Brian Dover, Kearny, New Jersey 

 At the risk of offending fans of Columba livia, take heart in knowing that you’re not alone in wanting to evict your winged housemates. Their unhygienic habits make them a homeowner’s nightmare. From a public-health standpoint, they’re anathema. Lisa Simpson put it accurately during an episode of The Simpsons: Mr. Pigeon is "swimming with disease"–being associated with more than 50 maladies. The single most serious pest bird in the United States, this oft-maligned species is responsible for at least $1 billion a year in damages. Call them what you will–gutter birds, park
piranhas, flying rats–they only do what comes naturally, but we have become their enablers by building ever more places for them to do it in. Native to the Old World (we imported them here), pigeons normally inhabit inaccessible cliffs and rock ledges–sort of like the rafters, eaves, and roofs they now "infest." Once they move in, they’re so tough to dislodge that a whole industry thrives on attempts to outsmart, scare off, or exterminate them. Although these tenacious creatures (a.k.a. rock doves) are not protected by federal law, resist the "shoot ’em, trap ’em, poison ’em" approach–it’s seldom effective and can have
undesirable consequences. Poisons, for instance, can kill other animals, too. Pigeons are best dealt with by employing an arsenal of methods to render your homestead inhospitable. Remove food sources and nests, and erect barriers–netting, porcupine wire, even nailed-down Slinky toys–to prevent them from alighting. For further advice, call your local U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office, state wildlife officer, or cooperative extension agent. When all else fails, try learning to live with them, attracting their natural enemies (any local falconers?), or dining on squab. 

Where can I find origins of birds’ names, like Haliaeetus, the bald eagle’s genus?

Thomas A. Webster, Tucson, Arizona

Lovers of etymology and ornithology would do well to consult The Dictionary of American Bird Names, by Ernest A.Choate, which contains nomenclatorial tidbits about every feathered species in North America. The booby, for example, got its derogatory moniker because it showed no fear of the people who christened it and who, according to the book, "quite correctly deemed any living thing that trusted them foolish." In the biographical appendix, you’ll learn that Charles Lucien Bonaparte, nephew of Napoleon and father of American systematic ornithology, immortalized his wife, Zenaide, by affixing her
name to a genus of the "ornithological symbol of conjugal bliss," the dove. As for our national symbol, Haliaeetus is from the Greek words halos, for "the sea," and aetos, for "eagle"–fitting, since bald eagles are sea eagles, which usually live near water, where the fish they savor make easy pickings. 

Could a one-eyed frog I found outside my house be a sign of environmental problems nearby?

Jean Aaron, Goldens Bridge, New York 

Don’t leap to conclusions: in any population, some individuals will inevitably be born with abnormalities. The cyclops on your property could very well have been one of these genetic bloopers. On the other hand, you might be onto something: Since 1995 frog deformities have become alarmingly more common. Reports from 45 states have documented thousands of cases of bizarre malformations–from extra limbs to misplaced eyes–prompting the formation of a multiagency task force to try to figure out what’s going on. Suspected culprits include trematodes, pond-dwelling parasites that disrupt tadpole development; chemical contaminants polluting the waterways; and increased ultraviolet radiation from the thinning of the ozone layer. While scientists work to unravel the mystery, frogs have emerged as poster children for environmental degradation. Considered
"sentinel species"–indicators of ecosystem health– they are thought to be among the first to suffer when their surroundings are out of kilter. And like canaries in a coal mine, their plight could spell trouble for humans, too. Says Sam Droege, a member of the Taskforce on Amphibian Declines and Deformities, "There’s no frog filter out there. Whatever’s affecting them could ultimately affect us." Report your find to Frogwatch USA (www.mp2-pwrc.usgs.gov/frogwatch) and the North American Reporting Center for Amphibian Malformations (800-238-9801 or www.npwrc.usgs.gov/narcam). The information will aid scientists investigating the frog enigma. 

By Carolyn Shea 

Illustrations by Jonathan Carlson
www.theispot.com/artist/jcarlson

Baffled by Nature?  Ask Audubon!