There may be a light at the end of the tunnel of the persistent pigeon population plaguing downtown Cordell, and before you can say that twice a few more birds may be trapped and removed.
Cordell’s City Council voted to sign a year-log service contract with wildlife specialist Travis Townsend for pigeon mitigation services.
Townsend said that the city’s number of pigeons is one of the highest he has ever seen. Video taken above the movie theater showed a flock of approximately 500 birds taking flight, and Townsend says that is only a small portion of what he has observed around town. This is likely no surprise to anyone who has stepped on sidewalks or viewed building exterior walls around the Square lately.
Townsend’s plan includes multiple traps, some of which can hold up to 80 birds at a time. After the birds have been trapped, they will be killed and disposed of. While this may seem inhumane, it is the only answer since ‘homing’ pigeons are know to return to their former location from miles away.
Townsend estimates that it will take about 30-45 days for a significant decrease to be visible.