pigeon.
First of all, unlike dippy little English sparrows or robins, pigeons hide their nests.
Heppner said that back when they emerged in Asia (evidently, they were nature-living animals, once), pigeons were cliff-dwellers. So now they balance their messy nests of sticks inside the guts of bridges, or atop tall buildings, or on top of your air conditioner. Secondly, pigeons are parents non pareil. They lay only two eggs at a time, and spoil those babies shamefully. "The parents will feed the babies until they're totally feathered out," Heppner reported proudly. "By the time they leave the nest, they'll be about the same size as the adults. You know when people eat squab, that's when they take 'em -- when they're nice and plump." Squab, for the culinarily challenged, being baby pigeon.
And the doting parents don't feed these butter-balls your typical bird baby-food.
These birdlets get something called "pigeon milk," and the faint-of-stomach may not wish to explore this paragraph further. Both parents manufacture in their crop, or throat, a rich, fatty "milk" that looks, Heppner says, much like yellow cottage cheese. They ralph this delicacy up and expel it into the throats of their darlings. "You can see this white stuff glowing in the crops of the squabs," Heppner says. "They're just full of it."
After eight or 10 days of this ambrosial diet, the parents begin mixing in solid food and water. "They'll eat heavily, then drink a lot of water to easily chuck up the grain," Heppner enthuses, and offering between these fascinating facts to send me photographs of fancy pigeons. "And did you know pigeons drink like horses? Hens will lift their heads up to swallow. But pigeons put their head down and just take a long draught."
And do the parents flinch at all this work, this cheese-making, this grain-chucking, this drinking-like-a-horse? Of course not. "If all's going along well with the first nest, they'll build another, right near by, and lay the next batch," Heppner says. "They'll take turns sitting on the next set, while the other feeds up the squabs." And they'll do that four to six times a season. So, not only are there baby pigeons, there are baby-pigeon assembly lines.
And when the fledglings do finally leave the nest, Heppner says, their plumage and size are so similar to those of the flock they hang around with that only the practiced pigeonophile would be able to pick out the babies.
Care to practice finding the youngsters? Look for them in the spring and summer.
They may have stray strands of down poking through their feathers.
They may retain a trace of the "lip" around their beak that gives the parents a wider ralphing target.
Their heads may be narrower.
They may be shy. "They're more timid," Heppner explains. "They won't be professional in going after the best food."
So if you really want to see a baby pigeon, throw down a fried clam. That'll separate the men from the boys.
Maybe the old ones never die. My Portland flock could be the self-same bunch of birds that filched clams from the Abenaki Indians and pooped upon approaching Viking boats. In addition to adapting flawlessly to the total nature-fake of a human habitat, maybe pigeons have also adapted perfectly to life: It doesn't make them die.
But because that's improbable, and because I was terribly curious about what kind of guy intentionally associates with pigeons, I called John Heppner, president of the National Pigeon Association.
"Absolutely," he said in a sobering tone of voice when I asked if there is such a thing as a baby pigeon. "I've been raising 'em for fifty years." What he went on to tell me gave me a new respect for the grubby, shining, strutting, victorious pigeon.
First of all, unlike dippy little English sparrows or robins, pigeons hide their nests.
Heppner said that back when they emerged in Asia (evidently, they were nature-living animals, once), pigeons were cliff-dwellers. So now they balance their messy nests of sticks inside the guts of bridges, or atop tall buildings, or on top of your air conditioner. Secondly, pigeons are parents non pareil. They lay only two eggs at a time, and spoil those babies shamefully. "The parents will feed the babies until they're totally feathered out," Heppner reported proudly. "By the time they leave the nest, they'll be about the same size as the adults. You know when people eat squab, that's when they take 'em -- when they're nice and plump." Squab, for the culinarily challenged, being baby pigeon.
And the doting parents don't feed these butter-balls your typical bird baby-food.
These birdlets get something called "pigeon milk," and the faint-of-stomach may not wish to explore this paragraph further. Both parents manufacture in their crop, or throat, a rich, fatty "milk" that looks, Heppner says, much like yellow cottage cheese. They ralph this delicacy up and expel it into the throats of their darlings. "You can see this white stuff glowing in the crops of the squabs," Heppner says. "They're just full of it."
