"Pigeons Love NY" is one of our newest designs, but I wanted to shed some light on the inspiration for this design.
Recently NY councilman Simcha Felder has proposed that the city impose a $1,000 fine for anyone caught feeding pigeons.... come on? He figures that this will control the population of pigeons in New York? If I were to list the top 5 things that people identify with New York-- our dirty feathery friends would have to be on that list!
Here's my list:
1. Times Square
2. horrendous traffic
3. street meat and pretzels
4. skyscrapers and...
5. PIGEONS !!!
Did you know that our state bird is the Eastern Bluebird... WHAT? I have never seen an eastern bluebird walking around on the sidewalks of New York, but I've seen plenty of pigeons! These foul birds have been a fixture here in NY for over a century. Our new state bird should be the Manhattan Pigeon! Send a letter to City Hall demanding to make the pigeon our new state bird.
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Howdy,
ReplyDeleteHard to believe but there are LOTS of people in NYC who actually like/love pigeons. I am one of them. Just two days ago I saw a motorist intentionally plow into two right in front of me on 23rd Street. If I had a baseball bat his head would have matched the entrails coming out of their slowly dying bodies. They died in my hands gasping for air since their lungs had been crushed by speeding car tires. Karma dude is coming for you and it ain't gonna be pretty.
FYI, pigeons are actually rock doves. DOVES people not rats with wings. They were originally cliff dwellers which is why they do so well here - tall building, window ledge, cliff ...same thing. Two hundred of them were released into Central Park at a celebration many, many, many years ago and are the forefathers of those we see today.
Many were brought over on boats for in transit food. Those very large solid white ones that you see once in a while are raised for food. And there are a lot of pigeon racing fans in the area with flocks of homing pigeons. They take it quite seriously. I have found lost racing pigeons with four to five different colored bands on their legs and crazy feather dos that look like dracula's cape.
I rescue fledgling and injured pigeons quite often, working with a rehabber on the UWS. We network with former pigeon racers who now have sanctuaries upstate and a wonderful avian vet in Yonkers.
See, not everyone hates them. Some of us go out of our way to help them. I meet lots of older folks who feed them. It makes them smile that someone as young as I feeds them too.
As for the $1000 fine, I would prefer they fine people who urinate and $h%t on the streets. Oh yeah, and the people who throw their cigarette butts on the ground not thinking it's garbage. Or, the people that litter when there is a trash can on almost every corner.
Really, I could go on and on. Lots more worthy offenders abound than people who feed wildlife.
But, who would give the tickets? Would we have to have special pigeon police? The traffic officers would say it's not their job as would the patrol officers (see I have asked both to address someone peeing in a phone booth but they both said it was not their job and to call 311.)
But, wait, I digress. LOVE the tee shirt. Fabulous. Does it come in a chick tee or just the AA mens tee? As soon as I find a job I will buy it for all my pigeon loving friends. You rock.
xoe
I think I am the UWS receiver of rescued Wild Birds.-xoe- Got it right,add to that, Birthing and Parenting. Baby pigeons are little balls of yellow down with large flesh colored bumpy beaks. The parents,feed them from their beaks. They begin showing their ultimate coloring, on their frail framework as growing feathers push the Down out and very quickly begin the change of lookking like a fluffy little Pieon. Very gregarious and always hungry. The mail parent does the schooling during this process of change, teaching the babe to lift up and come down on its feet, slowling teaching it to be airborn in small arc's from the nest. When it is ready the male parent flys with the young fledgling to the ground, usually to a flock, only when the babe is able to fly back up to its nest.
ReplyDeleteWe don't see Baby Pigeons, until they are fledged and join a flock .they now look like a Pigeon only they are smaller and still have a few yellow down fethers sticking out from their heads and neck. I call these Billy Idols. If you listen closely you will hear them Peeping. They learn how to peck for food from the flock and if they don't run into trouble they will survive. As -xoe- stated. a PIGEON is a Rock DOVE. There is the Turtle Dove usually white or beige with a black ring around its neck. The ground Dove, quite small,the White Winged Dove, a Game Bird in the South West , the Morning Dove with its beautiful haunting morning hoot. the white Doves often left to their Non recourses (being cage raised) after a Fashion Shoot the Large White found and escapees from the live Poultry Markets, that surround Manhattan, and the Rock Dove, known as the Pigeon.
Best discription I can give is The ULTIMATE SURVIVOR". Unless some idiot decides he wants to bash the Birds brains out.
I receive many different Wild Birds, from rescurers. Song Birds,all kinds of Doves, occaionally a Duck or an Indian Runner Duck. You nameit I have cared for it over a night or two. My rehabber comes down from Rockland County takes the Birds to his Wild Bird Expert Vet where they are mended and cared for untill they are ready for release or the life long care they may require. They are then taken to a wild bird refuge and released. We do not kill Birds.
Caring for Wild Birds is very special. They let you know with their eyes and body language that they trust you & saving a life is a most rewarding gift.
For those who hate Pigeons, and consider them foul. Look around People, it is your garbage, that the Pigeon manages to survive on in this city unless of course, you have put Poison out. So if you hate Pigeons, and you are walking your Dog, BEWARE the Judge of what merits life and what does not, who has put Poison out on the roof or sill or curb or little tree gardens on your blockor by a store keeper, a school janitor, a church worker. Two the elderly folks, who want to feed the Wild Birds please don't put it on side walks near curbs, where the Birds can easily get killed under the wheels of a car. Feed the Birds in a Park area or your back yard. Oh by the way.....Pigeon Poop is an excellent firtilizer for plants!
When I first came to New York, I was joining a producer/director at Broadway Joes on W 46th for a business dinner. On my way there, a Pigeon Pooped on my head. I was very upset. He laughed and told me I was now a true New Yorker and that it was Good Luck.
Thank you Hal.
The BIRD LADY.