Started from the top now we're here
https://www.storagetwo.com/blog/2017/4/the-tragedy-of-the-most-hated-bird-in-america
- original article I read. A little bias maybe?
- A little too favorable to the "lowly" pigeon
https://urbanomnibus.net/2013/11/explicit-trespassers-colin-jerolmack-on-new-yorks-pigeons/
- chronicaling fall from grace in new york times articles
- https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/sp.2008.55.1.72?seq=1%23page_scan_tab_contents
- the actual article
-
Look into pests
Invasive species
Sparrows hunted, locust population got out of control
## Off Camera Notes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3kwJSEdCWQ
- love this guy!
- He said a lot of stuff that was interesting but I don't really care to repeat cause it's just facts and whatnot. Look it up if you're interested. His videos are straight fire.
Okay things I learned earlier.
Not much other than just the super standard facts about pigeons and how they've been "done dirty"
Whiiiiiiich this video was kindof about initialy? But now I'm thinking I'm going to pivot a bit.
Let me look into how damaging the pigeons actually are
- also, I could look into the "pest" notion and what actually makes a pest.
- I heard the rats got a bad rap and it might not even have been the rats that spread the black death
- https://www.greendreamer.com/podcast/bethany-brookshire-pests
- I think this might have been the woman interviewed on the podcast
- "How humans create animal villans"
- I don't know why but the vibe I get from this woman is that I don't want to listen to her.
- I'm trying real hard to be open minded about this, but it's a feeling a lot like one of those, "animals are amazing, humans are the worst" articles which always rub me the wrong way
- I'm gonna have to find a different source. I can't even with this woman
- It's unlikely that I'm going to get a different perspective on this if I keep looking into this topic though. Hmmmmmm.....Gonna have to learn openmindedness real swift
- My brain isn't working right now, and this isn't a belief that is held widely enough to make info about it easily accessible.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_sparrow
- the house sparrow
- all the sources I've read so far have mentioned the sparrow as the OG "rat with wings". They were hated until the pigeon propoganda took over
- this source is useless
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-story-of-the-most-common-bird-in-the-world-113046500/
- the house sparrow is one of the most common animals in the world
- Ooohhh a little house sparrow drama!!!
- other sources have cited the house sparrow as being detrimental to habitats of other species, particularly the bluebird.
- the smithsonian disagrees
https://bestatpestnyc.com/why-new-york-pigeons-are-worse-than-you-think/#:~:text=Property%20Damage%3A%20Pigeon%20droppings%20are,conditions%20and%20attract%20other%20pests.
- what kind of damage do pigeons actually do?
- I'm pretty sure the image they have is backwards?
- I'm not sure how authorative this site is, but it seems like almost all of the information on it is contradicting the info we learned before
- So much contrafactual information!!! Who do I even trust!?!?
https://www.parkwaypestservices.com/blog/2023/april/why-pigeons-in-new-york-city-are-worse-than-you-/
- repeatedly accussed of spreading this: histoplasmosis. What is it?
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/histoplasmosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20373495
- Histoplasmosis is an infection caused by breathing in spores of a fungus often found in bird and bat droppings. People usually get it from breathing in these spores when they become airborne during demolition or cleanup projects.
- How likely are pigeons actually to spread this?
- there are a lot of articles about how common it is for pigeons to spread disease. I suspect that all of these sources are quoting each other though. We need something with authority
- gonna have to dig into google scholar
- https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1020&context=icwdmbirdcontrol
- this article makes it seem like they are the devils own disease carriers
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0163445303002044
- this article makes it seem like the disease risks are very low unless you are immunocompromised
- oh the contradictions!?!?!
- http://mail.4abolish.com/articles/pigeondisease.pdf
- This article mentions a ton of diseases that can be spread by birds but basically only if you actively keep birds and are up close in personal with them on a regular basis. Also if you are ingesting food that contains their fecal matter or "bird dust?". also if you are sick or young or elderly.
- So are pigeons disease carriers?
- NO FREAKING IDEA!
- Everyone is contradicting each other and the sources are super convoluted
Next point to make I suppose: Do pigeons actual cause property damage?
https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=c1WRDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA215&dq=pigeons+and+property+damage&ots=8g3MX4qfT-&sig=VEfxiQYVOODG0yJDa2pqKrA-fgw#v=onepage&q&f=false
- this article takes a pretty negative view of every aspect of the pigeon
I'm out of time.
I was kindof rooting for the pigeon but I'm not finding any evidence to support the OP claims that the charges against the pigeon are trumped up.
Although, most of the articles that I was finding were either posted by pest control sites or were in affiliation with pest control sites so.......take that with several large grains of salt.
Didn't get to look into invasive species. Would've liked to.