Parakeet "solution" UI's call
Yum. There’s nothing like a little leftover Thanksgiving monk parakeet with a touch of mayonnaise and a dollop of cranberry sauce. Oops, wrong bird.
And that, in an eggshell, sums up the public-policy issues that have flown the nest and remain on the wing in southwestern Connecticut as United Illuminating Co.’s parrot-eradication program begins its third week.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which UI is using to kill the birds its crews capture under cover of darkness, says the death count of monk parakeets “humanely euthanized under methods approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association” is about 120. That might be 10 percent of the coastline population of these tough, hilarious birds, some of which, unfortunately for all of us, nested in UI utility poles while most made their nests in big fir trees and oaks.
The squawking of the bright-green parrots outside the bedroom window on a summer’s morning may be as close as I ever come to a tropical vacation. But I’ve never lived with a stick nest the size of a Volkswagen around a nearby transformer, and haven’t had a power outage because of a bird- related fire.
The utility, whose New Haven headquarters is now the focus of animal-rights activists including the Darien-based Friends of Animals Inc. and other monk parakeet support groups in New York and Massachusetts, started the extermination program with no public notice.
Al Carbone, the utility’s public relations spokesman, in an uncomfortable quote, calls the UI/USDA death squads a “solution,” into which the utility was forced. Carbone said the crews started in West Haven and will focus on one town at a time as UI works to pull down 103 nests along the coast to Fairfield. But there’s anecdotal evidence that on days when protesters were looking for them, UI trucks drove down to the Lordship in Stratford to take care of business.
“It’s like a sneaky utility,” said Virginia Norko of Lordship. “If I knew they were coming, I’d go out there and throw rocks at the nests.” She recalled the recent night when four vehicles and a Stratford police patrol car went after birds on Third Avenue. “It’s the taxpayers paying for this and I don’t want to,” Norko said in a phone interview last week. It’s also the UI ratepayers’ money. Some activists are plotting a possible boycott of holiday lights to subtract from UI’s bottom line.
Enter Rep. Dick Roy, D-Milford, co-chairman of the Legislature’s Environment Committee, who’ll meet with Department of Environmental Protection officials and UI personnel this week. There, people may ask whether the solution to anything is death.
The compromise would be for UI to wake up and smell the PR, then call a news conference to announce an “initiative” to “delay” the program until spring. Then, they could change tactics, pull the nests down and let the birds fly elsewhere. Then, UI, banking their goodwill, could invest a little ratepayers’ money in keeping their utility poles clear of nests.
Once this parrot business gets settled, maybe we can tackle the 71,000 Connecticut children and 284,000 adults, who are without health insurance.
That would be a bird of a different color.
Post your comment
Comment Guidelines: We welcome your expressions of opinion on this subject. Please avoid false commentary about individuals or groups. Facts must be verified by the person posting. Off-topic comments, and comments inappropriate for a readership of all ages, may be deleted. E-mail addresses will never be published. Only comments with valid e-mail address will be published.
13 Comments
On November 28, 2005, Stephanie wrote:
“Once this parrot business gets settled, maybe we can tackle the 71,000 Connecticut children and 284,000 adults, who are without health insurance.” Ken Dixon, The Connecticut Post
Who cares about health care if we are on a friendsofanimals site…really? Why belittle animal causes on a site specifically for animal lovers? People can fend for themselves, and if I wanted to hear about poor people I would go to friendsofpeople website…
FoA comments:
I dont believe Mr. Dixon was trying to undercut the importance of our cause, but, instead, trying to emphasize a flawed system. Connecticut is sanctioning the gassing of its monk parakeets; defenseless creatures. Those without wealth, healthcare, basic human rights are also marginalized communities. Mr. Dixon tried to draw that parallel. Although Friends of Animals focuses on nonhuman animals, we must remember that UI’s eradication plan is only part of the larger, violent, unjust system which sanctions it.
Laurel Lundstrom
Friends of Animals
On November 29, 2005, Lee Hall wrote:
We’ve been receiving a few suggestions that the parakeets be transformed into pets rather than killed. We at Friends of Animals appreciate the good intentions on behalf of these birds.
These birds have always been free to fly where, as, and when they choose. We seek to protect their freedom as well as their lives. Moreover, it is worth observing that no compromise such as trapping and confining the birds has been argued by any party as necessary.
Friends of Animals and Prof. Dwight Smith have pressed the state for the basis of their bird-killing measures and an explanation of why a sane, safe, ethically responsible resolution has not instead been applied.
Other venues, depending on the bird and the structures, have used such things as a pyramid-type shaped wires, plastic mini-fencing, and large balls with patterns that resemble owl eyes to deter birds from nesting in dangerous or inconvenient places.
We believe that some similarly rational answer can and should apply here in Connecticut’s electric poles. As reported in the Connecticut Post (30 Nov.), ideas include installing higher poles so that the nests are out of the transformers’ way.
Christie C. says: “They are no longer an ‘invasive’ species but rather a part of the Connecticut culture and way of life” and adds, “There are many different things that can be done here instead of slaughtering these fun creatures. Shame on those who support it. While it is understandable that the power outages can be troublesome, to just kill the birds is just wrong. Save the Monk parakeets from a horrible fate and let’s get them the protection that they so richly deserve.”
Ken Bernacky [President, Stereo Surgeons, Inc.] writes: “I am extremely upset over the murdering of the Monk Parakeets which has been in the news over the past couple of weeks. I want to know what I can do to stop this. These birds are intelligent, loving creatures and do not deserve to be killed. Yes, their nests are a problem, but there have got to be other ways to resolve this matter without murdering them.”
