Pigeons in Toronto

[vidi vici veni]

Okay, here's another intractable Toronto problem: goddamn pigeons. Minor in the great scheme of things but annoying to the max.

I've just spent the last few hours(!) chasing them off my balcony. They befoul balconies and backyards yet nothing can be done. The mere thought of a cull causes the brains of our city fathers to freeze in horror. 'No, no, no! Must think this over and over and over. Have to consult the pigeon lobby. Get back to you in 2025.'

Maybe there's a Saint Jack (Layton) of the Pigeons on the council?! Whatta city Toronto has become. Paralysis rules.

vvv

[Ping]

ever wonder why yu see plastic owls hanging around?, or why Crappy Tire sells them? It's because pigeons have a brain about the size of a peanut and cant tell a plastic owl from the real live predator that will eat them. go buy an owl...failing that put those bed of nail strips all over the place like the large downtown office towers use...look along their window sills.

Ping

[Average Joe]

I used to have a bad pigeon problem so I put a ceramic owl on my balcony. Works like a charm. Apparently owls are the pigeon's natural enemy.

[james t kirk]

I hate pigeons.

Smelly, noisy, disgusting flying rats.

I agree that the city should carry out a genocide here.

[Cool Dude]

Pigeons are an excellent reason for relaxing any current gun control laws.;)

The"Canadian Goose" as well, although I must tell you that most of these birds seem to have been granted permanent US citizenship.

[vidi vici veni]

As birds go, pigeons are not that stupid. Hey, B.F. Skinner had a soft spot for them. Anyway, they do learn. I've seen pigeons standing on the heads of ceramic owls. Those owls don't move so the pigeons seem, over time, to lose any fear of them.

Average Joe, I don't know how to explain your good experience with one. Maybe, lucky bastard, you've got the dummy pigeons in your neighbourhood.

Wires and nails etc. seem more the way to go but isn't it pathetic that it has to come to this? Some nets and bread crumbs would make for an easy cull. However, the political will is just not there.

vvv

[Willywants]

vvv
Thought at first you were referring to the pigeons that use their CC's to pay for an agency SP encounter!
Looks like they could be in trouble too!
Pigeons seem to be the most prolific foul fowl in the city!
However, Canada Geese run a very close second! Different sanctuary though!
Food banks running low on supplies? Homeless need a good feed?
How about a generous serving of pigeon pie?
The stuffed or ceramic or plastic Owl definitely does work!

Willy

[vidi vici veni]

Originally posted by Willywants
vvv
Thought at first you were referring to the pigeons that use their CC's to pay for an agency SP encounter!
Looks like they could be in trouble too! [snip, snip, snip]Willy
Oh Willy, you are baaaaad!

vvv

[Ping]

I think the pigeons need to see the owl move thats why some are hung, as the wind blows them the pigeons see them...failing that Id by a cat and leave it on the balcony

[JohnC]

Poisoned birdfeed works as well, but it is indiscriminate!!

[Sheik]

*lol*

When I lived in the city I used to have a real big problem with the pigeons. I tried one of those noisemakers they sell that drive away the birds. It worked, but it drove away all the birds, not just the damn pigeons.

Then a fellow boater introduced me to the plastic owl. That worked like a charm. The secret is, ya gotta move the thing every couple of days. Just leaving it in the same spot aint gonna work.

As for the geese....*muttering* ever been to Toronto Islands in the summer? The friggin park is swarming with geese, their droppings and all those "idiotic visitors" think the geese are cute and keep feeding the damn overgrown rats despite the numerous signs posted that its against the law to feed em....

One of these days, I wanna find out where they live and dump a shit load of goose droppings on their front lawn and see how they feel about these "cute" birds.

Up in my current neighbourhood we have some wild falcons. They take care of the pigeons, mice, moles and every other kind of vermin. Bring them to the city and the pigeons will be gone before you know it.

[Mr. Lucky]

*Thread bump*

Trying going to city's like London, New York, Paris, Rome, Venice, Prague.


Pigeons will love you there!

http://www.jaunted.com/files/3873/VenicePigeonAttack.jpg

[SkyRider]

Toronto should be renamed "Animal City". First, there is an oversupply of wild life such as pigeons, raccoons, coyotes, geese, etc. Then there are 28 million dogs and cats.

[MissCroft]

http://misschloecroft.com/images/18.jpg :D

They're heavier than they look!

[jwmorrice]

Oh Willy, you are baaaaad!
vvv

Get a room together, you old bums.

jwm

[roadhog]

Tell your building owner about these guys.

www.pigeonguard.com

[cl2k8]

In the event of a collapse of society, pigeons can be a good source of food.

[tboy]

*lol*

When I lived in the city I used to have a real big problem with the pigeons. I tried one of those noisemakers they sell that drive away the birds. It worked, but it drove away all the birds, not just the damn pigeons.

Then a fellow boater introduced me to the plastic owl. That worked like a charm. The secret is, ya gotta move the thing every couple of days. Just leaving it in the same spot aint gonna work.

As for the geese....*muttering* ever been to Toronto Islands in the summer? The friggin park is swarming with geese, their droppings and all those "idiotic visitors" think the geese are cute and keep feeding the damn overgrown rats despite the numerous signs posted that its against the law to feed em....

One of these days, I wanna find out where they live and dump a shit load of goose droppings on their front lawn and see how they feel about these "cute" birds.

Up in my current neighbourhood we have some wild falcons. They take care of the pigeons, mice, moles and every other kind of vermin. Bring them to the city and the pigeons will be gone before you know it.

I'm with you sheik, and we do have some peregrines living in the city. Just recently a pair nested on the roof of Princess Margaret Hospital (I think it was PM).

As a boater you also have to love the "protected" seagull. Go through the eastern gap and wait for your passengers to ask why the trees are white lol...

I'm not going to say how I took care of my pigeon problem but let's just say there aren't any more flying rats around my building. The thing is: they aren't indigenous, they are released by all those bird breeders when they get tired of feeding them.....I remember a scene from the show "Mad Men" where the cute suzy homemaker wife went out back in her little frilly dress and started popping the neighbour's birds because she too got tired of her yard and house getting covered in bird shit......

[phail]

a thread resurrected from 2002!!

[Tangwhich]

Electrify your railing!

That won't work for the same reason birds can safely perch on a power line.

[Aardvark154]

Borrow something from London of a few years ago Red Ken's Pigeon Cull (http://www.arcadetemple.com/game/21520/Red-Kens-Pigeon-Cull.html) ;)

[tboy]

That won't work for the same reason birds can safely perch on a power line.

what you have to do is run two bare lines paralell to each other about 1/8" apart over top of an insulating membrane such as duct tape. Only thing is, you shouldn't be using 110 household current because you may injure a child or another adult and then you might be charged. I heard a story about a guy who did this with his car (ran the hose to create a puddle underneath it) and killed a toddler.

You could pick up a 12 volt power converter and use it. It will give a shock, but nothing major to a human.

[Aardvark154]

a thread resurrected from 2002!!They got me.

[Rockslinger]

a thread resurrected from 2002!!

Pigeon population triples every 7 years. Wait till 2016 and they will change the name of the baseball team to the Toronto Pigeons (no more Blue Jays).