After eight or 10 days of this ambrosial diet, the parents begin mixing in solid food and water. "They'll eat heavily, then drink a lot of water to easily chuck up the grain," Heppner enthuses, and offering between these fascinating facts to send me photographs of fancy pigeons. "And did you know pigeons drink like horses? Hens will lift their heads up to swallow. But pigeons put their head down and just take a long draught."
And do the parents flinch at all this work, this cheese-making, this grain-chucking, this drinking-like-a-horse? Of course not. "If all's going along well with the first nest, they'll build another, right near by, and lay the next batch," Heppner says. "They'll take turns sitting on the next set, while the other feeds up the squabs." And they'll do that four to six times a season. So, not only are there baby pigeons, there are baby-pigeon assembly lines.
And when the fledglings do finally leave the nest, Heppner says, their plumage and size are so similar to those of the flock they hang around with that only the practiced pigeonophile would be able to pick out the babies.
Care to practice finding the youngsters? Look for them in the spring and summer.
They may have stray strands of down poking through their feathers.
They may retain a trace of the "lip" around their beak that gives the parents a wider ralphing target.
Their heads may be narrower.
They may be shy. "They're more timid," Heppner explains. "They won't be professional in going after the best food."
So if you really want to see a baby pigeon, throw down a fried clam. That'll separate the men from the boys.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Pigeons and Cheers for Pope Benedict XV1
Cheers and pageantry for papal mass at Yankee Stadium
Karin Zeitvogel
Agence France-Presse
April 21, 2008
NEW YORK – Tens of thousands of Americans erupted in cheers Sunday, waving white and yellow handkerchiefs as they welcomed Pope Benedict XVI to Yankee Stadium for the final event of his US visit -- a huge outdoor mass.
"Most Holy Father, welcome to New York," New York's archbishop, Cardinal Edward Egan, said from the purple, white and yellow platform dominated by the Vatican coat of arms set up on the baseball diamond, drawing a deafening roar from the crowd.
The pope rose from the white papal chair decorated with a golden cross at the top of the platform, and raised both hands to salute the crowd.
White-robed Roman Catholic clerics sat alongside a rainbow of baseball caps; Asians and Hispanics prayed next to African-Americans and white descendants of European immigrants in the stadium, which had been converted from a shrine to baseball to an open-air church for the mass celebrated by Benedict.
"In this land of freedom and opportunity, the Church has united a widely diverse flock in the profession of the faith," Benedict said in his homily, as sunshine cut through the layer of cloud that had blanketed New York since the morning.
The prayer of the faithful after the homily underscored the ethnic diversity so lauded by the pontiff as it was intoned in English, Italian, Polish, French, Croatian, Tagalog, the language of the overwhelmingly Catholic Philippines, and Igbo, a Nigerian dialect.
Benedict praised the United States as a land of religious liberty, and urged US Catholics to overcome differences and build on the foundation of the church left by their forebears, many of them "immigrants whose traditions have so enriched the Church in America."
"Today's celebration is ... a summons to move forward with firm resolve to use wisely the blessings of freedom, in order to build a future of hope for coming generations."
The rapt audience of more than 57,000 interrupted the homily to applaud as the pope urged them to defend all life, "including the most defenseless of all human beings, the unborn child in the mother's womb."
The 81-year-old pontiff made no mention in his homily of the sex scandal that has rocked the US church, a subject he repeatedly raised during his US visit, urging priests and their flocks to help heal the wounds.
But outside the stadium, a handful of protesters were not letting the issue to be swept under the carpet.
They held up signs denouncing the church and the scandal of predator priests: "Roman Catholicism is the devil" read one sign, while another screamed out "Priests rape boys."
Secret Service agents, who had thrown a thick cloak of security over the stadium, were met by little more than calls of "Viva il papa" as they scrutinized the stadium bleachers during the homily.
New York City policemen on security detail folded their hands and bowed their heads as the pope gave his blessing.
After deacons and priests had served communion, Italian tenor Marcello Giordani sang a stirring "Panis Angelicus," struggling to turn the pages to hold the libretto as the wind picked up.
Earlier, nuns had clapped to the music as singer-guitarist Jose Feliciano belted out "Lean on Me" from the white, purple and yellow platform as part of the spiritual warmup for the mass.
A Mexican wave -- when row after row stand up and raise their arms in the air -- unfurled through the upper seating level, with Roman Catholic clerics joining in as readily as lay people.
