Flap Over London's Pigeons

For years, tourists have flocked to London's Trafalgar Square to feed the pigeons, a practice romanticized in movies such as "Mary Poppins."

But today, reports The Early Show national correspondent Tracy Smith, it's more like "Bye Bye Birdie."

To curb the pigeon population, the city's mayor has, among other things, banned public feeding of the birds. And despite the occasional scofflaw and protest, it's worked. There's half the number of pigeons there used to be.

"You come here to see the pigeons," one Londoner told Smith.

"They're pests," complained another.

In New York, where there's no fine for feeding pigeons, people pay Jeff Eisenberg to humanely solve their pigeon problems, and the birds keep him busy.

"Nobody likes pigeons. Nobody!" Eisenberg exclaims. "There's nothing good to say about them! They come and go as they want. They eat where they want. They're flying around."

The feelings of many New Yorkers about pigeons were best summed up by the man who told Smith he thinks they're "nasty."

As Smith observes, it's popular to pigeon-bash. There's a song about poisoning them, even a mock manual on how to kill them, which has left some people crying foul.

Sal Gigante insists pigeons have gotten a bad rap. He breeds award-winning show pigeons in New York, the high-class brethren of the ones you see in parks.

"Sadly," Smith said to one of his prized baby birds, "you're gonna grow up to be hated by people in New York."

"(But)," Gigante countered, "loved by pigeon enthusiasts."

"There are people who describe these birds as rats with wings," Smith reminded Gigante.

How would he describe them?""I would," Gigante responded, "describe them as works of art, beautiful works of art. And, there are so many different, beautiful breeds of pigeons that are so different and unique in their own way."

Pigeons have, after all, played key roles in history, Smith notes, from Noah's ark, to World War II. And they've landed plenty of movie roles, too, such as their part in "Home Alone."

Recently, when Paris Hilton was caught feeding pigeons in Britain, she said it was more fun than shopping.

Even though people like to feed pigeons, Smith explains, overfeeding is what leads to overpopulation, and a whole lot of pigeons means a whole lot of pigeon droppings.

Still, Smith says, clean up the mess by clearing out the pigeons and you could lose something else.

Backer Gigante remarked, "What would Rome, St. Peter's Square look like, what would St. Mark's Square look like, without pigeons?"

Maybe, Smith suggests, something like Trafalgar Square, where children once covered in pigeons can now be seen chasing after them.

In addition to the no-feeding policy, a hawk was employed to scare off London's pigeons.

That practice failed in New York a few years ago, when a falcon for hire mistakenly attacked someone's Chihuahua.