by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 23, 2020 | Bird Netting, Pigeon Control, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News
Ever thought about why there are so many pigeons in your city? I have, I always notice a flock of pigeons hanging out on posts and rooftops and individually roaming the streets. But why are there so many? Keep on reading to find out! It may surprise you.
Pigeons In The City
Some people feed pigeons bread crumbs or keep them as pets in rooftop coops. Others see the animals as pests, carriers of disease or simply “rats with wings.” But whatever you think about these birds, there’s one fact no one will argue: Pigeons are everywhere.
Have you ever wondered how one kind of bird managed to take over urban areas as far apart as Washington; London, England; Mumbai, India; and Melbourne, Australia? Or why it is that pigeons are so plentiful in cities and not eagles, turkeys, hummingbirds or vultures?
Well, the first thing you need to know about pigeons is that they’re actually doves. Or doves are actually pigeons. Scientifically, there’s no difference between the two.
“In some languages, there isn’t even a separate word for ‘pigeon,’ ” said Colin Jerolmack, a scientist at New York University who studies human societies.
There are still pigeons living in the wild today. They evolved on the shores of North Africa and the Mediterranean Sea, where they make their homes on rocky ledges and cliffs. And it was this natural love for hard surfaces that made them a perfect fit in urban areas.
“They actually really like concrete, marble and stone, so they prefer to live and build nests not in the trees and shrubs and grass, but alongside buildings,” said Jerolmack, who wrote a book called “The Global Pigeon.”
But perhaps the biggest reason you’ll find pigeons in cities around the world is because humans brought them there.
At least as long as 5,000 years ago, the people of an ancient Middle Eastern civilization known as Mesopotamia started putting out houses for these birds. As the birds became more tame, people began breeding them for food in areas where other wild animals had become scarce.
Later, people learned that they could also use pigeons to carry written messages over long distances, thanks to the birds’ homing instinct.
“You can take a street pigeon in D.C. and drive it down to North Carolina and release it, and, more often than not, it’ll find its way home,” Jerolmack said.
As you can see, pigeons can be quite useful. It’s been only in the past 80 to 100 years that people started disliking the birds, Jerolmack said. And much of the dislike comes from misunderstanding.
For example, there’s really no solid evidence that pigeons pass diseases on to people. And once you get to know them, you might change the way you think.
Did you know that pigeons mate for life, for instance? Or that once their chicks hatch, both parents take turns feeding their young a liquid produced in their digestive tract called “crop milk?”
Anyway, humans have only themselves to blame for the pigeons cooing on every corner.
“We bred them and domesticated them, and kept them in cities as we developed cities,” Jerolmack said. “So they’ve always been here, from the beginning.”
There are still pigeons living in the wild today. They evolved on the shores of North Africa and the Mediterranean Sea, where they make their homes on rocky ledges and cliffs. And it was this natural love for hard surfaces that made them a perfect fit in urban areas.
“They actually really like concrete, marble and stone, so they prefer to live and build nests not in the trees and shrubs and grass, but alongside buildings,” said Jerolmack, who wrote a book called “The Global Pigeon.”
But perhaps the biggest reason you’ll find pigeons in cities around the world is because humans brought them there.
At least as long as 5,000 years ago, the people of an ancient Middle Eastern civilization known as Mesopotamia started putting out houses for these birds. As the birds became more tame, people began breeding them for food in areas where other wild animals had become scarce.
Later, people learned that they could also use pigeons to carry written messages over long distances, thanks to the birds’ homing instinct.
“You can take a street pigeon in D.C. and drive it down to North Carolina and release it, and, more often than not, it’ll find its way home,” Jerolmack said.
As you can see, pigeons can be quite useful. It’s been only in the past 80 to 100 years that people started disliking the birds, Jerolmack said. And much of the dislike comes from misunderstanding.
For example, there’s really no solid evidence that pigeons pass diseases on to people. And once you get to know them, you might change the way you think.
Did you know that pigeons mate for life, for instance? Or that once their chicks hatch, both parents take turns feeding their young a liquid produced in their digestive tract called “crop milk?”