*A flock of doves was released and soared skyward shortly before the pope arrived at the stadium in his popemobile, its windows open to allow him to wave at the crowd.
Benedict is the third pope to celebrate Mass at Yankee Stadium, after Paul VI in 1965 and John Paul II in 1979.
As the mass ended, a radiant Benedict waved at the crowd as Ludwig van Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" echoed around the stadium and yellow and white handkerchiefs waved anew.
The mass was the last event on Benedict's six-day visit to the United States, which took him to Washington before New York.
*"I own a "white dove release" business. I have 15 "doves", white pigeons, all have names and birthdays, all love me and fly to me at will. True doves do not have the homing instinct."
Judy Miller
Armore Doves
Missouri
Related
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Army Retires Carrier Pigeons
ARMY RETIRES CARRIER PIGEONS
Published 7 April, 2008
Spain News
The Army bade farewell to its last carrier pigeons last week when the five members of the Army’s now defunct Carrier Pigeon Section released 300 birds, who promptly returned to their lofts on the army base at Pozuelo de Alarcon on the outskirts of Madrid. They were delivered the next day to the Spanish Pigeon-Fancier Federation. The Spanish Army started using carrier pigeons in 1879 and they played an important role in Jaén during the Civil War. Two hundred Guardia Civil who had joined Franco were holed up with 1,200 people in the Sanctuaury of the Virgen de la Cabeza and survived a 256-day siege by Republican forces thanks to the pigeons who were used to send information about needed food supplies to the Military Government in Government. One bird, No. 46.415, was wounded by a bullet but managed to get her message through before dying. She received a posthumous award for bravery and her corpse still reposes, somewhat desiccated, in the Army Museum.
Published 7 April, 2008
Spain News
The Army bade farewell to its last carrier pigeons last week when the five members of the Army’s now defunct Carrier Pigeon Section released 300 birds, who promptly returned to their lofts on the army base at Pozuelo de Alarcon on the outskirts of Madrid. They were delivered the next day to the Spanish Pigeon-Fancier Federation. The Spanish Army started using carrier pigeons in 1879 and they played an important role in Jaén during the Civil War. Two hundred Guardia Civil who had joined Franco were holed up with 1,200 people in the Sanctuaury of the Virgen de la Cabeza and survived a 256-day siege by Republican forces thanks to the pigeons who were used to send information about needed food supplies to the Military Government in Government. One bird, No. 46.415, was wounded by a bullet but managed to get her message through before dying. She received a posthumous award for bravery and her corpse still reposes, somewhat desiccated, in the Army Museum.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Reduce Pigeon Numbers by Feeding?
Reduce pigeon numbers? Feed them ’til they’re too fat to breed
Mar 26 2008 by Barry Gibson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner
COUNCILLORS want to cut the number of pigeons in Huddersfield town centre – by feeding them.
The new plan was discussed at a meeting last week and if the proposal goes ahead, Kirklees staff will feed the pigeons between 7am and 8am at two locations at opposite ends of the town centre.
Brook Street and outside Wilkinson’s on New Street are possible locations.
Clr Tony Brice was at the Huddersfield Town Centre Sub Group meeting where the plan was discussed.
The Lindley Conservative said: “By feeding them, the hope is we will have a few, well-fed pigeons that don’t lay as many eggs. It’s the same system that’s been used in Trafalgar Square in London.”
But members of the public who feed the pigeons will be slapped with a fine.
Clr Brice said: “There will be quite a few enforcement officers who will fine anyone caught throwing bread to the birds.
“The message will get through eventually and people will stop feeding them.”
Clr Brice – who joked that his preferred solution to the pigeon problem would be to release a hawk in the town centre – said the birds were no more than vermin.
He said: “They carry a lot of disease, they are rats with feathers. You wouldn’t feed a rat if you saw it but people do feed pigeons.”
The plan is expected to go to Kirklees Council’s Cabinet for approval soon.
It is the latest idea to rid Huddersfield town centre of pigeons.
In July 1997 council officials suggested a cull by shooting the birds or catching them in traps.
But the council backed down after an Examiner poll found 64% of people against the idea.
Two years later the council spent £6,000 on netting at the railway bridges on John William Street and Fitzwilliam Street in a bid to stop pigeons roosting there.
In 2001 Kirklees decided to build special nests for the birds, and then remove the eggs before they hatched.
