New York state's 100 year war on pigeons

WNYC News

For more than a century, New York state officials have struggled to control generations of invasive pigeons that roost in the Capitol’s huge central courtyard, an otherwise ornate, open-air space. The courtyard’s intricately carved, four-story stone walls have nooks and crannies perfect for providing the birds with cover from the elements.

The state is nearing completion of a two-year, $9 million renovation of the courtyard, a meticulous rehabilitation project that restored the space to the splendor envisioned by the Capitol’s original architect in the 1800s. Gov. Kathy Hochul has said she wants the public to be able to access it in some form. But whether they’ll get the chance to set foot in it is still up in the air.

It’ll depend, in part, on whether the birds will allow it.