Anyway, humans have only themselves to blame for the pigeons cooing on every corner.
“We bred them and domesticated them, and kept them in cities as we developed cities,” Jerolmack said. “So they’ve always been here, from the beginning.” Source
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
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by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 23, 2020 | Bird Netting, Pigeon Control, Pigeon Droppings, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes
Outdoor spaces just aren’t the same without colorful, chirping birds that flutter and dance before our eyes. Unfortunately, birds have a troublesome habit of getting into indoor spaces that aren’t made for wild animals. The problem is especially acute during the cool season. If you’re dealing with bird problems in the home, you need to know what causes indoor bird infestations and what you can do about them.
Why Do Birds Come Inside?
Birds come inside for many different reasons. In some cases, indoor spaces mimic birds’ natural habitats or provide suitable, sheltered locations for the construction of nests or perches.
In other cases, carnivorous birds follow small animals like mice inside. With a steady supply of prey, they find it easier to remain inside than brave the uncertain outside world.
Even birds that don’t hunt indoor pests may be drawn to easily accessible food sources, including grains and seeds, inside the home.
How Do Birds Get Inside Your Home?
The chimney isn’t the only way that a bird can enter your house; exhaust vents and small holes in your roof are also prime targets. If you didn’t actually see the stray bird come out of your fireplace, check your attic to see if there are more of them living on your property. 3. Put screens on your windows and doors
Birds tend to spend more time indoors during the cool season. Some of the most common pest species inside Arizona homes include:
- House sparrows that can easily penetrate small holes and vents
- Woodpeckers that can easily break apart wooden structural elements to create nests or food sources
- Birds of prey that use sheltered areas as perches
How to Handle Birds Inside the Home Source
It can be overwhelming and even frightening to deal with birds inside the home. Fortunately, there are a number of proven strategies that can help mitigate the problem:
- Cut off carnivorous birds’ food sources by controlling indoor pests like mice and rats
- Install ventilation screens and other barriers to entry
- Patch holes and other “weak points” in your home’s siding, roof, foundation line and garage
- Put out a bird feeder to discourage food-seeking behavior inside the home
- Call a professional to handle stubborn infestations
Protect Your Home Against Birds in Vancouver B.C Call Pigeon Patrol
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
Pigeon / Pigeon Patrol / Pigeons Roosting / Vancouver Pigeon Patrol / Bird Control / Surrey Pigeon Control / Pest / Vancouver Pigeon Blog / Birds Inside Home
by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 23, 2020 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Control, Pigeon Droppings, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes
Do you have pigeons roosting at your property? Not sure if they cause any harm or if you should get rid of them? Keep on reading to find out what pigeons may do to your property!
Pigeons may seem harmless, but these pest birds cause millions of dollars in damage every year to buildings, ventilation systems, machinery, statues, roofs, and much more. Bird droppings and nesting materials left by pigeons pose physical problems and health hazards that can become very serious if not corrected quickly making prompt and effective professional bird control is often essential.
Pigeons Roosting
Pigeons find our window ledges, rooftops, bridges, and warehouses to be ideal substitutes for the natural ledges in cliff sides that they have always used as roosting, nesting, and sheltering sites. When flocks grow too large and become a nuisance, killing the birds is often the first plan of action.
Potential Health Hazards:
There are many health risks associated with pigeons and their droppings. The bacteria, fungi, and ectoparasites that they and their droppings harbor are numerous. The four most common ways disease is passed by bird to human are: inhalation of fecal dust, food and water contaminated with bird feces, direct contact with feces, and parasitic transfer.
Pigeon droppings can expose humans to many diseases, including salmonella, Newcastle disease, candidiasis, encephalitis, orthosis, and toxoplasmosis. In addition, they can also carry cryptococcosis, and coccidiodomycosis, which cause meningitis. The droppings may also harbor growth of fungus, which causes histoplasmosis. Fleas, lice, mites, and other pests often live on these birds, hitching a ride to where ever they want to jump off. Pigeons may also attract other pests, such as rats, which feed on dead pigeons and food that well-intentioned bird lovers may scatter for them.
