'Birth control' drug curbs egg production or causes females to lay eggs that do not hatch
By Samantha Boh, The Straits Times, 6 Nov 2015
Pigeons that congregate outside Masjid Haji Muhammad Salleh mosque have been getting an extra ingredient in their breakfast.
Every day, pigeons that flock to the area are served a corn-based feed containing a drug called nicarbazin, which stops the female birds from producing eggs or causes them to lay eggs that do not hatch.
This new "birth control" method to limit pigeon numbers is being tested by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) at a field outside the mosque in Palmer Road, near Shenton Way.
The trial, which started on Oct 13 and will last a year, comes on the back of soaring complaints about the nuisance caused by pigeons.
By Samantha Boh, The Straits Times, 6 Nov 2015
Every day, pigeons that flock to the area are served a corn-based feed containing a drug called nicarbazin, which stops the female birds from producing eggs or causes them to lay eggs that do not hatch.
This new "birth control" method to limit pigeon numbers is being tested by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) at a field outside the mosque in Palmer Road, near Shenton Way.
The trial, which started on Oct 13 and will last a year, comes on the back of soaring complaints about the nuisance caused by pigeons.
The AVA has already received about 3,400 pigeon-related feedback from January to October this year, more than the 2,500 received for the whole of last year and the 2,100 in 2013.
Oral contraceptives for peckish pigeons? AVA is trying to reduce the pigeon population at Palmer Road with a method that saw success in Italy. http://bit.ly/1Po5EG6(Video: Sherlyn Goh)
Posted by Channel NewsAsia Singapore on Thursday, November 5, 2015
It has also seen a growth in feedback about all kinds of birds, including pigeons, from some 4,400 messages in 2013 to 6,100 in the first 10 months of this year alone.
Mr Mohamed Idris, secretary of the management board of Masjid Haji Muhammad Salleh, said pigeons have always been around, but the problem has worsened over the last 10 years.
Mr Mohamed Idris, secretary of the management board of Masjid Haji Muhammad Salleh, said pigeons have always been around, but the problem has worsened over the last 10 years.
The field outside the mosque has an estimated 400 pigeons, twice as many as two years ago.
The birds would fly into the mosque compounds, making them a nuisance to the staff and those who go to the mosque to pray.
The birds would fly into the mosque compounds, making them a nuisance to the staff and those who go to the mosque to pray.
"They leave their droppings on the floor and you walk on it... They congregate at the food areas as well," said Mr Mohamed.
This has led the AVA to choose the mosque as the first area to try out the new method.
During a demonstration yesterday, Ms Janet Chia, executive manager of the Operations (Wild Animals) section at AVA, said it will take about a year to see a drop in the pigeon population there.
Around five mosque volunteers will be in charge of feeding the laced feed to the pigeons. The method could be rolled out to other areas in Singapore if the trial succeeds.
When tested in Italy, the method was found to reduce the pigeon population in the test area by 30 per cent to 40 per cent over four years.
The drug does not harm the birds and is not toxic to animals or humans if taken in small amounts. It would take 40kg of the feed to see toxic effects in dogs and cats, and 60kg for a child, said Ms Chia.
She also urged the public not to feed birds, as this "would encourage their population size to grow and encourage them to congregate and cause nuisance".
Feeding pigeons is illegal and those found to have flouted the rules face a fine of up to $500. The AVA has caught 113 bird feeders so far this year, including 13 who did so outside the mosque.
* Birth-control trial eases pigeon problem
Feed containing non-toxic drug helps cut bird population outside mosque by more than half
By Samantha Boh, The Straits Times, 11 Nov 2016
Call it birth control for birds.
A corn-based feed containing the drug nicarbazin, which stops female birds from producing eggs or causes them to lay eggs that do not hatch, has helped to significantly reduce the pigeon population outside Masjid Haji Muhammad Salleh mosque.
The 400 birds there have shrunk to 120 to 160 pigeons.
The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) revealed the results of the year-long trial of the drug, which concluded last month.
Said Mr Mohamed Idris, secretary of the management board of the mosque, which is in Palmer Road, near Shenton Way: "There has definitely been a visible and positive improvement. A stark difference, and the best thing is it was achieved without culling".
He said that while the birds still find their way into the mosque sometimes, this happens much less. Also, fewer people are getting soiled by the birds that lurk in the area too.
"In the past, the dropping might hit you as soon as you stepped out," he added.
He said the mosque management is open to extending the trial and has discussed this with the AVA.
Feed containing non-toxic drug helps cut bird population outside mosque by more than half
By Samantha Boh, The Straits Times, 11 Nov 2016
A corn-based feed containing the drug nicarbazin, which stops female birds from producing eggs or causes them to lay eggs that do not hatch, has helped to significantly reduce the pigeon population outside Masjid Haji Muhammad Salleh mosque.
The 400 birds there have shrunk to 120 to 160 pigeons.
The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) revealed the results of the year-long trial of the drug, which concluded last month.
Said Mr Mohamed Idris, secretary of the management board of the mosque, which is in Palmer Road, near Shenton Way: "There has definitely been a visible and positive improvement. A stark difference, and the best thing is it was achieved without culling".
He said that while the birds still find their way into the mosque sometimes, this happens much less. Also, fewer people are getting soiled by the birds that lurk in the area too.
"In the past, the dropping might hit you as soon as you stepped out," he added.
He said the mosque management is open to extending the trial and has discussed this with the AVA.
The drug does not harm the birds and is not toxic to animals or humans if taken in small amounts. It would take 40kg of the feed to see toxic effects in dogs and cats, and 60kg for a child.
Commenting on the trial's results, the AVA said, however, that the drop is unlikely due to the effect of the drug alone, and that other factors may have contributed.
For example, the AVA found 15 dead pigeons at the trial site in April which, post-mortem examinations found, were due to dehydration.
The agency added that it has been keeping watch on the area to prevent people from feeding the birds. Since October last year, it has issued around 60 warning letters and fines to individuals caught feeding the pigeons there.
Feeding pigeons is illegal and those found to have flouted the rules face a fine of up to $500. A total of 109 warnings or fines were given for feeding pigeons between January and last month.
Pigeons are a cause for worry because they can spread diseases such as psittacosis, a bacterial infection of the lungs with pneumonia-like symptoms.
As the effectiveness of the nicarbazin feed remains inconclusive, the AVA started another year-long trial using the same feed in Waterloo Street outside the Sri Krishnan Temple in September. There are about 150 pigeons there.
The Waterloo Street trial will also study if the level of human traffic, which is closely linked to the amount of food left for the birds, impacts the effectiveness of the feed. The birds will be fed once a day by a temple employee.
As of last month, the AVA had received feedback 13 times regarding pigeons in the Waterloo Street trial area since the start of the year. This compares to 20 times last year.
Overall, the AVA received 3,500 pigeon-related complaints and feedback from January to October this year.
Last year it received about 4,000, an increase from about 2,500 in 2014.
It has also received some 6,400 complaints and feedback about all kinds of birds, including pigeons, over the same period this year. About 7,300 messages were received last year, and about 5,700 in 2014.
It has also received some 6,400 complaints and feedback about all kinds of birds, including pigeons, over the same period this year. About 7,300 messages were received last year, and about 5,700 in 2014.
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