Do Not Feed The Flying Pests!

[Rob McCow]

London has outlawed feeding pigeons in Trafalgar Square and brought in trained hawks to kill them, prompting legal action against Mayor Ken Livingstone.
Venice is trying to stop the sale of bird seed to tourists in St. Mark's Square to get pigeon numbers down and stop their droppings from damaging the ancient paving of the square.
New York is using a sound system playing the noises of predatory birds to scare the winged marauders from Times Square
while radical pro-pigeon underground groups prowl the city to stop poachers who trap the birds for pigeon shoots.
But as feathers fly in an escalating battle against the pigeon, one man has emerged with nothing but admiration for the reviled birds dubbed by many as "rats with wings."
U.S. writer Andrew Blechman spent over a year researching and writing the newly-released book "Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World's Most Revered and Reviled Bird" -- and unwittingly became a mouthpiece for his new feathered friend.
"I'm not an advocate of pigeons or birds but it is hard not to learn to really appreciate the bird," Blechman told Reuters.
"I have come from an indifference to a point where I really admire them. They are an extraordinarily gentle bird. What other animal would you let your two-year-old chase with glee."
Blechman's interest in pigeons began with a chance encounter in a New York corner store with a man who told him about his thoroughbred racing pigeons. Fascinated that a pigeon could be a thoroughbred, Blechman visited him and his fascination began.
"I'm not a bird person, I don't own binoculars. I never had an opinion about pigeons. But the more I learnt about them, the more I was amazed but how much there was to learn," he said.
"I was intrigued by the quirky subculture. People's lives revolve around them."
Blechman wrote a magazine article about pigeons which then sparked a call from a literary agent -- and a book took off.
"I never thought I would be visiting the Queen's Royal Pigeon Handler at Sandringham, or eating dinner in the Houses of Parliament to celebrate the pigeon, or sitting in a smoky strip club in Phoenix waiting for Mike Tyson (the most famous pigeon lover in the United States)," said Blechman.
"I found people who loved pigeons loved sharing their hobby."
Pigeons were once worshipped as fertility goddesses, used as symbols of peace, and the domesticated bird was a crucial communicators in war with almost one million pigeons credited with saving thousands of lives in the two world wars.
But over the years the pigeon was transformed from beloved friend to feathered outlaw, found in large numbers in public places, said Blechman. Thousands are used as target practice by some U.S. rifle clubs and blogs spit loathing at the birds.
"As I'm not a bird person I'm not a snob when it comes to different species and I was stunned by how much people hate these birds," said Blechman.
"Hatred always has an inevitable conclusion -- these horrible pigeon shoots. It says a lot about society that we can be so cruel to an animal in our midst that has served us so loyally."

Served us so loyally my foot! How do you explain the mysterious white paste that plasters any clear surface on the London Underground? Pigeons are a menace and the sooner we cull the little devils the better. I wouldn't mind if there were the odd few pigeons about, but at Trafalgar Square it's like a carpet.

Not only that, but they are dirty birds. ( ) They get their food mostly from dustbins round the back of restaurants, mixing with the overflowing drains, the hazardous waste and germs, germs, germs. Then they spread their filth everywhere.

On the other hand though, do you know anyone who has got ill from touching a pigeon?

Pigeons - Live or die?

[Trudi G]

DIE!
They are rats with wings, spreading disease wherever they go

[Si Hunt]

Jack Duckworth says:"Ey oop. 'appen we should save the pigeons! Pint please Betty luv. Will 'ee 'eck as like."

Si.

[Dirk Gently]

"Corporal, rats with wings there, five rounds rapid!"

[Stuart Wallis]

Pigeons or Ken Livingstone - which is London's biggest pest? Discuss.

[Paul Monk]

Well at least if pigeons want to fly over to Cuba on a jolly they don't waste tons of council tax money.

I have no problem with pigeons.

[Dirk Gently]

You wouldn't be saying that if one pooped on your head.

[Anthony Williams]

kill the buggers!

Ant x

[Captain Tancredi]

On the other hand though, do you know anyone who has got ill from touching a pigeon?

In the 1920s my grandma's brother Freddie died of psittacosis transmitted by the racing pigeons he kept.

[Raston]

They make good eating-i say do the just things and hunt them for tasty snacks!

The tramps and Whores could be eating like kings and queens with all that fine game in Trafalgar square!

[forge]

You wouldn't be saying that if one pooped on your head.

That actually happened to me.

So my reasons for wanting their extermination are purely personal.

[WhiteCrow]

That actually happened to me.

So my reasons for wanting their extermination are purely personal.

Of course in Dalek Invasion of the Earth the Daleks dealt with them quite ruthlessly in Trafalgar square ...

[Larry]

Pigeons or Ken Livingstone - which is London's biggest pest? Discuss.

Pigeons of course - after all Ken, is a Doctor Who fan...

[Dave Tudor]

I like pigeons.

[Wayne]

I like pigeons.

Well they are birds after all.

[Milky Tears]

I agree with Raston!!

[Stuart Wallis]

Pigeons of course - after all Ken, is a Doctor Who fan...

There's two pigeons who live round my way who are heavily into Pertwee-era Who, I'll have you know! There! what do you think of that? Eh?

[Rob McCow]

How do you know they're into Pertwee era Who? Do they coo at your windows if you patronise them and flare your nostrils? Is one of them Pat Gorman in a pigeon suit? Is the other Terry Walsh? Can you hear them cooing 'Klokleda Partha Menin Klatch'? etc...

[Stuart Wallis]

They told me. Look, how much of these Paul Merton off-cuts do you want?!

[Pip Madeley]