Pigeons in Hollywood grab chunk of Sunday space

With all sorts of happenings in the world over the week end coupled with  editorial space growing tighter, some newspapers had no problem in filling up columns around ads with an "earth-shaking" Associated Press feature on pigeons flying around central Hollywood in the shadow of the Capitol Records building, notes Grumpy Editor.

The AP story by Noaki Schwartz, along with art of pigeons (for those not familiar with what the birds look like), ran up to 38 paragraphs in some Sunday newspapers.  Among those running the material:  Chicago Sun-Times, (Torrance, Calif.) Daily Breeze, Arizona Daily Star, Long Beach Press-Telegram, Denver Post and Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The pigeon story on Mother's Day grabbed more space than pieces on President Bush's daughter Jenna's wedding, 1.5 million cyclone survivors in Myanmar, heavy fighting between opposition forces in the mountains overlooking Beirut, Lebanon, and a new round of tornadoes smacking Oklahoma, Missouri and Georgia.

The AP pigeon story mentioned the "war" on Hollywood pigeons between those who feed them and those who want to curb the birds, even slipping them a birth control drug via five rooftop feeders.

What was not mentioned in the AP feature was "collateral damage" that could affect other flyers such as doves, sparrows, blue jays and house wrens that also may peck on the doctored seeds, making them innocent victims following a pause in Hollywood.

The prime targets are Rock Pigeons, which have been in North America since the early 1960s (originally domesticated in Egypt about 3100 B.C.).  Among the 150 types of pigeons, some are developed for various purposes, such as for food (White King), or carrying messages or for racing.

Some of the specialized pigeons have spawned clubs and associations around the U.S. that focus on particular breeds.

So pigeons --- and periodic stories on them --- will be making the rounds for some time.