Oak Park considers killing pigeons under Marion Street viaduct: Chicago

[Donna]

Oak Park considers killing pigeons under Marion Street viaduct - chicagotribune.com

Local officials are so riled by the pigeons in Oak Park's downtown shopping district that they are weighing extreme measures to rid the roost under the Marion Street viaduct.

The west suburb is considering euthanizing the birds in the name of pest management — a seldom-used tactic that would enlist theU.S. Department of Agricultureto exterminate them with carbon dioxide.

"Our goal is to remove the entire flock," said Mike Charley, Oak Park's environmental health supervisor. "We want to remove every pigeon living under the viaduct."

Pigeons, notorious for leaving unsightly droppings that can carry disease, are the only target for now. But the proposal scheduled to be debated at Monday's Village Board meeting also would allow extermination of sparrows and starlings.

The battle against the pesky urban pigeon has been waged for years in the Chicago area. Evanston, Winnetka and Naperville employ tactics such as spikes or netting to try to keep the birds from nesting in viaducts. Evanston even uses a family of hungry peregrine falcons to control the population.

But in Oak Park, officials said they have had little success using spikes and nets to chase off the flock of 10 to 20 pigeons roosting under the train tracks. Killing them could cost an estimated $15,000.

"It's a problem. It's probably a health problem, and it's an appearance problem," Trustee John Hedges said.

Though unusual, pigeon extermination isn't unheard of. The USDA's Wildlife Services department assisted three Illinois towns with lethal pigeon control in 2011, said Janean Romines, wildlife biologist for the USDA, who declined to identify them.

Scott Beckerman, state director for the USDA, compared pigeons to Asian carp, an invasive species that is not protected by the federal government. It would be futile to try to capture and move the pigeons because their homing instincts will bring them right back to the viaduct — even from thousands of miles away, he said.

"Neighboring private businesses and homes could be the new roosting place," Beckerman said. "In some cases, humane euthanasia is used to manage birds so you're not forcing them onto the neighbors."

However, the lethal approach could backfire, one animal rights advocate said. Killing the birds will leave more food for surviving pigeons and attract newcomers, which could breed faster, said Martin Mersereau of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

"You end up with more pigeons and an expensive, cruel and endless kill cycle," Mersereau said.

Despite a sizable pigeon population, Chicago does little more than power-wash droppings off sidewalks and underpasses and around CTA train stops, said Eve Rodriguez, a spokeswoman for the mayor's office.

"(Chicago's) Animal Care and Control division does not handle pigeons at all," Rodriguez said. "No one touches them. We do not euthanize pigeons."

CTA spokeswoman Lambrini Lukidis said the agency installed bird spikes and aluminum shields to cover gaps under some "L" stops.

The village issue arose after Downtown Oak Park Executive Director Pat Zubak noticed an increase in excrement under the train tracks after new sidewalks were installed.

"I walk under that viaduct most days on my way to work, so I'm very familiar with the pigeon problem there," she said. "It's seems to have gotten worse."

She complained to the village, and that got the ball rolling on changing the policy that prevents euthanization of any birds.

Zubak said she wished the village could find another answer. "I would feel bad. I don't want to see animals euthanized," she said.

Oak Park is using Winnetka's policy as a model, Charley said. Although Winnetka allows for euthanizing, Steve Auth, assistant director of public works, said he couldn't remember a time when the birds were trapped or killed.