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Citing the unsightly damage that pigeon poop does to the city, City Council Member Simcha Felder announced a bill proposal to fine people $1000 for feeding pigeons. Some of Felder's key remarks and findings:
- "Stop feeding pigeons!"
- "If people like pigeons... feed [them] in your house and let them crap all over the place in your living room."
- A pigeon creates about 25 pounds of poop annually.
- "[The pigeons] may go elsewhere. Let them go to New Jersey."
Felder studied London's efforts to battle pigeons, which resulted in a pigeon-feeding ban in Trafalgar Square (courtesy London Mayor Ken Livingstone, who also helped inspired NYC's congestion pricing plans.) And even Mayor Bloomberg seems to support the idea, "We do have a lot of pigeons and they do tend to foul a lot of our areas, and people would be better off not feeding the pigeons."
Last month, City Council member James Oddo suggested birth control for pigeons that were fouling up the Staten Island Ferry Terminal in St. George (you know, maggots - formed in rotting pigeon poop - falling from ceiling panels). OvoControl-P has been used in Hollywood and is approved by PETA and the Humane Society. However, some are concerned that negative attitudes about pigeons could lead to other problems. Some groups, like the NY Bird Club, believe that people have been netting NYC pigeons for shoots or food. And the Advance spoke to one pigeon lover Joanna Tierno who moderates a pigeon Internet group, "It's definitely going to kill pigeons by starvation. It's just a horrible idea just to kill off all these innocent animals, and for what reason? You can't help but remember the Holocaust. Jews were killed because people didn't want to look at them anymore."
Check out the Trafalgar Square Save the Pigeons website.
Photograph of a pigeon at the Staten Island Ferry by maria3bx on Flickr
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At least pigeon mess is au natural. While this council member is at it, perhaps she should also suggest an enforcement of existing laws regarding litter - specifically enforcing laws against disposing cigarette butts on the streets. I would bet the tonnage of cigarette butts on the streets (which are not biodegradable like pigeon crap) far exceeds the amount of pigeon waste.
the Holocaust???? puleezze
how can "pigeon lover" Joanna Tierno even say such a thing? She's probably one of those batty old ladies that you see feeding these vermin.
I don't believe that lady compared the starving of pigeons to the Holocust, that's pretty despicable
as for the previous comment about cigarette butts, I agree, though cigarette butts are easier to clean and leave less of a mess, not to mention isn't something that'll land on your head
The pigeon lovers said "Hitler" first: they lose.
When will people realize that it's our doing that creates the environment for these animals to live in. They wouldn't survive here if they didn't have our detritus to live on. Are we being cruel by taking it away?
This is not bambi bouncing around in primeval forest. This is a public health issue for animals and humans.
where's dov hikind?
oh wait, this one is almost the same with these bills.
there won't be any pigeons left with the developments that's going on.
And what's that noise? Every Holocaust victim rolling over in their graves?
There's a scene at the start of the film "24-Hour Party People" where a couple of musicians feed bread laced with rat poison to the pigeons on the roof of a building. It's supposed to be a true story.
A couple of minutes later they run at the pigeons to scare them away and enjoy the sight of them falling from the sky, stone dead.
I don't like cruelty to animals, but I'm not a fan of pigeons. I'm surprised it isn't already illegal to feed pigeons. It's certainly retarded.
Just found out Joanna Tierno has a myspace page
http://www.myspace.com/32500753
...interesting
Pols want pigeons to stop popping [sic].
As in pill popping? Or do you mean pooping?
I think she means popping as in that old breakdance stylin' circa 1983. I say hip, hop, a hiphip hoppity....
dude, if i have to pick sides in this war, i'm going with the pigeons. watch out!
My 2 year old son seriously enjoys chasing pigeons in the park while screaming at them maniacally. I usually try to stop him because I am afraid this behavior means he's going to be some sort of sociopath...
Maybe it just means he's a budding politician.
Yeah, I should still try to stop him.
Pop drop and lock it, birdies!
This is just more proof that the City Council has too much time on its hands.
actually a lot of cigarette butts are made of cotton. which are biodegradable.
Hitler just wanted the jews, gays, gypsies, and assorted intellectuals to stop popping.
The moment this law is passed I'm going to feed the pigeons every chance I can.
actually having more hawks (and other birds of prey) in the city sounds like a good idea
"Pols Wants Pigeons to Stop Procreating, Popping"
They don't proofread the story text, why would the check typos on something as simple as a fucking headline.
figting pigeaons is the most futile and totally stupid thing ever!
Fight trash by humans...THAT is the really discusting side of NYC.
NYC without pigeons will be even more of the industrial landscape than what it is now.
These pigeons have more of a right to call themselves New Yorkers than probably all of the asshats complaining about this shit.
I'm going to go buy like 100 pounds of feed and get to work.
Fucking assholes! Seriously, the pigeon is our fucking mascot..along with the sewer rat.
why dont we feed the the pigeons to the homeless and hungry in the city? two birds, one stone!
(pun totally intended)
I really did think they mean 'popping' as in, if you feed them rice, it expands in their stomachs and the birds literally *pop* open.
Pigeon poop lovers breed maggots. Typical culture of death.
Like a lot of people in this city, sometimes I'm annoyed by the pigeons and sometimes I'm in love with them. Leave them alone. Its like one of those fake "quality of life" issues beady eyed giuliani endlessly chirped about. What an ingenuous lying f#ck. Same with this. Its a non-issue.
Its not a great idea to feed them since they find plenty of garbage and street morsels to eat. But the few old folks who feed the pigeons are usually lonely and just practicing an act of compassion. And it gives them pleasure. Leave them alone to.
"pigeon problem"... what a bunch of cranks.