And Donna Conroy adds: “I remember reading about the monk parakeets in the newspaper and it really is sad to hear about being killed on the telephone wires.”
Friends of Animals’ president Priscilla Feral went to the state house earlier today to press for a sane and safe resolution for these birds — those that have not already been subject to roundups and gassings. We are also working on long-term protection for these birds.
Lee Hall,
Friends of Animals.
On November 30, 2005, Jonathan wrote:
I think Mr. Carbone meant “final solution,” but misspoke.
On November 30, 2005, Suzanna Nyberg wrote:
We must continue to fight the senseless killing of these beautiful birds.
Again, we should organize “blackouts” and shut off the lights. Every night for a designated period of time, we turn of the lights. We can also make an effort to cut down on electricity use.
Finally, why are our tax dollars paying for this? As citizens, how can we stop funding these barbaric programs?
On November 30, 2005, Maggie S wrote:
I am appalled that this was even considered as an alternative. I cannot believe that a company as big as the United Illuminating actually researched and networked with other agencies to come up with other solutions and felt the that the only alternative was to euthanize these birds. The monk parakeets have been living in these same homes for several years now and till now there hasn’t been any major issues. Why is it that we could not build a sanctuary or some other means of saving these beautiful monk parakeets? With all the resources we have available in this country I cannot believe we would let this happen. United Illuminating should be ashamed of themselves. I am totally digusted with the whole ordeal.
Please contact me for any update or to assist in resolving this matter.
Maggie S
Blog editors’ note: We do believe that we technologically advanced people can figure out how to let the birds be, so that their sanctuary can be freedom.
On November 30, 2005, Mrs Mander wrote:
Can we possibly consider capturing but then relocating these beautiful birds? Connecticut is not the only state in which birds are drawn to utility wires/poles. Can we possibly put some thought into this? Is the only “solution” one which is barbaric? This is a shame and a disgrace. We need to proceed through the 21st century with compassion and stop animal abuse.
On November 30, 2005, Chris McMurray wrote:
I’m not experienced in the relocating of what UI is calling ‘nuisance’ birds, the Monk Parakeets, but I happened to interview the owner of a company in Illinois during my college years that provides a product that humanely discourages birds from alighting on just about any surface, including electric and telephone poles. It’s called Nixalite and the web address is http://www.nixalite.com/. I don’t understand why UI couldn’t utilize a product like this as an alternative to murdering these beautiful birds. Corporate greed and the complete lack of any soul has to be at the heart of their decision. Chris M.
On December 1, 2005, Mary Gilman wrote:
I am very upset I was traveling down Ocean Ave tonight in West Haven and came upon the UI and West Haven Police getting ready to tear down more nest and kill more Monk birds. I just don’t understand why this is being done now, after all the years these birds been living here. How come we don’t hear about other towns or cities or even states doing this to Monk birds? UI alot of people are digusted and not happy with your company.
On December 3, 2005, ARC wrote:
Ask New York Teachers To Divest From United Illuminating
http://www.nystrs.org/main/Contact.html#E-Mailing
800-348-7298, Ext. 6100.
New York State Teachers’ Retirement System
10 Corporate Woods Drive
Albany, NY 12211-2395
On December 4, 2005, PO wrote:
To UI: Stop the innocent gassing of the Monk Parakeets. These birds are not harming anyone!! We all know there ARE alternative Humane solutions. Just think of the emotional damage this is doing to our children and adults. I wonder if someone “under the table” has put up big money to have this done? It does not smell right at all. You do not go killing first and then say we are working on a solution. That’s a bunch of BULL. You never worked on a solution, those are lies!!
On December 5, 2005, David Jennings-Syrell wrote:
To UI: Stop the innocent gassing of the Monk Parakeets. These birds are not harming anyone!! We all know there ARE alternative Humane solutions. Just think of the emotional damage this is doing to our children and adults. I wonder if someone ?under the table? has put up big money to have this done? It does not smell right at all. You do not go killing first and then say we are working on a solution. That?s a bunch of BULL. You never worked on a solution, those are lies!!
It must be true that United Illuminating is hurting for cash and is controlled by special interest groups like the Republican Party?
On December 6, 2005, Emily wrote:
This is what I wrote to the CEO of UI, and I encourage everyone to act on this issue:
Dear Mr. Woodson,
I am concerned and upset with United Illuminating for euthanizing monk parakeets captured while removing nests from utility poles. I understand that these nests are a risk to power outages and occasional fires, but I am confident that there ARE humane alternatives to what your company and the USDA are doing. Why do you need to kill these animals? Why not take their nests down in the spring, during the daytime, so the birds have the opportunity to fly away and make new nests in time for mating season? This is appalling to many of your customers as well as people around the nation. Why not strive for innovation? Can’t your company come up with a more humane method for handling this problem?
I welcome your response and hope that your company will cease all efforts to capture and kill these birds, and work towards a better and less cruel solution to this problem.
On December 6, 2005, Kate Munson wrote:
I am utterly disgusted with both the United Illuminating Company and the USDA. I was just talking this over with my father who had a good idea…We could probably get UPS of FED EX to sponser transporting the birds back to South America. I would imagine that they would thrive off of the publicity it would give them, especially around the holiday season.
Blog editors’ note: The blog editor who’s a former airline employee warns against this one, for several reasons; a key reason is the huge stress that airline travel would impose on the birds. Some would almost certainly die en route; others, after the climate adjustment. What we’re pushing for is a long-term policy change. Please keep good thoughts and lights out for the parakeets. And say hi to your father; it’s kind of both of you to dedicate your thoughts to them.