Later that year, councillors decided to fix five-inch long steel spikes to the balcony of Huddersfield Town Hall to stop pigeons nesting there.
Mar 26 2008 by Barry Gibson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner
COUNCILLORS want to cut the number of pigeons in Huddersfield town centre – by feeding them.
The new plan was discussed at a meeting last week and if the proposal goes ahead, Kirklees staff will feed the pigeons between 7am and 8am at two locations at opposite ends of the town centre.
Brook Street and outside Wilkinson’s on New Street are possible locations.
Clr Tony Brice was at the Huddersfield Town Centre Sub Group meeting where the plan was discussed.
The Lindley Conservative said: “By feeding them, the hope is we will have a few, well-fed pigeons that don’t lay as many eggs. It’s the same system that’s been used in Trafalgar Square in London.”
But members of the public who feed the pigeons will be slapped with a fine.
Clr Brice said: “There will be quite a few enforcement officers who will fine anyone caught throwing bread to the birds.
“The message will get through eventually and people will stop feeding them.”
Clr Brice – who joked that his preferred solution to the pigeon problem would be to release a hawk in the town centre – said the birds were no more than vermin.
He said: “They carry a lot of disease, they are rats with feathers. You wouldn’t feed a rat if you saw it but people do feed pigeons.”
The plan is expected to go to Kirklees Council’s Cabinet for approval soon.
It is the latest idea to rid Huddersfield town centre of pigeons.
In July 1997 council officials suggested a cull by shooting the birds or catching them in traps.
But the council backed down after an Examiner poll found 64% of people against the idea.
Two years later the council spent £6,000 on netting at the railway bridges on John William Street and Fitzwilliam Street in a bid to stop pigeons roosting there.
In 2001 Kirklees decided to build special nests for the birds, and then remove the eggs before they hatched.
Later that year, councillors decided to fix five-inch long steel spikes to the balcony of Huddersfield Town Hall to stop pigeons nesting there.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
New York Daily News Article: National Pigeon Day
Please visit National Pigeon Day for information.
BY LARRY McSHANE
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Tuesday, March 25th 2008, 4:00 AM
Pigeons deserve own national holiday, says New York Bird Club founder
The average New York pigeon is not, as its legion of detractors contend, diseased. Or destructive. Or in need of Depends.
The oft-vilified denizen of city parapets and parks is simply plagued by public relations problems - and that's where Anna Dove swoops in.
The aptly named founder of the New York Bird Club believes the pigeon - like Abraham Lincoln and Christopher Columbus - deserves its own holiday. Her choice: June 13, the anniversary of World War I carrier pigeon Cher Ami's 1919 death.
"Pigeons are very friendly birds," says Dove, who provides feed for her feathered friends on the upper East Side. "They're getting a bad deal. It's terrible - people pick on them."
Some of it, she says, is simple pigeon slander - "rats with wings" is a typical slur.
A pigeon's life can turn quickly from cooing to cruelty - there's kidnapping for live pigeon shoots in neighboring states.
And just last month, a city worker was arrested after running down three pigeons with a golf cart.
"Little defenseless birds," says the self-appointed defender of the pigeon population, a lone voice among the many who see the birds as head-bobbing, wing-flapping pests.
Even with her bird blinders on, Dove can't deny the biggest complaint about pigeons: their ubiquitous droppings.
The typical urban pigeon, during its four-year lifespan, leaves about 100 pounds worth. Given that New York is home to an estimated 1 million pigeons ... well, you do the math.
From the Henry Hudson Expressway to Midtown Tunnel to the Lorimer St. el station in Brooklyn, the pigeon poop has created vile odors, layers of moldering filth and escalating cleanup tabs.
City Council member Simcha Felder (D-Brooklyn), tired of the endless droppings, proposed legislation last year to make feeding pigeons in public illegal.
The still-pending bill, similar to one in place in London, would make Dove and other pigeon enablers liable for a $1,000 fine.
Felder had no opposition to Dove's holiday campaign - but still offered little love for its potential honorees.
"You can name a day anything," Felder said. "Regardless of what day it is, you shouldn't be feeding pigeons in public."
Dove's pigeon promotion has caused some personal aggravation. She was recently feeding the pigeons near her apartment when a neighbor approached, asked her to stop "feeding the rats" - and then punched her in the arm.
