Answers

01-02-2008, 07:42 AM

There are solid answers to help the bird of peace better known as the Pigeon.
You will find there are many entities offering there ways as a means of a solution...an answer.
None and I mean none will work without the following.

Compromise.
Commitment.
New Laws that govern.

Lets look at the Pigeon and lets "really" look at the Pigeon, this bird is Mankinds oldest feathered friend, this bird and his/her unique ability to 'Home" has saved many a Human Life, History is just that "History" and this is the foundation that will help these birds.
Are we to simply forget what this bird has done for us?, many a lives would not be alive today if not for this bird, Generations upon Generations would simply not be here if not for the bird of peace.
This birds unique ability to home has been expoited over the years, the Racing Pigeon Industry is but one, its all about using this birds ability to win what "Money".
We seem to remember Pigeon Racing and the history behind the so called Prestigeous Sport but we forget the lives that have been saved by the efforts of the Pigeon, the bird of peace.

Lets look at the history of the Dove Cote, please be aware, when the Dove Cote was invented it was for one reason and one reason alone, to house Pigeons as a means of food similar to that of the Chicken.
These birds were not kept as pets, they were not kept as a hobby, they were kept as a soarce of food.
The Dove Cote can also be linked to the Pigeon Racing sport, in todays time the housing of Pigeons are called Lofts.

In todays time, I support the use of Dove Cotes and human intervention to help save these birds from horrible deaths as they are being mass poisoned all accoss the USA and other countries as well.
One can not simply erect a Dove Cote and walk away saying "there, the problem is solved".
Comittment needs to be established, these Dove Cotes will need to be cleaned on a regular basis, eggs will need to be removed and fake eggs placed in as a means of birth control.
Seed and fresh water will need to be provided on a daily basis.
Again, this requires commitment.

A look at compromise,
Are you willing to meet me in the middle somewhere?
Or are you going to stand by your ways and claim my ideas will not work?

Are you against birth control?

Lets look at the Pigeon and his/her breeding ways.
These birds will breed all year long if the right elements are found.
Seed, Water, and the right climates, a mated pair will lay 2 eggs per clutch, and there offspring are capable of re-producing at the age of 6 months, in-line breeding is common.
I hope I have made myself clear concerning this issue, this is why we see the mass poisonings, there populations are the main issue, not there presents, there numbers.
If you do not support taking eggs and replacing with fake eggs then there will be no help to these birds and they will continue to be mass poisoned.
Again this requires Commitment within Dove Cote Management.

To be continued....

01-02-2008, 08:13 AM

Erecting Dove Cotes costs money, finding such funds will take a generous amount of commitment and or time.
Placement of these Dove Cotes will be a key factor.
I have learned over the years that our senior citizens thrive on feeding birds in the park, in there back yards, this provides them will a sense of "worth", serenity, PEACE and the reasons are to many to mention.
By placing the Dove Cotes near a senior citizen facility and or in todays time "a senior citizen highrise" and recruiting volunteers will be a win win situation.
I have the upmost respect for our seniors, they are very dependable, loving human beings that thrive on helping animals.

The political agenda;
These Dove Cotes will be expoited, please make no mistake, this will happen, from kids out to have fun, to those that use these wonderful birds for dog training, and lets not forget resturants...and might I add our worthless Governor here in Minnesota that kept the door for such slaughter unto the Dove by keeping Dove hunting open and supports resturants that serve the Dove's breast meat as a meal.

These birds will need Federal Protection, the same protection offered to the Racing Industry that practices culling (killing) and continues to contribute to the Feral population with LOST BIRDS, one can look at the facts, visit 911pigeonalert, one will see folks trying to get these birds that are lost back home (my hats off to all of you volunteers), then looking at the site differently we can see how many racing pigeons become lost and what you are seeing is a mere fraction of the true numbers, you will be amazed by how many Banded Racing Pigeons there are amung Feral Flocks.
Sooooo, Federally Protect all Pigeons or none at all.

To be continued......

