BIRDS,
BIRD CONTROL & HUMAN HEALTH (updated 5/14/05)
Many people are disturbed
about the poisoning of pigeons and other birds in their cities. Bird
poisons have been banned in places such as New York City; Fort Collins,
Colo.; San Francisco, Great Britain, and most recently, in Boulder,
Colo. To view Boulder’s new bird sanctuary ordinance, go to http://www.ci.boulder.co.us/clerk/agenda/2002/100102/o-3c.pdf.
Bird poisons should
be banned everywhere because they are:
Inhumane.
Avitrol and other bird
poisons are not, as frequently reported, “LSD for birds.” Avicides such
as Avitrol are acutely toxic, and they kill. After birds ingest treated
grain or kernels, they suffer from seizures and a slow shutdown of the
nervous system for up to 15 hours. If found in time, rehabilitators
can save some birds, but without treatment, the birds die.
Indiscriminate.
Songbirds and other
birds feeding on the poisoned bait are killed, and predators such as
raptors, foxes, hawks, cats and dogs are at risk of secondary poisonings
from feeding on the dead or dying birds. It is illegal under federal
law to harm any endangered, threatened, or migratory birds.
Ineffective.
People who hire exterminators to poison birds actually save money and frustration by switching to non-lethal methods, because lethal control is never effective in the long term. Bird populations respond to poisoning with increased birth and survival rates and decreased emigration. If food, water, and shelter remain, others will move in to the open space within a short time. According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, killing birds can actually create favorable grounds for breeding and can result in an increase in bird populations.
Dangerous to Humans.
Humans can die or become
ill from accidental ingestion of or skin exposure to small amounts of
bird poison, as occurred in Las Vegas recently after a little boy brought
home a pigeon he'd found. The bird was dying of Avitrol poisoning. Shortly
after, the family began to show poisoning symptoms, and the boy became
very ill. His parents are taking legal action.
According
to New York City's Avitrol ban, "Avitrol is too deadly and too
blunt an instrument to be used in an urban setting."
Effective bird control = humane control.
The only effective strategy
is the simultaneous application of three basic techniques:
1. physical exclusion from a structure
2. humane repellants to produce conditions that compel birds to avoid
the site
3. cultural methods that focus on the elimination of the food supply.
Simple modifications
in a building's structure can discourage birds from landing or nesting.
Netting, wire coils/porcupine wire, spikes, Mylar tape streamers and
slanting boards are among many do-it-yourself solutions to evict birds.
Ropel, a foul-tasting deterrent, also repels birds.
(Sticky chemical repellents
applied to ledges to discourage roosting are touted as humane but can
actually kill birds and other wildlife.)
For more information, go to http://www.birdbarrier.com/ and http://www.urbanwildlifesociety.org/UWS/BrdCtrl/BrdCtlProd.html.
Debunking Myths
Pigeons and other non-migratory
birds have suffered from a program of misinformation led by "pest
control" companies and biased media.
Myth: Pigeons spread
disease.
Fact: There have been no documented cases of disease in people caused by
wild or free-ranging pigeons (Humane Society of the United States).
The public is at little or no health risk from pigeons (Cincinnati Environmental
Advisory Council). There is no evidence that a person can contract the
West Nile virus from handling live or dead infected birds. According
to the National Institutes of Health, "One could not justify an
eradication of pigeons for the sole purpose of protecting people from
cryptotococcosis and histoplasmosis." Authorities concur that bird
poisons pose more of a risk to human health than any bird droppings
do.
Myth: Avitrol is not a poison but merely a "flight alarm":
The affected birds emit distress calls that scare off the others.
Fact: Pigeons do not scream.
They have no sound for pain. Avitrol kills, plain and simple.
Myth: Pigeons have
no natural predators.
Fact: Hawks, owls, falcons,
eagles, cats, rats and foxes all use pigeons as a food source in urban
areas.
Myth:
Killing birds will reduce their
numbers.
Fact: Killing birds actually
creates favorable grounds for breeding. According to the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, if one-fourth of the birds in a flock are killed,
the flock can be expected to return to its original size within six
months to two years. The National Pest Control Association, Avian and
Wildlife Biologists, and other animal experts agree that extermination
and other removal schemes are, at best, temporary and wasteful solutions
to bird control. Exterminators won’t reveal this fact because killing
birds guarantees repeat business.
For more information about RMAD’s work to protect wild birds, contact
Jill Bielawski at jillb@rmad.org.
For more information about bird control, go to: http://www.urbanwildlifesociety.org/UWS/.
If you find a bird in convulsions
or showing other signs of poisoning, DO rush her to the nearest wildlife
rehabilitator (or, if unavailable, a veterinarian), but use caution
when handling and avoid any skin
contact with the bird. Report poisoned birds to local officials
such as Animal Control and the police. In Boulder, such reports will
be required for the new law to work. Please also report any poisoned
birds found in Boulder or Denver to jillb@rmad.org.
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