In addition to disease, bird droppings are known for triggering 
people to slip and fall, which makes it especially important to rid the birds from highly trafficked areas. Source
Damage Caused by Pigeons:
These are messy birds, leaving droppings everywhere they go, particularly near their roost sites. Pigeon droppings are not just gross, they are also full of uric acid which makes them extremely corrosive. The droppings are the direct cause of millions of dollars in damage to buildings and other structures. Particularly vulnerable are painted surfaces, awnings, signs, and other similar surfaces. A tragic example of the corrosiveness of pigeon droppings is the Minnesota bridge accident in 2007, which was found to be the direct result of bird droppings eating away at the metal bridge supports until they weakened.
In addition to the damage cause by their acidic droppings, pigeon nests can also cause damage. Pest birds will often build nests in gutters or on roof corners blocking essential drainage systems. Every year several warehouses experience roof damage, and even collapse, when drainage systems have been blocked and standing water rises just six inches. Bird nests can also block ventilation systems, which not only prevents exhaust of potentially harmful gases, but also has the potential to spread diseases. Fire is also a potential hazard. Nesting materials are usually flammable, consisting of twigs, straw, grasses and dried droppings. When pest birds build their nests inside electric signs or other machinery there is a great risk of fire.
Pigeons are creatures of habit and highly social. Once they have found a cozy spot the will return again and again, bringing along more of their pigeon pals. Prolific breeders, pigeons can hatch several broods a year, sometimes even laying a new clutch before the previous have even hatched. Often our buildings and structures have architectural features such as drain spouts and eaves that make perfect nesting spots for these birds. Pigeons are comfortable around humans and they’re hard to scare away or deter. Once a flock of stubborn unwanted pigeons have set up shop in/on your building, it can be stubbornly resistant to removal, often requiring the services of a pest control or animal control professional. As is true of many pests that invade our homes and businesses, the first step to controlling feral pigeons is to remove their food source.
Tips to deter pigeons:
- Don’t feed the pigeons.
- Screen drains and gutters to make your property less attractive to pigeons.
- Encourage children to pick up spilled food – and teach them NOT to feed pigeons
- Keep areas around trash bins and outdoor dining areas clean
- Eliminate water sources such as bird baths, over-watered lawns, or kiddy pools.
If you need help to prevent or eliminate pesky problem pigeons, please contact us!
Hope you learned more about why you should take action when pigeons are roosting on your property
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
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by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 5, 2020 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Bird Spike, Bird Spikes, Columbidae, Doves, Pigeon Droppings, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes
Are There Any Myths About The Pigeon? Yes.
If you want to find out what the myths are about the pigeon, then keep on reading!
1. Pigeons All Look Pretty Much Alike
his is definitely a misconception about these ubiquitous birds. Pigeons are common in so many places around the world that they tend to blend into the scenery. But take a closer look and you’ll see a huge variety of colors and patterns among pigeons. In fact, there are dozens of distinct color variations, including red, white, blue-black and gray, according to the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.
Much of the variation in pigeon coloring is due to selective breeding throughout history by people who have collected pigeons for their feathers. This should come as no surprise since these animals have been cohabitating with humans for 5,000 to 10,000 years, often as pets, messengers or human sustenance.
2. Pigeons are secret spies
Despite sounding like part of a conspiracy theory, this pigeon myth is actually rooted in a measure of truth. Pigeons have been used by governments and militaries around the globe for centuries, and many pigeon activities have proved quite critical in espionage operations. For example, before the widespread use of satellite imagery, pigeons would be fitted with tiny cameras and flown over enemy territory on information-gathering exercises.
They’ve also been used extensively as messengers — the birds would carry critical notes between military installations even as late as World War II. That being said, it’s extremely unlikely that the pigeons you feed at the local park are working undercover for a foreign government.
