Chicagoist: Ask Chicagoist: Feed the Birds?

sars

Sat, 28 Oct 2006 23:11:44 -0600

you know i've heard of that technological development...it's called a pellet gun.

sars

Sat, 28 Oct 2006 23:03:59 -0600

yeah i heard about that technological development...it's called a pellet gun.

Erick

Thu, 26 Oct 2006 20:32:55 -0600

New technology is in development to help bring the pigeon population (and their poo)under control. Already approved for resident Canada geese, pigeons are next. Stay tuned

m

Thu, 26 Oct 2006 14:56:20 -0600

Squirrels are smart. And yeah, pigeon poop's gross. Squirrels poop all over my back porch. It's pretty much like rat poop, which I know from having a pet rat when I was younger. My neighbor had a squirrel get into her place when she was gone (he tore through her screen) and the scared, industrious little fella pissed and shit ALL over her place. Another squirrel was living in the attic above another neighbor and we had to pay a trapper to catch him and relocate him (squirrels are considered wildlife in Chicago, not vermin or rodents - - i.e., illegal to kill). We had other squirrels going crazy on our porches. We saved some $$$ and trapped them ourselves and relocated them to Lincolnwood. They told us the bar scene there blows but the public schools are much better, so it was worth it.

spudart

Thu, 26 Oct 2006 14:20:33 -0600

Dear commenter #4 "m," a big reason why pigeons are hated in the city is for their poop. They poop everywhere. Now squirrels... you never see a squirrel poop. They are smart. They must use the squirrel bathroom in their nest.

m

Thu, 26 Oct 2006 11:01:41 -0600

I feel sorry for pigeons. It's not their fault they're pigeons. But I despise people who purposefully feed them loads of food so that they congregate in places. At the Jewel by my house these wackjobs feed the pigeons so they're always in the parking lot. There's nothing more disgusting than seeing a big fat pigeon whose body literally popped and exploded under the wheel of a car. Every spring a couple of pigeons roost on my back porch. I chase them away and knock down their attempts to build a nest but they just fly off up to the roof, stare at me with their innocent and shocked gaze and then return to the same spot when I go back inside. By early June, they mysteriously disappear. Then they're back the following year. Bizarre. My neighbors say it's happened since as far back as they can remember. People who feed and talk to squirrels are also wack jobs. Squirrels are closer to being rats than pigeons.

just saying

Thu, 26 Oct 2006 10:35:04 -0600

Actually your reference to Tippi Hendren may not be particularly apropos. In actuality she probably wouldn't mind if you fed the pigeons since she is well-known as an animal activist. BTW, what is a *golden* finch? Do you mean goldfinch?

jocelyn

Thu, 26 Oct 2006 10:20:54 -0600

i just don't hate pigeons. i don't hate dandelions, either. has anyone ever seen that pigeon man over at lawrence and western? the other thing about feeding pigeons --- they're already in the city. i suppose that makes them congregate, but i doubt it's attracting any *new* pigeons. i definitely don't consider them "vermin" or par with rats or roaches, despite people calling them "rats with wings." i've never seen a pigeon try to bite someone.

aj

Thu, 26 Oct 2006 10:14:05 -0600

Near my old apartment there was a neighbor who set out about half a gallon of bird seed in their front yard every week for the pigeons. The city posted a sign saying that there was a fine ($250?) for feeding pigeons - right in their front yard. The feeding continued, probably to this day.