# Ferals practically gone



## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

I have always counted the pigeons on my way to and from work while I'm sitting at stop lights. Sometimes I would see almost 200 in certain places. For three days I have only seen a couple of pigeons. I am really worried that canker is wiping them out. I live in San Luis Obispo County Central Coast of California. I am really concerned for them.


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## hamlet (Oct 26, 2004)

Hello. I hope you are wrong. I think that it is simply breeding season: so they are sitting on nests. Why canker? I have never seen one wild baby with canker. The ferals in my hood are less these days because i see more spikes and fences going up every year. I just hope that pigeon shelters can be put up in cities where they can be counted and enjoyed.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Hope the ferals are just nesting. But there has been an epidemic of trichomonas throughout the central coast in wild pigeons so I am worried. Will keep looking to see if they show up.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Sad situation if they are struck down. Rich also affects other species - there was an outbreak here which wiped out a lot of garden-feeding songbirds 2 - 3 years back.


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## kiddy (Feb 5, 2015)

Hi cwebster,
Sad if it is so but even it hurts more when people say that in their country pigeons are treated like pests. We don't value to the critters when they are in abundance and when get endangered we try to get them back like we started clebrating world sparrow day when sparrows started disappearing , earlier never cared for them and even people would eat them. I wish pigeons never face such things. Hope you will be able to see them again on stop lights.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

cwebster said:


> I have always counted the pigeons on my way to and from work while I'm sitting at stop lights. Sometimes I would see almost 200 in certain places. For three days I have only seen a couple of pigeons. I am really worried that canker is wiping them out. I live in San Luis Obispo County Central Coast of California. I am really concerned for them.


A flock of pigeons is a changing thing, they forage for grains and can fly long distances to do so, breeding time ESP. If population gets too overcrowded some move elsewhere. And yes some die from disease which is mother natures way of keeping populations in check. ESP if over crowded.


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

hamlet said:


> Hello. I hope you are wrong. I think that it is simply breeding season: so they are sitting on nests. Why canker? I have never seen one wild baby with canker. The ferals in my hood are less these days because i see more spikes and fences going up every year. I just hope that pigeon shelters can be put up in cities where they can be counted and enjoyed.


Canker isn't always visible unless you are equipped with x-ray vision. 
The myth that if you open the beak and the color is a nice pink then the bird doesn't have canker is simply put...a myth.

Canker is one of the more common diseases found in Doves and Pigeons and most all pigeons have had exposure to and carry Trichomonads in a 'host equilibrium state'. Meaning they have but are living with the organism and keeping it in check through their immune system response. Stress from changing seasons or molting or breeding season can cause an imbalance causing the Trich populations to go out of control becoming the disease state itself.


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

cwebster,

It is true that the feral flocks are an everchanging thing. Could be canker, or as Spirit Wings mentions too much competition for food can cause the flock to break off into smaller groupings relocating to other areas to get food source.

The overpasses have some of their own nuances in that Caltrans is responsible for them and if folks complain about the number of accumulating pigeons, Caltrans will move in and do whatever it is they like to do at night to reduce the numbers.

Also, if there are alot, there may have been a feeder for them to congregate at that one location and perhaps the feeder has been chased away leaving little reason to congregate.

I have noticed in general that for many cities, municipalities will 'reduce' the size of the feral pigeon population in the spring so that their numbers can't continue to grow unchecked. Sad but true....


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

I only saw two today, in one spot. Usually they are all over the light poles. This is in two different cities. I hope they return and are ok. They like to live on top of gas stations which have great roofs but I don't see any there either in the towns I drive through each day.


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

That's creepy, it does sound like spring cleaning, though I hope not.


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

Hope its not disease, though its possible. For such a dramatic decline, my guess is a new disease to the area, but more likely a sudden removal of the food supply. 

Also wanted to echo what feral pigeon said, that just one caring person feeding a wild flock can easily support a flock of 200. If that person is bullied into stopping the feeding, or they leave, the population will decline quickly. This can also happen when a local pigeon loft owner didn't mind feeding ferals, and had to give up their pigeons. 

The food supply can also disappear quickly if the council take action against them, or a local school or sports stadium makes sure there is no more litter-that sort of thing.

Anyway here's hoping some of them had old stomping grounds to visit for food. I feel sorry for the loss, I love wild pigeons.


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## hamlet (Oct 26, 2004)

cwebster said:


> I only saw two today, in one spot. Usually they are all over the light poles. This is in two different cities. I hope they return and are ok. *They like to live on top of gas stations which have great roofs but I don't see any there either in the towns I drive through each day*.


Hello. I have seen two trappers taking pigeons from these gas station roofs at night and day in my neighborhood. And some of our PT members say to not feed the ferals because its inhumane. The parks do not let us feed any bird. So, unless a major social breakdown takes place, the cities will keep doing what they have been. It is amazing to see the white pigeons at some churches over in the middle east. Has anyone seen a feral pigeon in city of Las Vegas? 
I always enjoy looking at my ferals, . In conlcusion, i would keep the peace by sheltering a certain number of pigeons and allow the public to feed and water them.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

That happens here too when their has been a hawk strike and it's very weird when it happens. Sometimes they will stay away for a month or more. They always come back though.
There probably is canker in the flock but I doubt so many would drop so suddenly.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I agree that it's probably hawk strikes. Illness will usually take some here and there, but not all at once. A few hawk strikes hitting the flock will make them take off to other places for a while.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

I sincerely hope people are not trapping the poor ferals. I have seen none for the past two days. They usually hang out on the light wires near gas stations. They are gone in two different towns. Hope they are nesting or it was "just" a hawk strike rather than evil,people harming them. Will keep watching for them.


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

Good call on the suggestion it may be hawk strikes. Our city council used falconers flying massive eagles deliberately to disperse the inner city pigeons and it worked better than anything else they tried. They had them doing it once a month. Pretty sure they all ended up at my place though, where there was always food for a lost or hungry bird.

Now why cant they use this same technique to disperse those massively destructive feral humans? Last I looked they had completely destroyed the environment - you wouldn't even know this city was supposed to be rainforest with shy animals living abundantly in it. Those pesky feral apes took over.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Glad you took in the hungry birds. I can't believe people take out pigeons just because they don't like them being around, very sad, especially during breeding season, all the poor pigeon parents and their young! Wish too some predator could take out the cruel, greedy humans who have ravaged the planet. Think we are changing the planet sufficiently so we will be taking ourselves out, sadly also taking out other more beneficial species than us at the same time. 9 billion human apes by 2050. Hoist by our own petard.


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

Yep. I guess what I really wish is that people (especially councils) would consider the hypocrisy of demonising and harming friendly, gentle birds just because they are introduced (by us). 

We are also an introduced pest species (in my country), way more destructive than any species on earth. We've absolutely decimated the environment, and many animals and birds are extinct now because of us. And yet its politically correct to have compassion for ourselves and coddle people who breed out of control. Is it too much to ask that we extend that compassion to our beautiful companions? 

And pigeons can be managed in a humane way by councils. Plenty of examples around the world. The best i feel i can do as a powerless crazy pigeon lady (as the neighbours and partner regard me) is help them. never walk away when they need help. Keep as many I can and give them good lives. I'm out of ideas apart from that.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Agree with the sentiments posted here. Will continue to everything in my power to help as many animals that I can. Shame on those who harm them on purpose.


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