Glossary of Pigeon Control Terms

  • AC – alternating electrical current
  • Aerostat – in the bird control context an aerostat would be a predator balloon or similar inflatable device
  • Alarm calls – a sound made by a bird when it perceives itself to be in danger
  • Alphachloralose – a narcotic drug used for the control of pigeons
  • Amber List – the RSPB’s list of birds for which there is conservation concern
  • Avian – belonging or relating to birds
  • Aviary – a meshed enclosure in which birds are housed
  • Baiting – a term normally used to describe the provision of food and water used to encourage birds into some type of trap
  • Barrel strainer – a tensioning device that is part of a suspension system for nylon bird netting
  • Bio-acoustic – in a bird control context bio-acoustic systems use natural alarm and distress calls as well as predator calls in order to create a hostile environment for the target species
  • Bird pressure – a term used to describe the number of birds using a particular building or site for the purposes of breeding/roosting or feeding
  • Bird strike – a term normally used to describe a collision between an aircraft and a wild bird
  • Bird wire – a term normally used to describe stainless steel wire used as part of a post and wire anti-perching system
  • CAA – Civil Aviation Authority
  • Caulking gun – mastic gun
  • Cere – the fleshy area enclosing the nostrils of a bird
  • Cherry picker – a vertical lift used to allow the installation of deterrents in hard to reach areas
  • Chimney cowl – a steel mesh ‘hat’ normally installed in a chimney to stop birds roosting and nesting
  • Cleaning – the removal of guano
  • Combo systems – a system where more than one bird control/scaring option is used
  • COPR – Control of Pesticides Regulations
  • Corvid – a member of the crow family
  • Crop – a small pouch in a bird’s gullet where food is prepared for digestion
  • Cross wires – supporting wires that form part of a nylon bird netting suspension system
  • Cull – to kill bids
  • DC – direct current
  • Defender – a well-known brand of anti-roosting spike
  • DEFRA – The Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – a UK government department dealing with all aspects of bird and animal control
  • Deterrents – a term normally used to describe anti-perching products or bird exclusion products
  • Distress call – a sound made by some species of bird when in pain or under attack
  • Dovecote – a term used to describe a large pigeon house that may have been used for the purposes of commercial pigeon breeding
  • Egg oiling (egg dipping) COPR – the use of paraffin oil BP to coat the shells of new-laid eggs to prevent the egg hatching. A method of birth control
  • Egg pricking – a method of egg interference whereby small holes are made in an egg shell allowing oxygen to penetrate the shell and killing the foetus
  • Embryo – undeveloped foetus within an egg
  • Extruded netting – nylon bird netting that is manufactured in a continuous process resulting in a stable net structure where the hole size is held constant
  • Eyespots – circular patterns printed on a predator balloon that resemble the appearance of vertebrate eyes
  • Feral – means ‘wild’, most commonly associated with the pigeon, i.e. feral pigeon
  • Ferrule – a copper crimp used to join two stainless steel wires
  • Fixing or curing – the time required for a glue or adhesive to ‘set’
  • Flight – a meshed enclosure used to house birds and in which sufficient space exists for the enclosed birds to fly freely
  • Galvanised mesh – a wire mesh product which, if used for the purposes of bird control, will exclude birds from a specific area of a building
  • Gel – a term used to describe silicon gel used to glue anti-perching products to the surface to be protected
  • Girder clip – a special clip that is used to affix nylon bird netting to an RSJ or I-beam
  • Glue – usually refers to silicone gel
  • Guano – bird excrement
  • Gull wire - a term normally used to describe stainless steel wire used as part of a post and wire anti-perching system
  • Gutter clip – a unique clip designed to fix a standard 4-point spike to a gutter
  • Habituate – in a bird control context this term is used to describe the process whereby a bird becomes accustomed to a particular control or scaring device
  • Hand-rearing – this refers to the process by which young dependent birds are hand fed
  • Hawking – falconry, where one bird is used to kill another, normally for pleasure or sport
  • Hide – an artificial enclosure used to watch birds
  • Hog rings – steel rings that form part of a nylon bird netting suspension system
  • Holographic eyes – circular patterns printed on a predator balloon that resemble the appearance of constantly moving vertebrate eyes
  • Hot Foot – an illegal (in the UK) form of repellent gel
  • HSE – Health and Safety Executive
  • I-beam – a large steel beam (or RSJ) used to support a structure such as a bridge or canopy
  • Incubation – the process of keeping eggs warm until they hatch
  • Intermediate fixings – these are fixings that form part of a nylon bird netting suspension system
  • Kite hawk – a tethered kite which bears the image of a soaring raptor
