Brooklyn City Councilman Simcha Felder is pushing a bill to ban the
feeding of pigeons throughout the city and add more new garbage cans to
help keep food off the streets and away from the birds."Open garbage cans are like a restaurant for pigeons,” says Felder.
“If you don’t know where to go out to eat that night, I guess a couple
goes out to eat at a local garbage can."Felder says he’s willing to ruffle a few feathers, appointing a
"pigeon czar" to control the city’s pigeon population. He is also
recommending other pigeon-controlling moves like giving the birds
artificial birth control and introducing pigeon-killing animals like
hawks.New Yorker Malick Saho says he like to feed pigeons.
"They come to me like this,” says Saho, demonstrating how the
pigeons perch on his arm for feeding. “I love them like this. So then I
give them something!”If Felder’s bill passes, however, Saho could be slapped with a fine
as high as $1,000 for feeding pigeons peanuts, bread, or anything else
in his pockets or lunch bag."I think New Yorkers tolerate a lot to be able to live here,” says Felder. “They don’t have to be stepped upon and pooped upon."
According to Felder, the average city pigeon is a prolific pooper,
dumping 25 pounds of droppings a year on city sidewalks, bridges, and
the unfortunate shoulder or head.Felder says the droppings not only dirty up the streets, but pose a threat to public health.
While some New Yorkers say pigeons have taken over the city, others say the proposal is for the birds.
"I feel like they’re just rodents with wings,” says one New Yorker.
"I think they’re diseased, filthy and I try not to go near them,” adds another.
"They’re just trying to get by just like everyone else so why can’t they have a snack?" adds a third.
But it would appear the councilman has a bird of a feather in the mayor.
"While I love animals and I love birds, we do have a lot of pigeons
and they do tend to foul a lot of our areas and people would be better
off not feeding the pigeons,” said Mayor Michael Bloomberg.Last month, Councilman James Oddo recommended birth control to help
cut down on the large number of pigeons at the Staten Island Ferry
Terminal.