Pigeons trouble Houlton

HOULTON – Thousands of tourists visit historic downtown Market Square each year to spend money and enjoy the splendor of a section of town that tastefully blends innovation with history.

Not everyone is happy, however, about a certain group of interlopers that no one can seem to get rid of lately – pigeons.

At a meeting earlier this week, one town councilor addressed the issue of the pigeons and the unsightly droppings that they leave behind on downtown buildings and sidewalks. During the hour-long meeting, Councilor Paul Romanelli engaged fellow members in a discussion about how to deal with the issue.

“We’ve got a pigeon problem,” he said. “I don’t know if I’d call it an infestation, but we have a problem with their droppings. We are entering a period of downtown revitalization, and it is definitely not a tourist attraction to be walking around with pigeon droppings all over the place.”

Romanelli, who is also a physician, said that people could inhale the fungi that are created when the droppings dry and are blown around by the wind.

“We have to deal with it, because it can cause serious health problems,” he added.

People who regularly venture into the downtown these days can find pigeons perching on the ledges of buildings and swooping over the sidewalks.

Pigeon problems frustrate many towns and cities throughout the state. Last November, officials in Portland broadcast recordings to scare off nesting birds. The effort did not work.

Officials in Bangor, however, saw their pigeon population decrease dramatically after downtown buildings were renovated and reoccupied in the late 1990s. The move deprived the birds of shelter and breeding sites.

The Internet offers hundreds of solutions for getting rid of the urban wildlife, including stretching nets across popular roosting spots, taking away their food source, and putting up plastic owls, which are thought to deter pigeons by scaring them and interfering with their flight path.

Downtown business owner Mark Hatfield is well aware of the wayward pigeons, some of which roost on power lines and converge on the ledge of his building. He tried putting plastic owls on his fire escape earlier this year.

It didn’t work.

“I don’t know what a person can do to get rid of them,” he said Thursday, adding that he continues to clean up after the unwelcome guests. “I don’t think this is anything new around here.”

Romanelli said during the meeting that he wanted the council to seek help from a bird expert or try other options for dealing with the issue.