Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Rats with Wings

Not everything in NYC is beautiful and exciting. It can be very noisy and crowded, super expensive and quite dirty, like this photo above. There are also more rats in New York City than there are people. It was reported in the news recently that for every person living in the city, there are 4 rats living UNDER the city.

Pigeons, like rats are a nuisance. They are essentially rats with wings because they feed on human garbage and spread diseases like psittacosis, cryptococcosis and histoplasmosis via their droppings. What's worst is that some people like to feed pigeons with their leftover bread and cakes, making them less afraid of humans.

So have you been guilty of feeding pigeons in your neighborhood?

25 comments:

teahouse said...

Yuck!! NO, I hate pigeons. If you read through my archives you'll find my story of how two pigeons built a nest on my balcony and laid an egg, and there was a baby pigeon!! It was hideous and freaky, and I couldn't wait for it to grow up and fly away.

Fénix - Bostonscapes said...

What a mess! Boston is a very clean city (I think the completion of the Big Dig has a lot to do with that), but I'm sure we have a lot of rats here. And we have pigeons and people who feed them too :(. I've never fed pigeons (but I'm guilty of feeding Canada geese, can't help it).

Hey, Ming, do you have "chacareros" in NYC? If you don't know what they are, come over and see ;).

Olivier said...

Voila pourquoi je deteste les pigeons, on se croirait à Evry, c'est pire que des rats. Je vois que toutes les villes ont le meme probleme avec les pigeons, à Paris il est interdit de leur donner à manger.


For this reason I hate the pigeons, one would believe myself in Evry, it is worse than rats. I see that all the cities have the same problem with the pigeons, in Paris it is interdict to give them to eat.

Lynette said...

No, we don't have pigeons in our neighborhood which makes Mama and me quite proud. We haven't seen any evidence of rodents either. Hooray!

Sally said...

Prefer to take Tom Lehrer's words to heart:

Poisoning Pigeons In The Park

photolicious said...

Hi there,

It's my first visit to your blog (or should I say, in making a comment), and I think you have a wonderful site going on!

As for pigeons, they're also a problem in Singapore where I live. The older generation persists in feeding them bread crumbs and this makes them less afraid of human beings. However, the greater problem is actually the crows. They are mighty fierce here! They snatch food from eateries and sometimes attack pedestrians by swooping down on them.

Have you visited the Strange Republic yet? If you like it, do recommend it to your pals!
www.veryclicky.blogspot.com

Oh for the love of food! said...

Hey Bud! We don't have pigeons here but we have seagulls and they are just as much of a nuisance. I don't think that Perth is rodent infested, thank goodness! It's really quite clean and beautiful here :O)

Chuckeroon said...

Lord save us from habitual pigeon feeders! Mayor Livingstone tries to emulate the example of Paris (NO FEEDING)but......what can one man do?

Anonymous said...

Feast day. Like manna from heaven.

maria elisa said...

yuck!

Rafe Totengco said...

I avoid pigeons at all costs. It's too bad they've become modern day scavengers due to living in the city.
And yes, only e-bay will have my men's bags or possibly my next sample sale. :-)

Lori said...

That's a great shot, even though I DETEST pigeons!! I would never feed them. (I like how you call them rats with wings!! That's funny!) I wish New York would pass a law making it illegal to feed them like Olivier says they have in Paris. I'd support that!

stromsjo said...

We did "feed" the local rats at the cottage recently but it's the kind of food which is slightly less healthy for them and just might make the winter a bit more silent in the attic...

Anonymous said...

I think crows are even worse! They attack humans as well.

• Eliane • said...

I don't feed the pigeons! They have "decorated" my little terrasse for way too long. I tried everything but funny enough, I found something that scare them: the minute I left my bike outside they stopped visiting me. I thought it was such a great sculptural addition to my appartment decoration but I guess I'll keep it outside for now.

As for rats, the only one that can stop anytime is Ratatouille. The others better practice their soufflés first.

sonia a. mascaro said...

Oh My! I am very impressed with that statement: "for every person living in the city, there are 4 rats living UNDER the city"!

I was guilty of feeding pigeon some three times when I lived in São Paulo...

stilettoheights said...

I hate pigeons....really they are filthy beasts and I NEVER feed them, because them they would come back.

I am guilty of feeding "dump chickens" though.

(dump chicken=seagull)

Anonymous said...

LOL! I've started feeding the pigeons I see. I buy birdfood for all the birds in my neighborhood. ;-)

Paz

NormanTheDoxie said...

Guilty.

Sorry Ming.... even a pigeon deserves to eat.

Todd HellsKitchen said...

Ah, Rock Doves!

Rasa Malaysia said...

Hah, I like your title, if it's Malaysia, then they are crows!

Fabrizio Zanelli said...

I hate so so so so so so much pidgeon that I can listen their sound.

Now I have a cat... And they disappeared :-)

jeremyDP said...

it's the same in Paris and it's forbidden to feed them (or you'll have a fine).

Unknown said...

I think crows are more of a problem in Singapore.

The town council people shoot them down when they get too too 'wild'.

Anonymous said...

"A short film of war waged on pigeons in London to oust them from urban society!

http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=24040647

Also on You Tube... ;-)