01-06-2008, 04:03 AM

Dove Cotes

This is one of the biggest columbaria in Britain standing in the grounds of VAN CASTLE near CAERPHILLY. Made of Pennant sandstone it contained over 1,000 nesting boxes. On private land but can be seen from an adjacent field

Mediaeval dovecotes are passed on some of the walks and this section gives further information on why and how they were used along with the locations of several in Glamorgan. Domestic pigeons were for many centuries kept in specially designed buildings to provide meat for the table. The buildings were known as pigeon houses, dovecotes, columbaria and culverhouses, 'culver' being the Anglo-Saxon for pigeon. The welsh for dovecote is colomendy. The birds were originally descended from the Rock Pigeon, Columba Livia. These days in Britain, if you find pigeon meat for sale it is likely to be the Woodpigeon, Columba Palumbus.
The pigeon provided an important variation to the mediaeval diet, particularly in winter and larger households would have had dovecotes, accompanied by a warren for rabbits and a pond for fish. The birds were not only a source of meat but were also used medicinally and the dung from the dovecote was considered one of the best fertilizers. The feathers and down from the pigeons, along with other fowl, were used for stuffing pillows and mattresses.
Once pigeons were established in a pigeon house they required minimal upkeep. The birds foraged across the countryside in search of food needing supplementary grain only in the harshest weather. They were also great breeders producing a couple of chicks around six times a year with a typical life span of seven years. The pigeons used for meat were generally culled when around four weeks old when the flesh was tender and fat.
The dovecote at LLANTWIT MAJOR is believed to have been built in the 13th Century by the Monks who lived in the nearby Monastic Grange. You can see a ridge running around the building near the top. This once supported a timber platform which both acted as a lookout point and enabled the building to be used as a defensive tower. This dovecote is passed on LLANTWIT MAJOR walk 1.
CADOXTON dovecote

This dovecote is located in CADOXTON, Barry, and is in the private garden of Cadoxton Court. It is dated to the 13th Century. Of stone construction with a corbelled stone dome and pointed doorway.
EAST ABERTHAW
In the apex of the roof of this house next to the pub in EAST ABERTHAW can clearly be seen the half-dozen pigeon holes that would have accommodated a small number of birds.

CULVER HOLE
Certainly one of the most unusual dovecotes in Britain is the CULVER HOLE, near PORT EYNON on Gower. Facing the sea and set into the cliffs there is a reference to it as a columbarium as early as 1399 and it was possibly associated with Port Eynon Castle of which there is now no trace. The masonry is some 60 feet high. It was reputed to have been used by John Lucas of Salthouse in the 16th century as a stronghold and armoury and is believed to have been linked with smuggling.

EAST ORCHARD Castle is an atmospheric ruin to the east of ST ATHAN and can be approached from a public right of way from the village. It is believed to have been a fortified manor rather than a castle and is associated with the Berkerolles family who arrived with the Normans and received the land in the late 11th century. Amongst the various buildings is a large square, roofless dovecote. The photo above right shows the interior with the nest holes in remarkably good condition.

The remains of this dovecote can be found just outside OXWICH Castle on Gower (SS 49766/86315). The castle is the only surviving example in Glamorgan of an Elizabethan prodigy house and is typical of early Tudor court architecture. Whilst ruined, the dovecote provides a good perspective on both the interior with its nest holes and exterior with its access holes.

There are reports of a dovecote in the grounds of ST FAGANS castle in the 16th century when the manor house was built although it is unclear whether the dovecote seen here is the original or a later addition. Entry to the building for the doves seen posing here was through the holes in the side rather than the top. The small structure on the roof allowed some light to enter the interior.

Near the mediaeval village at Cosmeston are the remains of a mediaeval dovecote shown in this photo with only the bottom metre still standing. Dating is uncertain but it is probably no later than 14th century and possibly 12th century.

The North Gatehouse at EWENNY PRIORY, near Bridgend, has a pigeon-nesting area fitted into the gable.

The modern legacy of the mediaeval dovecote is the mini-pigeon house like the one above often seen as an essential fashion accessory to some contemporary gardens although it is questionable whether they ever provide meat for the lord of the manor's table.

