The Bird Deterrent Saga Part II: The Final Frontier

In the last entry I discussed the mill site bird infestation of previous years, and the ill-fated attempt to scare them off pest birds with a trained falcon. Though the falcon left in a huff of steam, with its owner in determined pursuit, the mill bird deterrent team was even more determined to control the rampant bird population.

A bird deterrent professional detailed the pest bird issue for me. “Part of the unique problem with pigeons at the mill site is the relationship they had with the seagulls. The seagulls feed on shell fish, and actually brought whole clams back to the taller building roofs. There they broke them open by dropping the clams from high in the sky onto the roof . . . hence the desire to deter seagulls from active roof work zones! “The seagull eats the inside of the shell fish, and the pigeons eat broken bits of sea shell so they can digest calcium and form a solution called ‘breeding milk’, which they feed to their young.

Because the seagulls leave the shells on the roof and not at the beach, the pigeons don’t have far to go to get what they need. This makes the area in and around the various mill operations very attractive to the pigeons: good shelter from predators and food close by.”

With the Pest Bird Management Plan, all this has been changed. There is now a detailed a plan for complete nesting area cleanup and the installment of bird deterrent devices. Cleanup included shell and fibrous debris removal and also the drainage of all standing water on building roofs. The consultant company installed and maintains the bird deterrents, which include devices such as audio and visual scare devices, as well as physical deterrents and barriers such as netting to protect covered ledges.

The pest bird plan “moved the seagulls off, cleaned the roof and forced the pigeons out of the protective roosts. This made the pigeons go farther a field for food and shelter, now they are more vulnerable to predators. We now have more raptor sightings and confirmed kills than ever before. Our work has helped to restore the natural balance and given nature a chance to keep the pigeon population from getting too large.”