London's mayor set to phase in pigeon feeding

LONDON -- A modern-day Battle of Trafalgar between London's pigeon-loathing mayor and angry British bird fanciers may, finally, be drawing to a close.

After a two-year protest by animal rights campaigners, Mayor Ken Livingstone announced Thursday that he had struck a deal to allow limited feeding of pigeons in Trafalgar Square, in the heart of London.

"I am confident that we have found a solution that will gradually reduce the numbers of pigeons on the square without causing them any harm," the mayor said.

Livingstone sparked protests in 2000 when he banned the time-honored tradition of feeding the birds and evicted the square's official birdseed vendor from his kiosk.

Livingstone argued the flock, estimated to swell to 35,000 during the day, was a health hazard and said the city faced a bill of $160,000 a year to scrub away pigeon droppings.

But campaigners said that without the seed, thousands of pigeons would starve and flouted the ban by staging daily feedings. They argued that, far from being a nuisance, the birds draw tourists to the square, which is dominated by a huge column topped with a statue of British war hero Adm. Horatio Nelson.

In the Battle of Trafalgar on Oct. 21, 1805, Nelson gave Britain its most glorious naval victory when he crushed the combined French and Spanish fleet without losing a single ship of his own. Nelson, however, was fatally wounded.

Under the new deal, activists have agreed to stop flinging bags of seed around the square at midday. Instead, under the supervision of an independent scientist, city officials will gradually reduce the amount of seed over a six-month period in an effort to encourage the birds to feed elsewhere.

The mayor, who had described pigeons as "rats with wings," welcomed the agreement. He said that along with a new cafe and pedestrian area, the reduction in pigeon numbers would make the square "far more attractive to visitors."

"It will also significantly reduce cleaning costs and prevent further damage to the historic fabric of the square caused by the birds' highly corrosive droppings," he added.

Campaigners also welcomed the deal, but maintained the pigeons were a popular London tourist attraction.

"These birds are more important to the history, the present and the future of London than Ken will ever be. He has got to show them some respect," said Andrew Tyler, director of Animal Aid, whose organization branded the mayor "Ken, the Pigeon Killer."

In an effort to reduce pigeon numbers, City Hall has also hired falconers to hunt the birds with hawks.

The yearly contracts to keep dozens of sites around the capital pigeon-free -- such as Downing Street, where the prime minister lives -- are worth up to $65,000 each.

The pigeon feeding ban captured headlines worldwide, prompted pleas for help from pigeon lovers on the Internet and was even mentioned in the British Parliament.

Labor Party lawmaker Tony Banks introduced a motion in the House of Commons urging Livingstone to spare the "gentle London pigeon."

"The square's feral pigeons are sociable and intelligent creatures who have become accustomed to a food source provided by human beings," said the motion introduced at the time.

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On the Net:

The Mayor's Office, http://www.london.gov.uk/approot/index.jsp

Animal Aid, http://www.animalaid.org.uk/

Pigeon lover site, http://website.lineone.net/ 7/8dove-love/