  • Larsen trap – a trap used to trap and kill many different species of pest birds. These traps are baited with a live bird or carrion and when the target species is encouraged into the trap a spring-loaded door closes and traps the bird
  • Leading edge – this term is normally used to describe the front edge of a surface to be protected, i.e. the furthest edge of a windowsill from the property concerned
  • Loft – a term used to describe shed-type accommodation for pigeons
  • Migration – a term used to describe the annual journey undertaken by some species of bird to or from their winter feeding areas
  • Narcotising – the use of stupefying bait to kill pigeons
  • Needle strips – anti-roosting spikes
  • Net – nylon bird netting
  • Net zip – a conventional zip that is sewn into nylon bird netting in order to provide access to the netted area
  • Newcastle disease – a common name used to describe a ‘notifiable’ disease commonly associated with pigeons, and in particular with the racing pigeon industry, known as paramyxo virus
  • Nocturnal birds – birds that are active after dark
  • Oriented netting – nylon bird netting that is stretched under controlled conditions to produce a high tensile and lightweight net which is normally used for horizontal applications
  • Perigrine – perigrine falcon, the natural predator of the pigeon
  • PiCAS (International) – a not-for-profit organisation providing free expert advice on all matters relating to the humane control of bird populations
  • Pigeon pill – oral contraceptive for pigeons
  • Pigeon wire– term used to describe a post and wire anti-perching system
  • Post and wire – a term used to describe an anti-perching system normally used for the control of pigeons and gulls
  • Post or vertical post – a term normally used to describe the vertical posts that form part of a post and wire anti-perching system
  • Predator – a species of bird that kills another species for food
  • Predator balloon – a balloon shaped like a bird of prey (or a balloon that mimics the movement of a bird of prey) and used to scare problem birds
  • Proofing – the installation of deterrents to protect a surface from roosting birds
  • Protection of Animals Act 1911 - underpins and forms the basis of most animal welfare legislation
  • Raptor – a bird of prey
  • Rejuvenation – the process by which flocks of wild birds replace lost members of the flock following a culling operation
  • Repellent gel – a sticky substance that is used as an anti-perching device
  • Repellent liquid – a less viscous form of repellent gel
  • Retaining wire – stainless steel wire that is the foundation of most suspension systems for nylon bird netting
  • Ridge tile – double-sided tiles used to ‘cap’ a standard pitched roof
  • Roost – a term used to describe the sleeping or breeding area of a bird
  • Roost inhibitor – a product or device placed in a bird’s roosting or breeding area which prevents the bird from perching or roosting – normally an anti-perching product or a bird exclusion product
  • RSJ – a large steel beam (or I-beam) used to support a structure such as a bridge or canopy
  • RSPB – The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds – a UK-based charitable organisation involved with the protection and management of birds and bird habitats
  • Scare eye balloons – another name for predator balloons
  • Shock track – the tracking used for Electric Shock Systems anti-perching systems
  • Sonic – sound that is audible by the human ear
  • Special Licence – normally provided by DEFRA and in connection with the use of lethal means to control birds
  • Spikes – anti-roosting spikes are an industry standard anti-perching product
  • Spring wire system – another term used to describe the ‘post and wire’ anti-perching system
  • Squab – pigeon chick
  • Strobe – a flashing light used to scare and deter birds
  • Surface activator – will activate non-porous surfaces for improved adhesion when using silicone to install anti-roosting spikes
  • Suspension system – normally refers to a system used to suspend nylon bird netting to/from a building
  • Tactile repellents – repellent gel and repellent liquid are both tactile repellents based on the sticky nature of the product
  • Target species – a term used to describe the species of bird to be controlled as part of a pest control operation
  • Trapping or cage trapping – the use of cage traps to kill pigeons
  • Treated grain – normally refers to grain treated with a narcotic or stupefying bait
  • Ultrasound (ultrasonic) – sound that is not normally audible to the human ear
  • UV – ultra violet
  • Vent – the anus of a bird
  • WCA 1981 – Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 – consolidates and amends existing national legislation to implement the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention) and Council Directive 79/409/EEC on the Conservation of Wild Birds (Birds Directive) in Great Britain
  • Weld mesh – wire mesh
  • ‘C’ clip – a stainless steel clip used to join two pieces of wire mesh together
  • 4-point– refers to the number of spikes on a strip of anti-roosting spikes

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