Robo Hawks and Pigeon Czars to Rid City of Bird Problem?

Earlier this year Central Park crowds looked on in horror as a hawk dug his talons into a squirrel. Now the pigeons of New York are being targeted as the city considers bringing in robotic hawks to perch on rooftops.

Newsday reports that robo hawks could be a weapon for driving pigeons from city sidewalks; an idea brought in last year by Brooklyn Councilman Simcha Felder. Just how much will it take to rid the city of its huge pigeon problem?

Felder is proposing a bill that would fine people $1,000 for feeding the birds and would create a "pigeon czar" to be responsible for pigeon-related matters, such as cleanup. He expects a council hearing on the legislation, which is still being drafted, to be held before the end of the year.

The pigeon czar will allegedly be backed by an army of robotic hawks, and while they're not a part of Felder's bill, he mentioned they "could be an option if the Bloomberg administration feels the high-tech scarecrows are a good investment."

The faux hawks could be a solution to Astoria's squirrel problem too, but they aren't a cure-all or necessarily a workable solution for the city; the Robop (pictured) was designed for much smaller areas. But at about $4500 a pop, the city would just need to catch a few (hundred) pigeon feeders to fine in order to stock up on the robo hawks.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Carlson in News on May 16, 2008 4:09 PM

Comments [rss]

sonyactivision

dadoc for N.Y.C.Game Warden!

dadoc

And, BTW, Squirrels are great in a stew or done like Buffalo wings, best after a good mast (acorn) season.

Dadoc

dadoc

Solution: $.25 per carcass bounty, no questions asked.

Gamma the carcasses, process, sell at profit for cat food.

Give each homeless a burlap bag & used golf club.

$25.00 per carcass bounty for every dumbass who scavenges dumpsters for chicken, rice, etc., to feed an annoying & useless biomass.

$500 bounty for carcass of pigeon lady of 14th & 1st & 19th betw 2nd & 3rd who keeps feeding the damned rats (not the rats with wings, the real rats on 14th & 1st).

Deterrents do not work.

DO NOT POISON.

Kills the predators like the red-tails.

And the term is CANADA geese, not Canadian Geese.

And they taste like crap, produce loadsa crap, carry Giardia, and are generally annoying. Already overloaded all the waters of Central Park with nitrates, urea & Organics, killing lotsa other cool animals.

Control & management, not coddling nor eradication is the key to a cooler place.

Dadoc

Karen

Babyhitler....LMAO!

Why don't they just get that guy who beat to death the baby geese? He was just unfocused, thats all (although, if he went to Clarence, NY, they'd give him a medal, there's more Canadian Geese than people there).

Fritzdecat

Pigeons might have Guns

ROTFLMAO

newsyspice

Does anyone know if the city has ever tried birth control for pigeons?

Seriously. It's been tried with squirrels in other places. You plant the BC in the feed, and bingo -- infertile creatures.

babyhitler

we all know how this will turn out. First the robohawks kill pigeons, then rats, then they are programmed to kill criminals but then someone gets hold of skynet and the robohawks get super AI and decide to enslave humanity battery pods in a post apocalyptic world.

EricRoberts

they are slow birds who taste everything on the ground and aren't afraid of humans.

Scatter some birdseed and scoop them up in a net. Dispose at your discretion.

Guest

Just tell the cops that the pigeons might have guns.

drewo

Just how much will it take to rid the city of its huge pigeon problem?

Let's rid the city of its politician problem first.

mrguy

fairway harlem placed a fake owl on a rafter over their front entrance, complete with a soundtrack of hoots. not sure if this is to scare away shitting pigeons or hungry rats who may try to get the "Outside" produce...