MTA Fights Subway Pigeons With Recorded Bird Sounds

Some straphangers have complained about the noise, but the MTA says it helps keep stations clean.

Transit officials have a new weapon in their fight against pigeons at a Manhattan subway station: recorded bird chirps.

The MTA installed the bird sound system at the Roosevelt Island station, which has long been the subject of complaints about roosting pigeons, feathers and feces, according to The New York Times.

The $375 bird call system releases distress and predator calls every two to 10 minutes, the paper reported. It's made by Bird-B-Gone, a global manufacturer and distributor of bird-control products.

The MTA introduced the system in December after netting under the ceiling failed to address the bird problem. Though agency officials say the bird call system appears to be working, some riders complain about the noise.

One rider told the Times he found it more annoying than the pigeons.

An agency spokesman said a similar system installed in the Bronx's Pelham Bay Park Station was removed because of noise complaints.

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