Just outside the back door of the building I work in there is an air duct, and pigeons nest under it. I understand that this might not be the ideal place for nesting, but they like it.
I use that door a few times a day to have a cigarette and observe the little birds. I noticed the other day that there were EGGS in the nest! I got very excited, hoping that I would get to see them hatch (I have never had the chance to witness hatching eggs). This morning when I went out for my first smoke, I checked on the nest/mom/eggs… THEY WERE ALL GONE!
I just don’t understand why someone would feel the need to destroy something that is out of the way, and a home for a soon-to-be bird family! Some people just don’t know how to share their air (duct)! —I <3 Pigeons
This article appears in Jun 24-30, 2010.
i hope they were at least removed a little humanely. however i doubt it. pigeon crap is actually quite poisonous and having them right there by the duct could be unhealthy. so i understand why they had to be removed but i’m sorry they had to lose their home.
Think about it – who’s ever seen a baby pigeon? The pigeons probably figured the jig was up and spirited the nest to the top of Sir Walter Scott’s head on South Park St.
Six stars is right; large congregations of pigeons can be quite unhealthy. Where there’s one pair, there’s always 18 thousand more. I remember when I was living in a south end apartment building, my balcony was absolutely useless thanks to those rats. Pigeon shit covered every square centimetre, and then it finally hit a head when they started fornicating on the balcony.
I had to get sick before the building did anything about it. They had to pressure wash the shit off the deck, and put up a net. Even after the net, they still tried to get in.
I was so happy to leave that place.
I find it odd that anyone would want to have any interest in a creature that nests in its own feces. These things are flying disease factories.
can we say meow, burp?
Don’t we have a deal with the pidgeons? They move out of our way and we look the other way on the statue defecation. ~Costanza
More, birds don’t poop in their nests. And pigeons are only flying disease factories because of us.
…and besides; even if they did poop in their nests, wouldn’t that be true for all birds and not just pigeons?
Congrats to whoever eradicated the eggs. Now, if we could find a way to get rid of the ones that are all over the city. My friends suggested Bleach & rice, but I think that’s illegal.
I’ve been watching an eagle nest-cam for a number of weeks now and the eaglet has been aiming his little birdie arse toward the edge of the nest and launching a stream of eagle poop over the side practically since he came out of the egg. I don’t know how they know to do this. He’s a big bird now. Check him (her?) out at http://www.hornbyeagles.com/webcam.htm before the eaglet leaves the nest…pretty cool stuff n’est pas?
@ oceanlady – Scree, Scree, Scree!
I and C, et al:
WARNING: Watching the eagle-cam is highly addictive and may result in the wastage of time and procrastination of seemingly less important tasks. Empty nest syndrome may occur when the eaglet leaves the nursery/nest. Please consult Aunt Bird, Eddie The Eagle or Foghorn Leghorn should symptoms persist.
LMAO >: ) Noted with gratitude OL. I’m pushing 50, antisocial as hell, and ,most important, on vacation all week.
Gary Larson put it best when he said “Birds of prey know they’re cool”
I’ve got a pair of pidgeons that hang out on the street light outside my balcony. They shit all over the top of it and lay down in it. And the female doesn’t mind getting screwed while in that dirty spot. Pretty gross.
Happy vacation week Ivan-o-man. Doing anything in particular or just veggin’?
Doing the eternal triangle , Liquor Store – Chapters – Balcony. Might take in some ships if I’m ambitious; might make it to the lake if the rain stops. My boss at the gulag has taken to calling me Dwight Schrute lately , so I think some down time is well in order. >: )
And I LOVE the eagle cam. Spassibo Bolshoi, lovely Lady of the Oceans
you get a vacation colonel? my boss is such a fecking, weirdo bitch^^^tho i do have canada day off eh..rawk. enjoy, go wave at the queen pour moi
Dunder-Mifflin gives me 5 weeks a year cuz I’m such a demented old-whack job. Having long conversations with my Conky finger puppet during conference calls cemented that sweetheart deal. No slagging off your boss – she has quite a following hereabouts. ^ ^ ^ I’ll hoist a pint to some jolly jack tars and give the Widow of Windsor(not quite yet) the old two-fingered salute if it’s not out of keeping with the situation.
yes please ivan…one or two fingered works for me. the boss does buy us brewskis so she can’t be all bad…plus the tunes are fine^^
And she’s got a great sense of humour. Can’t beat that kind of boss.
@ Z …Birds forthe most part do not deficate in their nests & clean up the mess made by their young.
Pigeons make their nests out of shit.
That’s right they then sleep in it, raise their chicks there.
Wonderful creatures !
More, I read this: “like most other nests, a pigeon nest is usually made with small twigs and located on covered building ledges that resemble cliffs, a Rock Dove’s natural habitat. The male brings the nesting material to his mate, one piece at a time and she builds the nest, usually well-hidden and hard to find”.
