Hawks for Hire: Phoenix company using bird of prey to address pigeon problems

 

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - They look harmless enough, perched on top of rooftops, soaking up some Arizona sun. But make no mistake, pigeons have a lot of friends and they don’t play nice. Pigeons are a serious problem in communities across the Valley. That’s where “Tony Hawk” comes in. The majestic bird is an expert in catching pigeons.

Bladen Benson is the owner of Desert Kings Falconry, a bird control business in the Phoenix area that specializes in removing pigeons from your property. “A lot of companies out here use poisons or cages, or other traps to catch them and remove them,” said Benson. “That’s all human work. It’s humane, but you can’t get more natural than this.”

To read more on this story, click here: Hawks for Hire: Phoenix company using bird of prey to address pigeon problems

FOLLOW US!

Stunning Plumage Of Crested Pigeon Stand Out In The World Of Birds (10 Pics &video))

If startled, this pigeon takes to the air with a characteristic whistling flight, and glides with down-turned wings. The whistling sound is produced by the air passing over a modified primary feather on the wing. Upon landing, the pigeon swings its tail high in the air.

To read more on this story, click here: Stunning Plumage Of Crested Pigeon Stand Out In The World Of Birds (10 Pics &video))

FOLLOW US!

Woman With Pigeon In Fanny Pack Attacks Security Guard

The security guard heard a woman yelling at employees at the Social Security Administration Office located at 1121 Waples Mill Road in Fairfax, Tuesday morning, police said.

An officer found 56-year-old Laurie Weave of New York and arrested her. She is being charged with attempted unlawful wounding for attacking the guard with the knife

Police checked inside of her fanny pack and found a small pigeon inside. The pigeon was not hurt and was taken to the animal shelter. Animal Protection police will determine whether or not there are any other possible charges.

The pigeon will be set free after the investigation is over.

FOLLOW US!

Hundreds of Breeds of Pigeons Compete in Their Own Version of the Westminster Show

Ontario, California - Dogs aren't the only animals that vie for best in show. Hundreds of breeds of pigeons compete in their own version of the Westminster show, strutting on long, thick legs or fluttering curly, lacy feathers in their bid to be best bird.

These pigeons aren't the nuisance flocks that swarm food scraps at outdoor restaurants. They are genetically rich birds, including variations bred to look like turkeys or sound like trumpets, that drew thousands of enthusiasts including ex-boxer and pigeon lover Mike Tyson to the National Pigeon Association's 93rd annual Grand National Pigeon Show.

Showing pigeons is one of the oldest and largest hobbies in the world. It thrives at a time when pets are becoming a more important part of people's lives and animals kept as companions range from the traditional to the unique, such as rats and tarantulas.

More than 7,800 birds packed the Ontario Convention Center in Southern California last weekend, cooing and strutting in their cages, which sent feathers and feed flying. But the well-behaved show birds wouldn't let one drop of waste fall on a judge's shoe as they were examined for build, color and weight.

There were birds in blacks, whites and browns with feathers on their feet, circular crests framing their faces and 8-inch necks. Some looked like street pigeons but bigger and stronger, with massive shoulders and thick necks.

Tyson, the four-time heavyweight world champion, kicked off the three-day event by releasing 100 white pigeons. He agreed with the mostly older male owners about the need to infuse young blood in the aging hobby.

"Take this opportunity at a young age to enhance your responsibility and enjoy it," he told youngsters who asked for photos and autographs.

Tyson, 48, who had pigeons as a kid, keeps 1,800 birds. He said he was 10 when he won his first fight because a bully killed one of his birds in front of him.

"They teach you a lot about yourself," Tyson said of pigeons.

Nearly a thousand different breeds of pigeons exist. Not only can these birds become pampered pets, they can be raised for racing and stunt performances. Racing pigeons can fly for hundreds of miles a day and flap as fast as 80 mph, and performers will unleash death-defying stunts midair.

"Racing pigeons are the Ben Johnsons of the world and fancy pigeons are the Naomi Campbells of the world," said Fadiel Hendricks, president of the National Fancy Pigeon Association of South Africa.

The performers are dubbed rollers and tumblers because of their motion during flight. The popular Birmingham roller dives into a series of backward somersaults, stops the roll before hitting the ground, then heads back up and performs the feat again.

Hendricks, who traveled 36 hours from Cape Town, South Africa, said age is a problem in his country, too. In his group, 90 percent of the members are over 50.

"We are up against computers and computer games," he said.

Bob Nolan of Dana Point, a historian and 60-year member of the Los Angeles Pigeon Club, which hosted the show, said new variations are rare because "kids aren't much interested in breeding anymore."

"All these pigeons are man-made. None of them occur in nature like this," said Nolan, who raises English trumpeters, known for their acoustic sound of distant trumpets. "All of these breeds have evolved from man's creative genius."

Samantha Wendell of North Hollywood and her fantail Francis, which looks like a turkey, are inseparable.

"Pigeons are just like dogs, they love you like a dog if you spend time with them and love them back," she said. "He is all hugs and snuggles."

Tyson says he will watch his birds for hours. The fighter who bit off part of Evander Holyfield's ear explained his softer, pigeon-loving side by saying: "What I am just wasn't what I did for a living."

FOLLOW US!