'FOWL' ON THE PLAY: Pittsburgers ponder pigeon invasion at Acrisure Stadium
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - While many may have tuned in to Sunday's Steelers vs. Saints game to watch star linebacker TJ Watt return to play following a seven-game absence, fans were also focused on the field for another reason: Pigeons.
During the past two home games, a flock of pigeons has gotten comfortable mid-field, mid-game at Acrisure Stadium. Based on the barrage comments on social media, people across the country took notice of the puzzling pigeon exploits.
"So, they're pretty difficult to get them to move permanently," explained Henry Kacprzyk, curator at Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium.
As for why the birds decided to occupy the space, Kacprzyk suspected groundskeepers may have unintentionally created a giant birdfeeder by over seeding the field.
And because pigeons tend to thrive in urban areas, that likely explains why they were seemingly unbothered by the activity happening around them on game day.
Whatever the reason, fans are fascinated.
There is now a Twitter account, @PitPigeons, dedicated to the misplaced winged watchers, t-shirts and even the Steelers are leaning into the new unofficial mascot tweeting, "2-0 when the pigeons show."
KDKA-TV reached out to the Steelers organization for comment about the situation. So far, they have not responded.
"If you're running down to catch a pass or something, and a bunch of birds fly up, it could be really confusing for the quarterback or even the guy catching the pass."
Aside from being a potential distraction for the teams, Kacprzyk said the birds are harmless. As far as how to get rid of the pigeons, Kacprzyk said bringing in a predator, like a cat, can be helpful.
The Pittsburgh Steelers play the Cincinnati Bengals at home, Sunday, November 20th.
"I guess they're our good luck charm, so we'll take it," Dotson said. "I'm happy when they come out."
