Henderson declares pigeons unwelcome

Henderson has gone to the birds.

Pigeons, to be precise, and city officials want them to fly the coop.

To make that happen, the Henderson City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to declare pigeons a public nuisance. Police won't run around with bird-sized cuffs, but they will cite residents who "encourage the roosting or lingering" of the birds by feeding them.

The new law relies on a complaint-based system, which means neighbors will have to sing like a canary if they want relief.

The addition of pigeons to the city's ordinance on animals was part of a complete overhaul of the law, which was revised to make it more easily understood by the public and to get it in line with state and county laws, according to the city attorney's office.

"That's great," said Michael Gardner, owner of Pigeon Be Gone. "Pigeons are a bigger problem in the Las Vegas Valley than almost anywhere else in the country."

It may seem odd that a man who for 14 years has earned his living by cleaning up after pigeons would support an ordinance that might put him out of business, but Gardner isn't worried.

"Pigeon control is a huge business in the Vegas valley," Gardner said. "They're everywhere."

And why wouldn't they be? The agreeable year-round temperatures allow them to breed continuously. They have no natural enemies in the area. Thousands of foreclosed homes make for attractive nesting areas, and people love to feed them.

"People don't need to feed them," Gardner said. "Look at all the golf courses. They have plenty of food without people's neighbors feeding them."

PIGEONS CARRY ABOUT 60 DISEASES

Pigeons nest in the eaves of roofs, and the damage they can do is impressive.

Gardner said he recently removed about 400 pounds of pigeon poop from one roof. The uric acid in the feces will eat through roof tiles. The birds also carry about 60 diseases.

Two of them, histoplasmosis and blastomycosis, are serious.

Dr. Gary Weddle, a longtime Henderson veterinarian and administrator of the city's animal control department since 2004, said the diseases can cause "debilitating" respiratory problems for humans.

The law applies only to feral pigeons, not the ones that race or carry messages -- if carrier pigeons are still in use, that is -- a point city officials clarified Tuesday night.

So the question must be asked: Does this mean putting a bird feeder in the backyard will turn a homeowner into public enemy No. 1?

The answer is vague. While there is no push to ban bird feeders, problems could arise if a neighbor complains to the city. An offender could be charged with a misdemeanor, which carries potential jail time.

To be clear, nobody at Tuesday's meeting suggested the city lock up people who have bird feeders.

But pigeons are not exactly finicky eaters. According to the Cooperative Extension office at the University of Nevada, Reno, pigeons hang around livestock and peck undigested seed out of their feces.

So, if they'll eat that, they'll eat anything. Henderson resident Roger Peeples said as much at Tuesday's meeting. "There are hundreds of pigeons back there," he said, complaining of his neighbor, who apparently owns several dogs and cats. "They're eating the dog and cat food."

Peeples said both he and his wife have recently developed respiratory issues, and he wondered whether the pigeons were the cause.

PREVENTATIVE MEASURES

To control pigeon presence, place sturdy steel screens under eaves. Pigeons will fight to reclaim a lost home, and they will push through chicken wire, said Gardner, who on his website, Pigeonsbegone.com, said screening is the only way to "guarantee" the birds don't come back.

Netting can be used to keep pigeons away from air conditioning units. Plastic owls and scary eyes don't work.

Sticky gels don't last long and tend to frustrate workers who are already angry about being on a roof, let alone one covered with a substance like Super Glue.

UNR's Cooperative Extension office agrees, saying it's also a good idea to ensure all attic and soffit vents are properly screened.

The new ordinance was written with input from animal advocacy groups, which probably explains why there was universal support for it Tuesday night. The pigeon issue is just one part of an ordinance that addresses everything from pet stores, to how many hours a dog can be tethered to a chain in one day -- 14 — to the problem of feral cats and the humans that feed them.

But for this story, bird is the word.

Contact Doug McMurdo at dmcmurdo@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5512.