Roosters In Kensington? Let’s Crow And Find Out!

Cock-a-doodle-doo!

That’s not a sound Brooklynites are familiar with. After all, we wake up to alarm clocks, trains passing by, or cars honking in traffic.

But that very sound was heard in Kensington just yesterday morning.

And it wasn’t the first time.

In 2014, a Ditmas Park resident heard a rooster crowing on East 19th Street between Beverley and Cortelyou Roads.

In May 2013, a rooster woke up residents in Greenpoint, according to this Brooklyn Paper article, and continued crowing all day long.

And we’re not done yet.

Two years ago, a police officer rescued a male rooster that was wandering near Flatbush and Snyder Avenues, DNAInfo reported. The officer named him Mo.

As much as we may (or may not) like these male birds, they are illegal to keep as pets in New York City, as they fall under the wild animal category.

The NYC Health Code states, “All predatory or large birds, including, but not limited to, eagle, hawk, falcon, owl, vulture, condor, emu, rhea and ostrich; roosters, geese, ducks, and turkey,” are prohibited. (The list goes on to include grizzly and polar bears, mountain lions, and a massive list of reptiles!)

The code further states that having a rooster is only legal if it is kept an authorized city slaughterhouse.

According to Julien Martinez, spokesperson for the Department of Health, roosters are prohibited because they, “tend to be noisy and aggressive, and they are not needed for egg production.”

But like any other code, this one has been taken advantage of many times — and not always to innocent ends.

According to a 2016 NY Daily News article, dozens of roosters (along with hens) were rescued from a Bushwick pet supply store that was allegedly doubling as an illegal cockfighting arena.

Though to make matters more confusing, this Kensington cock-a-doodle-do may not be a rooster at all — since hens can occasionally learn to crow, according to reader Jennifer Wilenta.

So, shall we name the rooster as the official Brooklyn bird? Let us know what you think.