will continue to be a close associate of rjan and his works for years to cone* 

 Reasons for this are not hard to, find. Observe the food of f ered by kind-hear.t.,ed 

 individuals on* -snov.-y winter days or by interested children on sunny uominss,.. and 

 note also that other essentials for- avian e:d.stence, as shelter and places to 

 breed, are abundant. These factors, and a syapathotic,, or.at least a tolerant, 

 attitude toward the birds by a lar^e part of the populace assure thar* .a continuino 

 livelihood. 



■■'■-■ ■ ■ ■ - j 



The factors that favor the eiastencc and the increase- of these birds, however, 

 also aggravate certain proble:/.s connected vjith their presence under iiiodern metro- 

 politan conditions. Those who have iiad to contend daily with the litter and dis- 

 turbance of lar>^c na-abers of roosting or nestiiij:; pij^etins — including custodians of 

 public buildings, dwellers in apart;-iont houses, and even private-home ovmcrs — 

 have at tir.ies bcencalJ.ed upon in self-defense to take action to curb the numbers 

 oT the birds. Such conditions that afford pleasure and fascination to one indi- 

 vidual amy becoue an annoyance to another, V/hcn this happens, relief measures 

 Xiiay be necessv.ry. Suggestions for coutrollinG vaj^rant pigeons and for preventing ' 

 da:.'^ge by ther.i are eiivcn in tiiis leaflet,- 



STATUS OF Tl-IE CITY PIGEON 



The flocks of varicolored pij.,eons that frequent the larger cities are, as a 

 rule, made up of se-dwild, or "tra:::p" individuals to which no one claims owner- 

 ship. The birds .-iay breed, iiiest, raise their younp;, and live their entire lives 

 without becoming, dependent on man other than for the shelter afforded by some 

 'tovjor or portico or for waste foodo 



In suburban co;>jnunities end in s.rialler towns there i..ay be flocks which, while 

 payinfi some allej^iance to an owner by returnini'; home to roost, obtain most of 

 their food from the city street; or there raay be well-car ed-f or flocks that are 

 sheltered and fed but ..lake daily fiie-.hts near tlieir cotes. Those latter flocks 

 can bo controlled readily by their o\«-iers and do not, as a rule, become seriously 

 objectionable. 



• Before taking c^ny a;-,£recsivc action a;-,ainst the scdwild flocks of lar^i^er 

 cities, one should coiisult tiie local police rej-,ulations . There ti.ay be restric- 

 tions on the use of fireanuS, tr^-^s, poiiions, baits, vinJ ot.icr iaea»»s of control 

 within corporate lir.its. There is also the likelihood that individual pit^eons 

 of racxiit^ or sho\, straiiis, usually recOjXiiaabls^ by the nurabered bands on their 

 le^.s, may join the "city crowd", Vif.ien such uirds are captured uninjured, they 

 should be tjiven dry food and water and allowed to ^^o on their way. If such a bird 

 persists in stayinj-^ with the flock, aii inquiry addressed to some local pi^jeon 

 fancier .-ay help in findint, its owner throupjh the desii..na.t^on on its bcoid. These 

 birds, because they h..wo be^n trained and are of value to tlieir owners, should be 

 ^iven evi^ry opportunity to return to their lofts. As an aid in tracin(_, the owners 

 of thesa valuable pi.-^oons, the addresses of seme of the princitsal national asso- 

 ciations that handle racinc; or show birds are here given, . Pi£;eons recorded Vvlth 

 these orBaniaations usually arv. the only ones that it is possible to trace. 



Bands bearing tha lv.ttv;r6 "AU" (somatiaas in r.«3nograi;i form so that they are 

 ivdsread "AJ") are used by the A:.;erican Racing Pigeon Union j secretary, Edv^ard 

 Barnes, 214 Conoress St., Jercsjy City, No>. Joraey. 



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