I have always supported the Dove Cote and human intervention as an answer to the demise of todays Bird of Peace better known as the Pigeon, These birds have fallen from grace, in todays time of LIES and POISONINGS and all to make a buck, these birds are mass poisoned as a answer and the pest control companies continue to LIE concerning the use of poisons such as Avitrol.
We need to look at the history of the Bird of Peace and the Human Lives this majestic bird has saved over the coarse of history.
Researching the History of Dovecotes in Britain and Ireland

Arfty Tovar

01-06-2008, 04:47 AM

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Board of Health begins pigeon control program
By Leslie H. Dixon / Daily News Staff
Wednesday, March 9, 2005

MILFORD -- Residents are being warned to keep their eyes to the sky next week when the Board of Health begins a pigeon control program intended to scare the birds away from the Town Hall's historic bell tower.

Officials will use the poison Avitrol on corn kernels and, soon after ingestion, some pigeons are expected to fall to the ground dead.

"We're doing this out of necessity to protect the historic building," Health Agent Paul Mazzuchelli said of the problem of mounting pigeon droppings in the 19th century Town Hall bell tower.

Mazzuchelli said the public is being notified early to avoid what happened last summer when dozens of dead pigeons "fell from the sky" after officials at Milford Regional Medical Center tried to rid the building of the birds by poisoning them. They did not inform the public of the pigeon eradication plan.

"There were 15 pigeons dropping on the Store 24 parking lot," recalled Middle School East Principal Joseph Pfiel of the day he looked across the street to the store's parking lot and watched pigeons "falling from the sky" all around his car.

"I wish they had notified us. It was alarming to a lot of people," Pfiel said yesterday.

Because the poisoning program was done in late summer at the height of the West Nile virus scare and at a time when cases of deadly Eastern Equine Encephalitis were turning up in the area, officials quickly became alarmed at the report of dead birds.

About 12 to 15 of the dead birds were sent to the state testing lab in Jamaica Plain. Mazzuchelli said the results were negative, but until officials found out about the poisoning program at the hospital, they were at a loss as to why the birds were dropping dead around town.

The situation was so bad that selectmen decided in November that if pigeons in Milford were to be poisoned again, the public should be notified first.

While other methods have been tried to keep the pigeons away, including hanging a plastic owl and snake from the tip of the bell tower to scare away the birds, officials said they were only temporary deterrents.

Mazzuchelli said the Board of Health recently received permission from the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife to conduct the poisoning program. Although pigeons are not a protected species, the use of the poison Avitrol is restricted and therefore a permit was necessary, he said.

The program will start with a prebaiting phase during which Mazzuchelli will put out whole corn kernels on the ledge of the bell tower. The kernels will be glued and strung to a basket and lowered onto the ledge so the kernels won't blow off in a wind or rainstorm. Once the pigeons begin to accept the bait, the Avitrol will be added.

Mazzuchelli said those birds that ingest the corn will begin to exhibit peculiar behavior very quickly. They may wobble or fall backward or "fall from the sky," dead within 30 minutes, he said.

It is hoped that only a few birds will eat the bait and that the other pigeons will learn the tower is not a good place to roost, Mazzuchelli said. If any other birds, such as robins, are seen eating the bait, the program will be stopped temporarily.

"Everything is being done properly," he said. All environmental concerns have been addressed.

If anyone sees a pigeon acting strangely or a dead pigeon they should contact the Board of Health at 508-634-2315, and the bird will be picked up. If a cat or other animal gets to the dead pigeon before the Board of Health or animal control officer, residents should be aware that even if the animal eats the bird, they will not be harmed by the poison, Mazzuchelli said.

Mazzuchelli said the poisoning program is a last resort to save the bell tower from the continuing damage caused by pigeon droppings.

The poisoning program would cost about $6,500 to $6,900, but because the health agent will do it with the help of a certified adviser, the cost to the town will drop to about $2,000.

If netting was used in the bell tower, the costs would be $40,000 or more, Mazzuchelli said. "It's a very expensive process," he said of the netting, which would be difficult to put up because of the architectural design of the tower.

