Aschicken custodian , we are all familiar with the sights and sounds of cock crowing to greet the aurora , of hens gently clucking as they scrounge , of sleepyheaded birds gather together at dusk to roost for the night .
For us , these daily occurrence occur in our backyard coops , henhouses and barns . For the resident physician of Tampa ’s historic Ybor City neck of the woods , however , these antic are most often found out front , along the sidewalks and street of this National Historic Landmark District .
Unlike our flocks , Ybor City ’s bird are footloose , free — and legally protect . It ’s one of the more clear-cut attractions of this divers , cultural enclave . Chuck Allen / Flickr
Ybor City Is for the Chickens
lineal descendants of the chickens possess by Ybor City’soriginal residentsmore than 100 geezerhood ago , today ’s population consists of about 29 roosters govern over a horde of hen , juveniles and chicks .
The birds roam freely through Ybor City , alight on porch , gathering on sewer and socializing at street corners — and at times on the street themselves . I watch , cringing , as a rooster trailed by two brown hen paused in the middle of a residential street , bringing to a halt the cars border on from either direction .
To my astonishment , the drivers stopped and waited patiently , smile on their faces , until the birds make up one’s mind it was clip to finish thwart the street . No impatient honking , no swearing and yelling out the railcar window .
Chuck Allen/Flickr
In Ybor City , the chicken traverse the road whenever they feel like it . BXGD / Flickr
Wild Fowl
That is the beauty of this feral feather flock . The vast majority of the occupant here not only have it off the birdie but also process them as if they were cherished dearie .
Many of the chickens have names , such as Ice Cream Sundae , a 2 - foot - magniloquent rooster whose colorful combination of caramelized sugar , chocolate and whitened feathers led to his name .
A grassroots organisation , theYbor Chickens Society , consists of local occupant and businesses conjoin together to cleanse and sustain public space and private property affected by the birds . They also educate the world about the fowl ’s positivistic impact .
Several Ybor residents , include Meredith Berwick , pool their resource to grease one’s palms the chickens tip . Ana Hotaling
A Destination
“ They come running when they see us coming out to bung them , ” Berwick explained , pointing to the home of other neighbors who help with the ferine flock . “ They really come in to recognize us and lie with us , trust us . ”
A recent transplant from Virginia , Berwick specifically select Ybor City as her new home in large part because of the chick : “ Where else can I sit on the porch of my historic home , watching the beautiful sunsets and the chickens perching in the trees?”BeyondDC / Flickr
Contentious Cockerels
Not everyone is in agreement , however .
In July 2018 , theTampa City Councilmet to deliberate over a complaint brought forth by a handful of resident pertain about a roaring wimp universe and the early - morning racket due to crowing rooster .
The few dissenting voices had hop to have the 1989 regulation protect the birds amended . But an consuming number of advocator persuaded council members to go out it unchanged .
BXGD/Flickr
These poulet lovers cited the many benefit the Ybor chicken supply , including mosquito ascendancy , ecosystem balance , soil aeration , emotional documentation and tourism and adding to Ybor ’s old human beings charm .
Thus died the complaint about the Ybor City chickens . Matthew Paulson / Flickr
A Poultry Parade
Very much live , however , is the iconic James E. Rooster Funeral and Procession .
Started in 1997 to commemorate James E. Rooster , who was killed by a detent , this yearly New Orleans - vogue parade commemorates all the chicken that have lamentably met their dying . Many Ybor residents attend to bear testimonial to their favorite birds .
The 2019 effect , hold March 5 , celebrate the lives of Maisie Mae , a prolific and popular bantam hen . ( She was drink down by a war hawk the previous December while defending her babies . ) The parade also honored Colonel , one of the Ybor flock ’s patriarchs , murdered by an as - yet - unknown human being . BXGD / Flickr
Ana Hotaling
My visit to Ybor regrettably occurred one week prior to the procession . But I did n’t have to be at the celebration to experience the dearest Ybor citizen have for their bird .
I arrived with my friend Jerry just before sunset . The roosters were tardily herd the hen towards a tree diagram favored by the flock as their nighttime roost . Ana Hotaling
Workers leaving for the evening hold back indulgently for stragglers to cross parking lots to ensure the birds were safely away from the wheel of their motor vehicles .
BeyondDC/Flickr
A few resident , such as Berwick , sit on their porches or strolled the pavement , observing the chicken as they chirruped and settled amongst the branches for the evening .
It was a sunset spectacular deserving safeguarding , not just for those residing and working in the district . All fortunate enough to visit and name the sights and sounds of these feral Florida fowls enjoy the issue .
Matthew Paulson/Flickr
BXGD/Flickr
Ana Hotaling
