| These are the
pigeons on farms, and country roads, in towns and cities, in city
streets and plazas, on wires, rooftops, windows, airconditioners, and
ledges. They nest on any platform that is large enough and has
overhead protection and they perch everywhere.
You hear them cooing in their nests.
They forage for discarded grains and scraps. They coexist with
people and provide a sort of cleaning function, if left on their own.
Though, misguided intentions inflate their numbers to nuisance
populations.
If left to themselves to forage for what is discarded, the pigeon
population would stabilize at reasonable, beneficial numbers.
Still, concern is confused with obligation to provide sustenance,
artificially inflating their population.
Perverted logic preserves the rights of well meaning souls to dump
hundreds of pounds of bird seed in city plazas only to be converted to
feces defacing building facades and public art and spreading filth on
streets and side walks.
It doesn't end there. Pigeon feces are tracked into our
buildings where unsanitary remnants containing pathogens and mold spore
end up on our shoes, clothes and hands; in our hair, in our food and in
our lungs.
Thousands of office workers breath from contaminated ventilation
systems which were intended to ensure healthy office environments, but
instead maintain sick buildings and promote asthma and other vascular
disease.
There may be relief. London is phasing out pigeon feeding in
Trafalgar Square where licensed feed stands have been selling seed to
tourists who feed an estimated flock of 6,000 pigeons.
Thank goodness dogs can't fly.
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