More →]]> For the state of Oregon, the answer to bird control is using fireworks. You read that right. Fireworks.

House Bill 2432 has been approved by The Oregon House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources to expand the use of using fireworks as active bird control management.

Right now, the bill exists to use fireworks to protect crops and forest products. With an expansion of the bill, fireworks would be used to protect golf courses, landfills, airports and seafood facilities, as well as other properties and buildings as necessary.

Previously, the State Fire Marshall was issuing permits to scare off birds in these places but in 2010, legislation noted that it’s not included in the bill. So the house in process now would move to make fireworks legal.

Animal advocates are concerned about the use of fireworks injuring the birds and other animals in the area. As are we! Fireworks aren’t really a safe and humane way to deter birds from hanging out. If you ask us, there are plenty of other bird deterrent systems that would work!

According to the Audubon, 5,000 red-winged blackbirds died as a result of illegal fireworks in 2010. The startled birds were disoriented in the darkness causing them to collide with trees, cars and buildings. Plus birds can get severe burns and injuries from the chemicals in fireworks, often affecting their abilities to fly, if they aren’t immediately killed. They can also suffer gastrointestinal problems if parts of the fireworks are ingested. And, to top it all off, birds can also suffer hearing loss due to the noise.

Fortunately, the bill is still pending in the house while legislation further discusses it and makes any possible additions.

Any situations with roosting birds should be dealt by humanely relocating the birds without causing damage to any proprieties or harming the bird.

More →]]> Spix’s Macaw

Spix’s Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii), also known as the Little Blue Macaw, is a Brazilian macaw and the only small blue macaw. It is a member of Arini tribe in the subfamily Arinae (Neotropical parrots), part of the family Psittacidae (the true parrots). It was first described by German naturalist Georg Marcgrave, when he was working in the State of Pernambuco, Brazil in 1638 and it is named for German naturalist Johann Baptist von Spix, who collected a specimen in 1819 on the bank of the Rio São Francisco in northeast Bahia in Brazil.

Hawaiian Crow

The Hawaiian Crow or ʻAlalā (Corvus hawaiiensis) is a species of bird in the crow family, Corvidae. It is about the size of the Carrion Crow at48–50 centimeters (19–20 in) in length, but with more rounded wings and a much thicker bill. It has soft, brownish-black plumage and long, bristly throat feathers; the feet, legs and bill are black. SomeNative Hawaiians consider the Hawaiian Crow an ʻaumakua (family god).

Kakapo

The Kakapo, also called owl parrot, is a species of large, flightless, nocturnal, ground dwelling parrots of the super-family Strigopoidea endemic to New Zealand. It has finely blotched yellow-green plumage, a distinct facial disc of sensory, vibrissa-like feathers, a large grey beak, short legs, large feet, and wings and a tail of relatively short length. It is also possibly one of the world’s longest-living birds. Like many other New Zealand bird species, the Kakapo was historicallyimportant to the Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand, appearing in many of their traditional legends and folklore.

Brazilian Merganser

The Brazilian Merganser, Mergus octosetaceus, is a duck in the typical merganser genus. It is one of the six most threatened waterfowlin the world with possibly fewer than 250 birds in the wild and none kept in captivity. The origin of its name is from its long, sharp-edged beak that has a great number of teeth-looking edges.

California Condor

The California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus) is a New World vulture, the largest North American land bird. This condor became extinct in the wild in 1987 (all remaining wild individuals were captured) but has been reintroduced to northern Arizona and southern Utah (including the Grand Canyon area and Zion National Park), coastal mountains of central and southern California, and northern Baja California. Although other fossil members are known, it is the only surviving member of the genus Gymnogyps.

More →]]> Although it’s been 32 years since the assassination of John Lennon, his legacy lives on. On December 8th, thousands will visit the Strawberry Fields memorial in New York’s Central Park to pay tribute to the life of the British Rock icon who changed music history. Reflecting on his career and the tragedy of this day in history, fans will look across, or even make the short trek to W. 72nd street to see The Dakota: the building where John Lennon lived, worked, and died.

John lived in apartment #72 with his wife, Yoko Ono, from 1973 until his tragic murder on Monday, December 8th, 1980. Upon returning home from a recording studio with Yoko, he was shot and killed by Mark David Chapman at the entrance to the building. John Lennon’s murder prompted an unprecedented outpouring of grief from around the world and The Dakota became sacred ground.

To this day, Yoko Ono lights a single candle in the window on the anniversary of his death to remind the world that his memory still burns bright.

Built in 1884, The Dakota is a North German Renaissance styled, co-op apartment building in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The original owner, Edward Clark, head of the Singer Sewing Machine Company, named the Building after the Dakota Territory because that part of Manhattan was so unsettled. In addition to John Lennon and Yoko Ono, these apartments have been a home to many famous people including: Lauren Bacall, Rosemary Clooney, Judy Garland, and Maury Povich.

Since his murder, thousands of people of all ages flocked to 1 West 72nd Street to see this historic landmark. However, fans and tourists are not the only ones known to flock to the building. In 1991, it became apparent that pest birds had found a nesting place up in the high arches. In order to maintain the integrity of this historic building, the Board of Directors called BirdMaster‘s team of bird control experts to rid The Dakota of birds in a safe and humane way.

BirdMaster installed PermaNet®, a custom-fitted bird control netting system, to protect the arched passageway from pigeons. The high archway connects the West 73rd Street entrance with the inner courtyard. Although virtually invisible from the ground, the netting is still there today and in great condition. This maintenance free bird exclusion system prevents birds of all sizes from venturing into the arch openings to nest and instead sends them on their way. Now, 21 years later, the building is free of bird infestations and the damaging effects of bird guano.