Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I live in a condo in south Jersey. I have noticed a piece of alluminum siding, near the gutters on the 2nd floor was open and a black bird had a nest iside the opening. A black bird to me is a bird black in color about the size of a robin. Today the repairman for the condos climbed a latter and closed the opening. I told him that there was a nest inside and he claimed to take the baby birds and nest out and lie them in a bush while the mother bird watched. I Looked in the bushes and found nothing. I Have seen the poor mother bird , with food in her mouth, trying to get into the onetime opening. I feel so bad for the mother bird and am furious with that heartless repairman. I even swore that I heard baby birds chirping but I doubt if they could survive the heat. I told several neighbors about what happened but people are like 'it is only a bird".I am not a bird person (I am a cat person) but respect all animals. I plan to write to the condo association about the occurence. Does anyone know of laws protecting wild animals. I have been in trouble beore with the condo association for 'feeding the birds" and feral cats so they probably will blow me off as a animal lover. Several years ago the association hired an exterminator to get rid o pigeons by eeding them some poison that kills off a small percentage due to a neurological problem. I think I was the only person of some 250 homes who complained. what is wrong with people?????

It is sad to say but there are not really any laws that will protect the birds you are worried about. Most cities and homeowners in cities have the right to get rid of "nuisance" animals. This basically means any animal making nests in undesired places, that make "messes" in public places, or that are considered to cause a general disturbance. I for one love the wild birds and work with them at times. We feed them and love to watch them. The town I am near has had a pigeon and dove problem though and their idea to curb it was basically some city employees sitting on public rooftops shooting the birds. We checked but since they were considered a nuisance there was nothing we could do about it. It is pretty much a cities right to decide what to do with any animals they consider problem. If you are not sure of your cities laws on the subject you can check with your city offices or even do a searcn online to check and see if there are any laws to "help" the wild birds. Otherwise as sad as it is I am sorry to say there isn't much you can do about the heartless repairman or the condos fegulations on bird control unless there are enough people in your community willing to fight for "birdie rights" and even this many times doesn't help!

Stephanie