The recent correspondence about the menace caused by the pigeon invasion of Valletta has prompted me to write and plead again on behalf of residents of St Francis Square in Victoria.
During the summer months we have to bear the recurrent problem of the pigeon infestation in the hope that at least some remedial measures will be implemented to curtail the feral pigeon population.
These sky rats create havoc around St Francis Square. Their number tends to go down in winter but once the dry hot months set in they tend to flock there again, attracted presumably by water in the ornamental fountain. These pigeons are well fed for they fly out to feed on the nearby farms as can be confirmed by their abundant, disease-ridden, myriad droppings.
They not only end up dirtying the streets, façades of houses, the church and the Gozo Ministry buildings, but these droppings also end up contaminating the water cisterns of the houses in the locality, which store the rain water harvested from the roofs. Not to mention the constant dirtying of recently installed photovoltaic panels on roofs. Besides damaging property, pigeons also drive out other bird species.
These birds can breed up to six times a year, so no wonder they propagate so rapidly. Not to irritate animal lovers I do not intend to propose the culling of these flying pests.
But I do propose a very simple measure – that the ornamental fountain in the square is kept empty of water in summer.
In this way we will be eliminating the area’s main attraction for these pigeons.
After all, the fountain is crying out for a proper clean-up and maintenance. Its water is of a greenish hue and full of extraneous debris. Most of the water spouts are non functional and the two-tier water basins are all covered in black moss and dirt.
Stagnant water is one of the causes of Legionnaires’ disease and I don’t think the water from the fountain is routinely tested by the local public health authorities.
In the past I had put forward this suggestion both to the Victoria local council and the Ministry for Gozo but unfortunately no remedial action was ever taken.