If poisoning fails and the pigeons return to roost on Town Hall, it may have to be repeated.

No one knows exactly how long the pigeons have roosted downtown, but for decades pigeons have flocked to the high towers of St. Mary's Church, Town Hall, the vacant granite buildings of the old Stacy School and the Granite Building and to the roofs and ledges of other tall buildings such as Middle School East. The bird droppings have created a nuisance and potential health hazard for students, staff, parishioners and residents, Mazzuchelli said.

At Town Hall, the pigeon problem was so bad years ago that the moisture began penetrating the ceiling in the third-floor hall after pigeons flew into the rafters through broken attic windows, Mazzuchelli said.

Mazzuchelli said employees could actually smell the pigeons in certain areas of the building, including the lower level. Even now on a hot, musty day, some people say they can still smell the remnants of pigeons in the building.

While the pigeons left Town Hall last summer after a fire in the clock tower located just below the bell, they returned in recent months creating a mess in the open tower. Pigeon droppings are now covering the historic Holbrook Bell and once again seeping into the floor and ledges of the building.

( Leslie H. Dixon may be reached at 508-634-7521 or at ldixon@cnc.com. )

01-06-2008, 04:54 AM

Poisoned Pigeons in the Pikes Peak Area

Provided by: Donna Ralph

Contributed by: Donna Ralph on 11/29/2006

Contributed by Donna Ralph, President

Ellicott Wildlife Rehabilitation Center

I never know quite how to respond to the rather unfortunately routine telephone calls I receive, like the one that came yesterday. A very unhappy, frustrated lady called me in the morning. She moved here recently from California where she enjoyed her organic garden, her busy bird feeders, and her volunteer time at a bird rescue organization. She came to Colorado to be with her son who is ill with cancer. She was looking forward to visiting us in Colorado Springs because she'd heard about what a progressive, beautiful area we have and of course, she'd heard about the wildlife that abounds here, and how lucky we are that we get to enjoy wildlife viewing from our own neighborhoods.

This lady found an apartment and proceeded to hang her bird feeders, and found herself happy and comfortable that she could watch the birds from her living room window (even though the apartment complex nixed her suggestion of community organic gardening.)

She told me the apartment manager notified her the other day because of her feeding the birds, the flock of about 11 pigeonswere now creating a problem and they would poison the birds to eliminate them. She was horrified and set about trying to find out how she could stop this, figuring it MUST be illegal. Not to mention the guilt she felt that she may have encouraged these birds by feeding them and now she felt responsible for their anticipated demise (by the way, poisoning is a horrible way for an animal to die.)

Eventually she found EWRC and called me, and I immediately felt that dark feeling I have when these calls find their way to me. I knew she was extremely unhappy with what I told her but I told her the way it works, as I understand it in our State.

I've been told that in our State, that pigeons, starlings, and introduced sparrows are not federally protected and are considered "nuisance" species. These birds are prolific and take away food and habitat from beneficial native species that belong here. Therefore, it is perfectly legal to keep them as pets (pigeons are very smart, you know) and it is also legal for them to be exterminated.

The sad thing is, in addition to these birds being killed, the native birds we try to protect die from consuming not only the poison corn they find sprinkled about the rooftops of buildings but the larger, predatory birds die after consuming a poisoned bird as well. These birds ARE federally protected and poisoning them is a crime. However, I've never been able to find a native bird dead from pigeon poisoning. I'm thinking they probably fly away and die elsewhere, where their bodies aren't found. So without bodies, no "crime" has been committed.

I have, however, taken into rehab many, many convulsing, sick, miserable pigeons that have suffered poisoning (I had one with a blow dart in his chest, too) and I'm fortunate I work with a caring veterinarian that can treat these birds, as some do recover. Disturbing enough is the appearance of these birds that come to us; every bit as difficult to me is the distress suffered by the people in our community that find these birds convulsing on their sidewalks, parking lots, and in their courtyards. Their immediate concern is the bird. Their secondary concern is, and I believe it's a very valid concern, is what happens if their child, dog, or cat comes into contact with the poison? Or the dog or cat consumes a poisoned bird it has found on the ground? They are told by building maintenance workers not to worry, the poison is on the rooftop. However, I myself picked up a poisoned pigeon in Colorado Springs last year and upon arrival, found the suspect corn sprinkled all over the parking lot. I carefully placed some in a zip lock bag, confident that someone at the Health Department would be interested in this finding. Unfortunately, nobody was.