Z— The Flying Rat (also known as it’s more PETA-approved name, Rock Pigeon) is not indigenous to North America. As a feral species, it lacks significant competition in an urban environment, leading to owls and falcons to move into cities, where they themselves become an issue, endangering themselves, and humans. Personally, I think they should be eradicated, every single last one of them, for that reason alone.
Uh oh, I and C….upper casement of the word LOVE is one of the indicators of eaglecam addiction. Next thing you know we’ll all be wondering ‘whatever happened to good ol’ what’s-his-name?’ while you transfix to the computer screen oblivious to the world until you crash when the little eaglet leaves, not only the nest, but also a bunch of us cold turkeys to deal with our eaglecam withdrawals.
I can live wit dat – plus as you’ve pointed out I’m already in good with a ready made support group. >; )
Thank you for that prized information, Dr Fever- pigeons are not indigenous to NA. What a clever observation.
Actually, pigeons happen to be a very easy, and favorite meal for birds of prey, such as owls, falcons and hawks. They also favor that other “rat” which doesn’t fly. I do believe, my dear sir, it is also known as it’s more PETA friendly name… “The squirrel”.
Agreed, but again, we don’t, or shouldn’t need, to have birds of prey in an urban setting. Squirrels don’t cause illness, they might cause minor property destruction, but hey let’s not confuse facts with personal opinion.
If there were no pigeons, how would I entertain my cats while I am at work?
How do you know squirrels don’t cause disease, Dr Fever? Like racoons, they can carry rabies. I might think they’re cute, but like pigeons, I sure as heck wouldn’t touch one without gloves, and that’s only if it needed help.
I’d be interested in knowing how many Haligonians have actually been made sick by a pigeon. I know lots who’ve had salmonella from bad chicken or other food, but none that caught anything from a pigeon.
iRegarding the birds of prey that are in cities now, how exactly do they risk lives?
it is a pigeon.you are probably the type of person that would be agianst the spraying of DDT to combat malaria,or the seal hunt. get off the walt disney movies and join reality
actually sixxes, I would totally justify the spraying of ddt against malaria, if it worked. But you’re right on how I feel about the seal hunt, and I don’t think it has anything to do with Disney movies that makes me feel that way, dummy.
I have had breathing issues from pigeons, specifically the fungus that got in my lungs thanks to their shit. It’s like having bat guano in your home, it can lead to any number of infections.
Squirrels rarely cause disease thanks to them not being domesticated; therefore, direct human interaction is rare, very much like the raccoon. This is unlike the pigeon, who is totally accustomed to human interaction, thanks to the people feed them, keep them as pets, and so forth. Also, we are more likely to encounter pigeon feces than we are to be bitten or come into contact with a fluid-born disease like rabies. It is also important to note that rodents rarely carry rabies. Thus, the comparison of urban dwelling rodents and pigeons is very poor.
@Z. I work as a rigger.
Pigeons & their feces is toxic. I have personally had to remove their shit to rig shows down at pier 21 before all the upgrades. I’ve seen nests withthe odd piece of grass or twig…but the majority of what was there is feces.
Whenever we have to work in a building that pigeons have been able to have access to in & out, like the old Steel Plant on Windmill Road, up by Brewdibakers. Where I put a rig in for a Sellik movie last year. the Shit on the beams was thick !
We had to wear gloves, overalls & masks with charcoal filters on them as well as eye protection, because of how sick this stuff can make you.
That you so rabidly defend these desease factories makes me question your sanity…& how much actual experience you’ve had in dealing with them. If you decide to start handling them, their chicks or anything near their nests, you really need to take steps to keep yourself safe.
More… You by chance workin in the area of Woodside currently?
I thought all bird poop was toxic, not just pidgeon shit.
It is, pigeon is more-so typically because they congregate in such large groups, thereby creating the problem. Also, they’re larger than most songbirds that populate the city, and even larger than most small to mid size birds like starlings or jays, so there’s typically more of it.
Squirrels not domesticated?? I take it you’ve never been to Toronto or Montreal, then Dr Fever. In either place, they’ll eat from your hand. They’re cute looking and curious, but one look at your average Toronto squirrel and you won’t be so sure the only thing they can carry is rabies!
I understand More’s situation at work- definelty unhealthy. And no, More, I am not insane. I simply don’t work or live anywhere which has a problem with pigeon shit….beyond the odd splatter on a windshield or my front step…etc. I don’t think I’m insane (or very unique) for thinking pigeons to be friendly and somewhat pleasant to watch if I’m sitting in a park.
…and no, More, I am not thinking about “handling some pigeons” but thanks for the tidbit of advice. Of course, I might consider if if it meant I could be the token crazy pigeon lady on LTWWB.