KALAMAZOO -- Customers may be wincing at one local fuel station, but it's not because of the gas prices -- it's because of a high-pitched screech.

It's not coming from a neon sign, a car's squeaky brakes or a whiny fan belt. The sound is coming from an Electronic Ultrasonic Bird Repeller device that the Speedway at 3908 S. Westnedge Ave. installed to get rid of the pigeon commune that has been swelling above the pumps."What it does is it provides irritating sound waves that are completely harmless to the bird but creates a hostile sound that encourages the birds to look for other places to live," said Robert Calmus, a spokesperson for Marathon Petroleum, which owns the Speedway station.

The sound seems to be bothering more than just the birds.

Diane Bennett, who said she frequents the Speedway station and has even been, well, a bird target, thought the sound may be coming from power lines.

Although the effort is much needed, Bennett said, it doesn't seem to be making a difference.

"I don't think it's working," she said as she pointed out several pigeons pacing around the inside of the canopy. "No, they're going to have to try something else. I could bring my four cats over."

Kim Bolhuis, the store manager, said the device and its four speakers have been tweaked several times since it was turned on about a month ago. Now it can hardly be heard by the human ear, she said.

"It's still new to us, too. We're still learning," she said. "There's a huge improvement, but we still have (pigeons), so it's just a matter of learning and working with it."

Ray Adams, a senior biologist at the Kalamazoo Nature Center, said the birds are likely rock pigeons, which is one of three bird species not protected by the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Adams said some people scare the birds off with a plastic great horned owl or a speaker that emits the sound of a predator, such as the peregrine falcon. And since pigeons are among the peregrine falcon's favorite snacks, he said it's important not to use poison to remedy the pigeon problem.

Speedway employee Doccie Thompson said the supersonic ringing has not been a ringing success.

"We still have the birds, and now we have a really annoying sound," she said. "I don't think it's really helped. I think a lot of customers are getting upset with the sound of it." Although pigeons get a bad reputation as "flying rats," Adams said they are actually beautiful birds.

"Especially if you watch their behaviors during courtship," he said. ... "But I feel strongly: Everything in moderation. Which means in some cases you have to control things like pigeons in certain areas to prevent disease and provide a clean environment."

Contact Freddy Hunt at fhunt@kalamazoogazette.com or (269) 388-8576.

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