So today I find myself thinking about this nice lady who no longer enjoys her apartment or her bird feeder. I know she's racked with guilt and I feel bad for her; it's not her fault; she didn't know. Most people don't know. And for the millionth time, I wonder how we can make it better for the birds andthe people that enjoy them.

Ellicott Wildlife Rehabilitation Center is a 501 c 3 nonprofit that cares for sick, injured, and orphaned wild birds and small mammals. Visit us at Untitled Document

01-06-2008, 04:56 AM

TEXARKANA, Texas — Poisoned pigeons began nose-diving into pavement and dying on downtown sidewalks, marring the city's annual festival.

Authorities cleaned up more than 25 sick or dead birds that apparently had eaten poisoned corn from the roof of a nearby bank branch.

"The death of these pigeons was more than an unfortunate accident," local Capital One Bank President Lacy McMillen said in Tuesday's online edition of Texarkana Gazette. "It was not the intention of the bank to harm any of these birds."

McMillen said the bank hired an exterminator to handle its pigeon problem after a bird entered the bank and defecated on a customer.

The company hired, Anti-Pest Co. Inc. of Shreveport, La., said its goal with the treated corn was to sicken pigeons so they would leave the rooftop. Death was sometimes an unfortunate side effect, company president Jarrod Horton said.

A similar pigeon control effort at a hospital in Schenectady, N.Y., led to a hazardous materials incident in July. Emergency workers spent hours searching the hospital grounds and putting dead birds in red hazardous-waste bags after an exterminator use a pesticide to get rid of pigeons on the roof.

Fire Chief Robert Farstad had described the scene as birds "coming down like dive bombers."

Vera Martin, working at Texarkana's weekend Quadrangle Festival, said the poisoning in the Texas-Arkansas border city sends a bad message to children.

"I think it's cruelty to animals," she said. "What other animals could be killed in the process of doing this?"

01-06-2008, 04:59 AM

December 03, 2003

Family files suit alleging exposure to pigeon poison
By Steve Kanigher <steve@lasvegassun.com>
LAS VEGAS SUN
Shortly after moving into a Henderson apartment complex three years ago, Lisa Casey got light-headed whenever she stood up.

Her headaches and dizziness led to vomiting. And it got just as bad for her youngest son, Shawn, who became so ill he missed 60 days of school and was held back a grade. Her other two sons also developed aches and pains.

Dr. Michael Casey, Lisa's husband and a surgical resident at University Medical Center, escaped illness. But his concern over his family's health led him to discover what he believed to be the culprit -- a controversial odorless bird poison that is legal in Nevada and throughout much of the country but banned in New York City and San Francisco, as well as in Great Britain.

In a lawsuit filed on Nov. 17, the Casey family alleged they were unwittingly exposed to Avitrol, which is commonly used in Nevada to ward off pigeons. The product is designed to scare off pigeons but kills many of them by attacking their nervous systems.

After first becoming ill in 2000, Lisa Casey had menstrual cycles every three weeks and, because of excessive hemorrhaging, underwent a complete hysterectomy in February 2001, the lawsuit stated. She also went from 130 pounds to 104 pounds in a single month.

Even now, she said she cannot pursue her hobby as an abstract acrylic painter because of low energy and depression.

"I still tire real easily," she said in her Las Vegas home. "I still have seizures and I get stressed out."

Shawn Casey, who is now 12, was ill the entire winter of 2000-2001 and was found to have parasites in his gastrointestinal tract. The result was painful cramping. He missed so much school he was forced to repeat fourth grade.

He and his brothers, Benjamin, 16, and Scott, 14, still suffer aches and pains and are no longer able to participate in scouting activities, their parents said.

