Anti-bird spikes on trees in Bristol trigger outrage

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A wealthy neighborhood of Bristol, England, installed anti-bird spikes on the trees in front of the privately owned flats to prevent birds perching and making mess on residents’ beloved Maseratis, Ferraris and BMWs.

A local resident, asking to remain anonymous, said that people living here have suffered a lot due to the droppings and mess made by birds and these spikes were solely to protect their cars from being covered by bird poo. Another unnamed resident added that these spikes "don't prevent other wildlife" and the trees are still "full of squirrels".

Hillcrest Estate Management, the company which installed the spikes, said: "Bird detritus can cause permanent damage to the paintwork on cars if not removed promptly and the worst affected leaseholders wanted action taken to try and improve the situation."

The controversial move has sparked public outrage and has been branded as idiotic. Over 36,000 people have signed a petition to remove the spikes.

The petition has won over 36,000 supporters ‍

"There are alternative solutions for protecting cars from bird droppings that don't involve domination over nature and wildlife."

Jeff Knot, who works in nature policy for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, said that “Instead of looking at ways we can force nature into an ever smaller space, we should look at how we can live alongside wildlife and help give it a home in our villages, towns and cities.”

Many comments have been left on the petition.

Paula O’ Rourke, Green Party councilor, said that whether legal or not, “it looks awful and it’s a shame to see trees being literally made uninhabitable to birds – presumably for the sake of car parking.”

“We had a wooden bird of prey in the branches, but that didn't seem to do anything," the anonymous resident told the Guardian.

The Bristol City Council currently has the power to approve the Tree Protection Orders (TPO), to prevent people from felling, lopping, topping and cutting the roots. According to the TPO, anyone who disobeys the order will be fined up to 20,000 pounds.

However, the trees in question are in private land and so aren't subject to a TPO, leaving the local council with no powers to remove the spikes.