Dove wasn't surprised. And she's certain of one thing: The pigeons are a lot cleaner than a lot of their critics.
"I see a little bit of pigeon poop," she says. "But I see a lot more pizza boxes out there."
lmcshane@nydailynews.com
New York Daily News
Letters to the Editor
March 28, 2008
Feather in her cap
Manhattan: Anna Dove's work to bring respect to pigeons ("She's for the birds," March 25) is an admirable civic enterprise. Pigeons are beautiful and relatively harmless members of the community of living creatures of our city. Simcha Felder, who would want to fine anyone who feeds pigeons, needs to cultivate more joy ("simcha" in Hebrew) in his dealings with our nonhuman fellows. All success to Ms. Dove!
Mark Stephen Caponigro
Flocking to their aid
Manhattan: Are we to consider pigeons service animals during war but a nuisance during peace? That same mind-set sent countless thousands of horses to slaughterhouses when they had outlived their usefulness. Our pigeon friends are due some compassion and gratitude.
Alice Liu
BY LARRY McSHANE
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Tuesday, March 25th 2008, 4:00 AM
Pigeons deserve own national holiday, says New York Bird Club founder
The average New York pigeon is not, as its legion of detractors contend, diseased. Or destructive. Or in need of Depends.
The oft-vilified denizen of city parapets and parks is simply plagued by public relations problems - and that's where Anna Dove swoops in.
The aptly named founder of the New York Bird Club believes the pigeon - like Abraham Lincoln and Christopher Columbus - deserves its own holiday. Her choice: June 13, the anniversary of World War I carrier pigeon Cher Ami's 1919 death.
"Pigeons are very friendly birds," says Dove, who provides feed for her feathered friends on the upper East Side. "They're getting a bad deal. It's terrible - people pick on them."
Some of it, she says, is simple pigeon slander - "rats with wings" is a typical slur.
A pigeon's life can turn quickly from cooing to cruelty - there's kidnapping for live pigeon shoots in neighboring states.
And just last month, a city worker was arrested after running down three pigeons with a golf cart.
"Little defenseless birds," says the self-appointed defender of the pigeon population, a lone voice among the many who see the birds as head-bobbing, wing-flapping pests.
Even with her bird blinders on, Dove can't deny the biggest complaint about pigeons: their ubiquitous droppings.
The typical urban pigeon, during its four-year lifespan, leaves about 100 pounds worth. Given that New York is home to an estimated 1 million pigeons ... well, you do the math.
From the Henry Hudson Expressway to Midtown Tunnel to the Lorimer St. el station in Brooklyn, the pigeon poop has created vile odors, layers of moldering filth and escalating cleanup tabs.
City Council member Simcha Felder (D-Brooklyn), tired of the endless droppings, proposed legislation last year to make feeding pigeons in public illegal.
The still-pending bill, similar to one in place in London, would make Dove and other pigeon enablers liable for a $1,000 fine.
Felder had no opposition to Dove's holiday campaign - but still offered little love for its potential honorees.
"You can name a day anything," Felder said. "Regardless of what day it is, you shouldn't be feeding pigeons in public."
Dove's pigeon promotion has caused some personal aggravation. She was recently feeding the pigeons near her apartment when a neighbor approached, asked her to stop "feeding the rats" - and then punched her in the arm.
Dove wasn't surprised. And she's certain of one thing: The pigeons are a lot cleaner than a lot of their critics.
"I see a little bit of pigeon poop," she says. "But I see a lot more pizza boxes out there."
lmcshane@nydailynews.com
New York Daily News
Letters to the Editor
March 28, 2008
Feather in her cap
Manhattan: Anna Dove's work to bring respect to pigeons ("She's for the birds," March 25) is an admirable civic enterprise. Pigeons are beautiful and relatively harmless members of the community of living creatures of our city. Simcha Felder, who would want to fine anyone who feeds pigeons, needs to cultivate more joy ("simcha" in Hebrew) in his dealings with our nonhuman fellows. All success to Ms. Dove!
Mark Stephen Caponigro
Flocking to their aid
Manhattan: Are we to consider pigeons service animals during war but a nuisance during peace? That same mind-set sent countless thousands of horses to slaughterhouses when they had outlived their usefulness. Our pigeon friends are due some compassion and gratitude.
Alice Liu
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