"When Scott runs he starts to blank out and lose his vision," Michael Casey said.

While the chemical agent in Avitrol has been used experimentally to treat multiple sclerosis patients, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported in 1999 that no human poisonings had occurred through "ordinary use" of the toxic substance.

Unique civil lawsuit

What makes the civil lawsuit unique is that the family is attempting to prove that the illnesses were caused by the "ordinary use" of Avitrol -- to ward off pigeons -- but that the bird poison was applied improperly and without their knowledge.

There had been only two reported cases of humans who became ill after accidental exposure to the chemical agent contained in Avitrol, the EPA stated in 1999 in its latest update on the substance.

Those involved two Virginia adults who ingested the poison in 1978, believing it was an aphrodisiac. Both experienced abdominal discomfort, nausea and dizziness and one had seizures and needed a ventilator. They recovered after three days, the EPA reported.

The Casey lawsuit names as defendants Phoenix Pest & Termite Control of Nevada Inc. and the family's former residence, Galleria Palms Apartments at 625 Whitney Ranch Drive in Henderson.

The family alleges that the apartment management initially lied about the use of bird poison on the property.

"I just felt we were treated like cattle," Lisa Casey said bluntly.

Phone messages for officials of the pest control company weren't returned. Craig Walsh, senior vice president of operations for apartment manager Standard Management Co., one of the defendants in the lawsuit, said "it was an incident we were aware of" but he had no further comment.

Legal strategy

Attorney Ronald Serota of Las Vegas, who is representing the family, said he purposely did not sue Avitrol Corp., the Tulsa, Okla., manufacturer of the toxic substance, because of legal strategy. But he said he would not be surprised if the lawsuit forced Nevada to ban Avitrol.

"I'm hoping the lawsuit raises public awareness of the dangers of Avitrol," Serota said. "There is a need to use certified applicators of Avitrol on a more consistent basis. Property managers also should tell residents what they're doing when they use Avitrol."

But Avitrol Corp. president Kelly Swindle said he is confident the plaintiffs will be unable to prove that his product caused their illnesses.

"We've actually never had a case against the product," Swindle said. "I feel quite confident that Avitrol was not the problem here."

Avitrol was developed by Phillips Petroleum Co. in the early 1960s and soon became the most widely used pigeon poison in the country. A white powder with the scientific name of 4-aminopyridine, it is added to grain baits such as corn kernels. It is most commonly applied on rooftops after the area has been pre-baited with untainted grains.

The intent, according to the manufacturer, is for a few birds to exhibit abnormal reaction immediately after eating the tainted kernels, scaring off other members of the flock. The birds who eat the toxic kernels are expected to die, although it can take several hours for that to happen.

Avitrol has been criticized by animal rights activists who claim that too many birds are killed by pest control companies that apply maximum doses and that the slow death by poisoning is inhumane.

The criticism extends to the fact that many of the affected birds go into convulsions and appear to hallucinate before they die and that the poison is indiscriminate because it can kill other birds and mammals. And the critics argue that pigeons will often return to the same location within months.

"There are more humane ways to solve conflicts with pigeons," John Hadidian, urban wildlife program director for the Humane Society of the United States in Washington, said.

Banned in New York

In New York City the substance has been banned since 2000, after pigeons were seen literally dropping from ledges of Manhattan skyscrapers. An advocate of the ban was Ward Stone, the lead wildlife pathologist for the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, who found Avitrol in a dead peregrine falcon.

"One problem with Avitrol is that it doesn't kill only target birds," Stone said. "It can kill any bird that is attracted to it. Changing the architecture of a building fundamentally is the better way to go."

A common complaint is that the dead pigeons are often left to rot instead of being removed from public view as recommended by the manufacturer.

Continued

01-06-2008, 04:59 AM

Avitrol has been used in Nevada since at least the 1970s, with no reports of human ailments prior to the Casey lawsuit, according to the Nevada Department of Agriculture.

Of the 320 licensed pest control businesses in Southern Nevada, fewer than 50 use the toxic substance, Thomas Smigel, regional manager of the state agriculture department, said. All Avitrol users, which include hotels, must pass tests and be federally certified to use Avitrol since it is considered a restricted-use pesticide.

