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Solving Pigeon Problems More and more municipalities are developing strategies for peacefully coexisting with pigeons. Effective management plans involve educating the public and, often, keeping pigeons out of certain areas.
Pigeons, or rock doves, have been around for several million years. They have a life span of about 15 years and can sense the Earth’s magnetic field through the use of a magnetic “map” inside their beaks. Pigeons pair for life, and both parents care for their young. Pigeons flock in large numbers to protect themselves against cats, hawks, owls and rats. Even so, up to 35 percent of a pigeon population may perish annually from natural causes and predators. Pigeons naturally stabilize their own populations in accordance with food supply and other factors. Pigeons are very intelligent. “Pigeons commit new images to memory at lightning speed. …They organize images of things into the same logical categories that human beings use when we conceptualize.” (1) Return to top
The symptoms of infection generally resemble a mild cold.
People recover without medical intervention and develop a
natural resistance against further infection. Much of the population
has already been affected, developed an immunity,
and never been aware of it. Histoplasmosis is rare in dry
states because it requires moisture to grow. Salmonellosis and toxoplasmosis are more commonly contracted
from undercooked, contaminated meat. (2)
Accumulated pigeon droppings can damage buildings, monuments and automobiles and may require professional removal. Further, some building owners complain about nests blocking drains or birds creating roof damage. Removing the birds in question may seem like the obvious
answer, but killing the birds is never a solution. The installation
of barriers is not only humane, but is also less expensive
Birds settle in areas that suit their needs. Therefore, an effective
program of bird control consists of making the designated
area as uninviting as possible through conditioning
and exclusion. Building codes should be modified if needed
to include provisions for bird proofing. Open areas, such as vents, lofts or eaves, can be sealed to
prevent birds from nesting in the holes. Openings in lofts,
church steeples and other enclosed spaces can be
screened with one-half inch mesh hardware cloth. Any such
exclusion must be done when the birds are not inside. Netting can be used to exclude birds from virtually any
type of structure, from a house to an office building. To
keep birds off window ledges, the netting is anchored to
the roof, draped across the front of the structure and then
tightly secured to the base and sides of the building. Netting
can be used under bridges or inside buildings where
pigeons perch on beams, girders, struts and supports.
Poison: Dangerous and Ineffective
If you find a bird in convulsions or vomiting vomiting, or if you
suspect that a bird has been poisoned, put the bird in a box
and rush her to Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center Center in
Lyons (303-823-8455). Another option is to take the bird to
a veterinarian. About 50 percent of poisoned birds can survive
with prompt treatment. |
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The most widespread misconception about urban pigeons is
that they are carriers of disease. The truth is that the vast
majority of people are at little or no health risk from pigeons. In
fact, a child attending school is many times more likely to get a
disease from another child than from neighborhood pigeons.
Conditioning birds to avoid an area
through the use of noises, mirrors, etc.,
should be done as early as possible
to effectively discourage them from
settling in. It is important to vary the
deterrents so the birds do not get accustomed
to them. Don’t feed the
birds, and eliminate food and litter
from the area. 
Poisoning wildlife is cruel. Avitrol, a commonly used bird poison,
causes suffering for up to 15 hours before death. (3)
What’s more, humans and other nontarget species can die
or become ill from accidental ingestion of or skin exposure
to small amounts of bird poison.