Venice has a lot of pigeons too and I don't see any laws being passed (or enforced for that matter) stopping tourists from feeding them. Besides, pigeons make the city feel more organic. The garbage created by humans is much more offensive.
Maybe they could take all the stray cats from JFK and have them eat the pigeons.
Then, when the cats get out of control, we can send in the dogs.
Then some...I dunno. Hyenas?
Then the gorillas.
Wow, pigeons = Jewish people. I can't imagine how something like the Holocaust could happen when some people have such a nuanced take on the value of human life.
The real question, however, is what pigeons did to Councilman Felder's mother to initiate this crusade.
dave, you're all wrong on this-- the pigeons ARE the jews of the bird community. i'm sure during the second world war, the germans weren't calling it a holocaust-- they were calling it a "solution". but the jews knew the truth. so to all my pigeon brothers and sisters, FIGHT THE POWER-- i hope you bury this city in five feet of poop.
"Pols Wants Pigeons to Stop Procreating, Pooping"
I would like humans to stop procreating, and pooping too.
this was a plot by ernie, he was sick and tired of bert and his pigeons.
until one of them rats with wings peck my eyes out or actually go kamikazee dive bomb on me, leave them alone.
my fav is seeing one of them poor birds with a goiter on its neck.
...and the plastic filters of cigarettes aren't biodegradable.
Pigeons are cool to watch, like all birds. But, a lot of cities just have too freakin' many of 'em. I agree with benji...get some more hawks and other birds of prey, to reduce the numbers. Face it, you're always gonna have pigeons-they're like taxes, you'll never be free of them completely-but hawks would keep the number of pigeons down.
Ok, I suppose the hawks would also go after song birds and squirrels...also, rats and mice. But, I'd be willing to put up with that, just to get reduce the pigeons' population.
BTW...was it Steven Wright or George Carlin who said something like, pigeons were actually baby condors????
>>While this council member is at it, perhaps she should also suggest...
Drewo, Simcha Felder is a guy.
"Some groups, like the NY Bird Club, believe that people have been netting NYC pigeons for shoots or food."
shoots? what does this mean? do you mean shots?
this article fails to include the most important reason for eliminating pigeons. the bacteria and diseases they spread.
get some more hawks and other birds of prey, to reduce the numbers
I read on Yahoo that NYC tried using trained hawks in 2003. A few months into the program, a hawk attacked a chihuahua. That ended the program.
Unbelievable! Felder wants the pigeons gone. Why? Because they shit. People shit too! Acually people out number the pigeons 8 to 1 in this city and if a 1 pound piji can poop about 25 pounds of crap in a year, well thats about 25 million pounds of pigeon poop per year. A person on the other hand can poop about 1/2 to a pound per day or more. So....say 1 pound per day (this is estimation, i actually didn't do any doodoo weight studies) then the average person, like mr Felder, would poo about 365 pounds per year multiply by 8 million of us and... WOW!! my calculator says can't compute. It just went up in smoke!! Oh well, gotta get a new calculator. Hum, then there's the cats and dogs and other birds, why they all shit too. You know its amazing what a hose or bucket of water could do to wash away the pigeon poop. You gotta try it. I do. MAGIC...oooo! Also, pigeons are gentle animals, they don't and can't hurt anyone. They acually seem to like people---I have no idea why. They make great pets too, you ought to try it. And for my religeous friends out there, the Holy Spirit is represented in the Bible by - a - pigeon! And as a matter of fact...Noah's bird that found the olive branch was none other that a ... are you ready for this one... a PIGEON!! Maybe we should leave the pigeons alone and figure out ways to clean the shit. Like i said, i did.
Our friends blogged this on their drunken angry blog, and the crazy pigeon lady and her friends showed up in the comments. Hilarity ensues. Don't miss it:
http://pissyrabbits.wordpress.com/2007/11/13/276/
Aside from Felder's Financial Folly (I put that up under another Felder+Pigeons story -- let it stand that his proposal will cost the city a bundle that could be more profitably spent on things like -- O, health care for children, public johns for tourists, all sorts of useful things), there is a Simple Truth here:
The pigeons are ours. These are feral in the second sense -- escaped domestic animals and their descendants. They aren't native to North America; we brought them here. That's one reason they live in the same places people do. They don't do well as ferals; their lives are much shorter (about 2-5 years, vs. 15-20 years commonly for domestic pigeons); they work very hard to survive, and adaptable as they are, the population trend for pigeons is actually downward -- not dramatically, but noticeably. This is not counting the pigeons illegally netted and sold either to restaurants of questionable character (squab, anyone?...) or "sportsmen" who find it much more exciting to shoot live critters than clay pigeons (and who, unlike VP Cheney, can't get away with shooting bankers -- damn!).
Felder says somewhere, if folks like pigeons, let them take them home, &c.. In fact, some folks have; there is an active group of volunteer rehabilitators in New York City, many licensed and others working under the direction of various agencies. They have brought the birds home -- sick birds, starving birds, fledglings not yet fully weened and so on. They feed them, they let them have the run of the house, they take them to the vet for treatment, and they get to know the birds. The poop is not a problem (it's about a tablespoon or so a day, most of it in hard little clumps that are easily picked up). Interestingly, one such haven is furnished with 100+ year old oriental rugs; poop doesn't seem to be a problem. Another boasts early Victorian furniture; poop is managed handily.
So, what's the real poop problem? Actually, lazy people. Pigeon poop is not hazardous waste (that is the implication of the city's health-department how-to-clean-pigeon-poop instructions). It is water soluble. Just hose down the stoop, or terrace or whatever. Takes -- what? 20 minutes? So, all this fuss because Mamma Felder's little boy-chik couldn't help out with the garden hose? But Felder is an honorable man, a religious man, a filial son. Pfui!