Chuck Moses, an environmental scientist with the agriculture department, said the state in the past five years has levied four fines in the $500 to $1,000 range for Avitrol-related violations of pesticide regulations. Two fines involved improper record-keeping of Avitrol use, one was for an individual who wasn't certified to use the poison, and the other was because the pesticide applicator failed to pick up unused tainted corn kernels in a timely manner.

In a separate enforcement action earlier this month, the EPA fined Univar USA Inc. of Kirkland, Wash., $10,450 for selling an Avitrol product to a Las Vegas company, All Pro Pest Control, that was not certified to use the substance.

The alleged suffering of the pigeons is something Avitrol Corp. sharply disputes. The company points to a 1979 study by pathologists at the University of Ottawa in Canada who concluded that pigeons that ingested the poison did not experience pain despite going through convulsions.

"Avitrol appears to be humane based on scientific evidence," the report concluded.

The Casey lawsuit raises an entirely different allegation: that the Avitrol was not applied properly, causing Shawn Casey to come in contact with the substance outdoors and then, unwittingly, contaminate his household.

Skin absorption eyed

The Caseys said they believe that Shawn and to a lesser extent, Scott, absorbed the Avitrol through their skin while wrestling or playing barefoot in the apartment complex yard. The parents also said the Avitrol -- which resembled mashed corn mix -- was tracked into their residence by the boys' shoes, scooters and skates.

Swindle, though, said he doesn't believe the children would have been seriously harmed unless they swallowed large quantities of Avitrol.

"We've heard of people sharing concerns that it's possible for Avitrol to blow off of a roof but I've never heard of anything like this," he said. "I have touched this stuff on a daily basis for 30 years. The only way you would have a negative reaction to it is if you ingested a large quantity of it."

Michael Casey took a sample of the Avitrol along with two of the dead pigeons to the local EPA office. A state agricultural department inspection team then visited the apartment complex in November 2001 and found "one or two" kernels near the yard that contained Avitrol and also examined a dead pigeon that had been poisoned.

Casey said he never heard of Avitrol until the agriculture department told him what it was. When he began doing his own research on the substance, he didn't like what he found. The family, worried about their health, moved out of Galleria Palms in January 2002.

"I don't think it should be used because you can't control what wild birds will eat," Michael Casey said of Avitrol.

Lisa Casey also said the poison should be banned in Nevada.

"I realize pigeons make the dung," she said. "But if Avitrol can kill a bird, it can also kill a dog or cat. And kids can pass by and put it in their mouth. They shouldn't put anything like that outside."

The manufacturer's directions indicate that Avitrol applicators wear gloves and remove unused kernels the same day they are applied.

"We don't want people touching it because there are lawyers out there who would like to sue us," Swindle said.

The labeling was upgraded by Avitrol Corp. after state agriculture departments in Nevada and other states pointed out that the instructions weren't specific enough. There had been numerous citizen complaints in Nevada in the mid-1990s that unused bait and dead pigeons weren't being removed in a timely fashion.

"Where uneaten bait may be a hazard to other birds or animals, it should be picked up at the end of each day," the instructions state. "Pick up and dispose of dead birds by burial."

Based on the fact the state has levied only one fine in Southern Nevada for failure to retrieve unused baits, Moses said he believes pest control applicators have been doing a better job of cleanup than in prior years. But he and Smigel said the state still fields complaints about dead pigeons that haven't been removed, particularly during summer months.

Smigel said that if his department is able to establish who killed the pigeons, it usually just takes a phone call to the party responsible to get the birds removed.

"We have an established population of pigeons," Smigel said. "It has always been an urban problem and Las Vegas is no different than any other city. If you use Avitrol, you're just pushing them from one site to another."

01-06-2008, 05:01 AM

Birds of a feather
found dead together

By James Laughlin

The Voice
During Christmas break, approximately 14 birds and two cats were found dead or dying on Campus. Many of the birds exhibited a loss of flight, dizziness and a slow death.

