#bird welfare

[silver-whistle]

Pigeon Rescue

Yesterday’s good deed: I heard cooing outside the office late yesterday afternoon, and as I was leaving work, I saw a group of pigeons on the pavement, one of whom was clearly in trouble, with both feet tangled in thin black plastic string/tape (the sort sometimes used to close bin-bags). Its pals were watching over it. I nipped up to my flat (next door) for scissors and seed, and enlisted the help of a workman who’s doing stuff at our building. I distracted the bird with seed, and he grabbed it and held it, while I cut off and unwound the plastic string, which had wrapped around its toes and tied both of its little feet together. (This is how so many pigeons end up as Stumpies, with toes and feet missing.) Fortunately, it must have been v recent: no significant swelling, only minor abrasions, and the wee thing flew off happily afterwards, up on to a rooftop.

[peppermintpetcare]

Pigeon Lab Living Improvements

Hello birdblr!

I’m looking for input on a welfare upgrade project. My university has a pigeon lab for the psychology students to conduct behavior research in. The research itself gives me no welfare concerns, it’s just clicker training and reinforcement schedules in operant chambers. No use of aversives that I’ve seen and everything is overseen by the IACUC (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee).

Unfortunately however, the living conditions for the birds leaves a lot to be desired (see photo above) They are housed in 24 individual cages, each of which is a 1sqft cube. Wire floor, no perches, no platforms.

In a perfect world, I’d love to build these birds an open-air communal aviary with all the enrichment in the world, but there are obviously constraints. Also I am a student, not faculty, so my power to enact change may be limited in ways I do not anticipate.

Constraints:

Birds must still be useful for behavior research (standardization)

Funding

New enclosures must be low-maintenance

Species/breed appropriate improvements for White Carneau Pigeons

Time (one year)

Space inside the room

COVID19

Resources:

My club, who is already onboard with this idea

A few select faculty members’ support

One intensely passionate ethology major (me)

I will fund this project myself if I have to.

I will not let the perfect be the enemy of the good. I want these birds to have tangibly better lives before I graduate. Here’s my first draft of ideas for new cages.

Ideally I only want to make changes that are species-appropriate, so any advice or design feedback is appreciated!

[avacado-and-louie]

Niko and I would like to thank you, because your blog has been incredibly helpful to us! - @hunterkat

This made my day!

[avacado-and-louie]

Hello.

[silver-whistle]

Pourquoi les pigeons perdent leurs pattes à cause de nos cheveux

Le pigeon des villes a conquis la plupart de nos agglomérations, c’est l’une des espèces commensales de l’homme les mieux adaptées à l’environnement urbain. Néanmoins, l’accroissement du nombre de pigeons blessés au niveau des membres inférieurs demeure préoccupant. Afin de mieux comprendre les causes de ce phénomène, une enquête sur les oiseaux de la ville a été réalisée dans les rues de Paris. Elle consiste à enregistrer l’apparition et l’étendue des mutilations d’orteils sur des échantillons de pigeons urbains, 46 sites ont été étudiés en fonction de différents types d’habitat : la densité de la population dans un site donné, l’absence/présence d’espace

A v good article in French on Stringfoot

This is how Stumpy probably lost his toes. I saw the wee man today; Pinkie and his gang, too. (In fact, Pinkie was courting a hen.) I’ve been concerned about the birds, as they depend on humans leaving scraps for much of their diet, and fewer people being around leaves them at risk of starvation. I give them proper seed, which they can digest.

[silver-whistle]

Lamed pigeons are a sadly common sight in towns and cities…

I see quite a lot of ‘stringfoot’-maimed pigeons in the town where I live. The lesions caused by string-entanglement or sharp objects can also lead to an infection called ‘bumblefoot’.

[animalwelfarists]

@wardenmcpherson submitted:

That dog video reminded me of this one. Why people don’t consider the fragility of the smaller animals is beyond me.

That is actually a very good example of owners competely misunderstanding an interaction between two animals. Of the two pets in this video, the macaw is the most likely aggressor. He’s constantly faux-striking at the boxer, holding a defensive stance and being generally uncomfortable with the situation. The boxer is also nervous and over-excited but at least doesn’t seem to be taking an obviously aggressive stance. And yet, in spite of this, it’s the dog who is told by the owner to play nice.

BUT while the boxer might not be aggressive now, a parrot’s bite can do a heck of a lot of damage (as I can personally attest). If that bird decided to take a decent snap at the dog’s muzzle, eyes or ears (all favourite targets of the few macaws I’ve worked with), then nothing would have prevented the boxer from snapping back and probably taking the macaw’s head off.

An overly-excited, nervous dog is far more likely to snap than a calm animal, and adding a barely restrained macaw into the mix? That’s a recipe for disaster that can end with either a badly bitten dog, a Monty Python sketch, or both.