It is legal for a professional to poison pigeons, starlings, and sparrows (though no other birds can be exterminated) who may be a nuisance. Poisons such as Starlicide, made by Purina, and a cracked corn feed called Avitrol are among the more common chemicals used in bird control.

On the afternoon of Jan. 18, this reporter found a crow on the grassy area just south of the High-Tech Center Annex, exhibiting the same symptoms as the pigeons. The crow was transported to Cortez Animal Hospital. After being observed by a veterinarian, a determination was made that the probable cause of the bird's symptoms was a poison.

Neither Saguaro Ranch Park, "Olive Tree" or "Cimmaron Terrace" apartment complexes, all within a one-block radius of the campus, have reported any similar dead bird discoveries within he last 30 days.

Over the Christmas holiday break, Jon Olivas, a Campus employee who works in the copy center, saw numerous dead or dying birds. "When we came back to work the Tuesday after Christmas, I saw at least five or six dead birds lying around the campus. Then, for at least a week after that, every day I'd see one or two flopping around." Olivas said that all of the birds were pigeons, and that they all exhibited exactly the same symptoms, which included convulsions, tremors, excessive salivation, and ultimately, death.

Quoth the pigeon "Nevermore"

Mary Hagar of campus security said that they had received several comments from people about dead or dying birds at GCC.

Although mass bird deaths on campus would not appear to be a security issue, Hagar too was curious and a referral was made to the GCC campus maintenance office.

"We have been involved in a program of trying to reduce the number or pigeons on the campus," said Dr. John Waltrip, president of GCC. "They've tried several different things. The last thing they (maintenance) were using was a licensed pest controller."

Tom Bruemmer, director of buildings and grounds, denied any knowledge of possible bird poisoning on campus. However, when asked for an official response on behalf of the campus, he declined. When asked what methods the campus uses to control insects or other unwanted pests, he said that this job "was contracted out to a private company," and again refused to divulge further information.

Waltrip said that Bruemmer has tried several different things to control the bird population on campus, but "nothing has been very successful." Finally, he contracted out through a company who does that professionally."

Mel Holt, an official with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Law Enforcement agency, said that "It is in violation of federal law to use any chemical that could pose a threat to wildlife without the expressed written consent of his office.'' After a brief check of his records, he said that his office had no record of having received an application to use such measures.

Waltrip isn't aware of any application to use poison to control the bird population.

"I never heard of anything like that so obviously we wouldn't go ask for it if we didn't know about it," President Waltrip said. "When you use a licensed contractor you would assume they'd be aware of any permits that would have to be attained."

David Roth, a local activist who led the fight to stop Maricopa County from using poison to control pigeons at the Madison Street Jail in Phoenix, said that "Despite laws designed to control it's use, they are largely ineffective. In the past, the city of Glendale used Avitrol to control pigeons,and denied doing it. "When proof was found to the contrary, the city parks and recreation department claimed that this was done without the permission of city management, and attributed the poisoning to an individual taking matters into their own hands," Roth said.

Roth led a successful campaign to prevent the county from using lethal means to deter pigeons from roosting on top of the country jail in downtown Phoenix. His level of expertise earned Roth the recognition by various state animal control agencies as a valuable consultant in methods of dealing with unwanted birds. Additionally, he has founded a non-profit organization called "The Urban Wildlife Society." They are confronting the issue of bird control in cities.

Even though it is a legal practice to control birds this way, Roth has secured a promise from Maricopa County officials that they would not utilize any form of lethal control of birds at any county facility without first consulting his organization. "The Urban Wildlife Society" under the direction of David Roth has devoted much time in advising Maricopa County on methods of controlling birds in environmentally safe ways.

In the meantime, any person on campus should avoid leaving food or other garbage in any place other than a proper trash receptacle. Also, you should obey all campus regulations concerning pets, and never allow your dog or cat to roam freely. If you discover a bird that you believe may have been poisoned, you can contact "The Urban Wildlife Society" in Phoenix at 265-4320.

01-06-2008, 05:07 AM

How to Get Rid of Pigeons