3. Pigeons Can Fly Thousands of Miles Per Day
Based on the incredible flying abilities of pigeons, stories about their winged performance have been greatly inflated over the years. For example, pigeons have a remarkable ability to find their way home, but not from halfway around the world — as legend would have it. The truth is still impressive. Pigeons are able to navigate home across hundreds of miles using the sun, the Earth’s magnetic field and landmarks such as tall buildings.
There are also many tall tales about pigeons traveling more than a thousand miles in one day — sometimes many thousands. This is an exaggeration. The truth is that racing pigeons fly between 40 and 50 miles (64 and 80 kilometers) per hour, with the top performers covering a maximum of about 600 miles (966 kilometers) in a single day, according to the Solar Center at Stanford University. So while these stats are remarkable, pigeons are not the superheroes that many mythmakers would have you believe. Source
Pigeons can fly far, but not that far. Still, 600 miles in one day is pretty impressive.
4. Pigeons Are Warmongers
There are plenty of references to pigeons in modern society. People can be pigeon-toed or pigeon-holed, or even act as stool pigeons. If you’ve ever wondered why pigeon-themed parlance plays such a central role in human culture, look no further than your local playground or shopping center. These birds are everywhere.
Because pigeons thrive in man-made environments, they’ve become extremely common wherever there are people. In fact, pigeons are abundant in Europe, Asia and Africa, as well as throughout North America. In addition to being the subjects of legend and lore, these creatures are also the focus of a lot of misconceptions. Check out our list of the most common myths about pigeons, and perhaps you’ll learn a thing or two about our familiar feathered friends.
5. Pigeons and Doves Are Divine
Again, this myth is difficult to discuss rationally, but we felt we had to include it in the list since pigeons and doves (same family, different species) appear so often in scripture and the writings of the ancient world. Whether serving as sacrifice in Jewish tradition or as Noah’s messenger on the ark, pigeons and doves play a central role in the lore of the world’s religions.
Pigeons and doves also represent peace, purity, faith and fidelity in numerous cultures around the world. Why the birds hold such a sacred place in human societies is difficult to discern, but pigeons are no more or less likely than other animals to guide us to the hereafter. Pigeons have been associated with a variety of diseases, including histoplasmosis and cryptococcosis. Histoplasmosis is a disease caused by a fungus that grows in pigeon droppings. The fungus can also be found in bat droppings or in the soil, and is carried by the wind.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
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by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 5, 2020 | Pigeon Droppings, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Predators, Pigeon Spikes
So you want to learn more about who and what are predators of the pigeon,
Well you’ve come to the right place. Today we will be talking about just that and how these pigeons try to avoid them.
Pigeon Predators
Some common predators of feral pigeons in North America are Foxes, snakes, red-tailed hawks, and owls. The birds that prey on pigeons in North America can range in size from American kestrels to golden eagles and can even include gulls, crows, and ravens.
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. Foxes have a flattened skull, upright triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail. Twelve species belong to the monophyletic “true foxes” group of genus Vulpes. These animals can be seen preying on pigeons early in the morning
Snakes are no stranger to pigeons. Snakes are elongated, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpents. Like all other squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales. Snakes can easily swallow a pigeon in no time. There’s a couple of videos of snakes devouring pigeons.
Another big predator or the pigeon is the Seagull. Gulls, or colloquially seagulls, are seabirds of the family Laridae in the suborder Lari. They are most closely related to the terns and only distantly related to auks, skimmers and even more distantly to waders. Seagulls in Rome are “returning” to their natural status as predators, hunting down rats, pigeons, and other smaller birds as the lack of humans on the streets mean no food scraps are to be found
Another predator of pigeons are the golden eagle. The golden eagle is one of the best-known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. These birds are dark brown, with lighter golden-brown plumage on their napes. The healthy adult golden eagle, due to its impressive size and hunting prowess, has no natural predators. Eggs, chicks, immature eagles, and injured birds are susceptible to a range of predators, such as other birds of prey, including other kinds of eagles and hawks, bears, wolves and cougars.
And the biggest predator of pigeons? Man is by far the greatest predator of pigeons.
How The Pigeon Avoid Predators
In most birds, flight is the most important means of escape from predators. Impaired flight abilities due to increased wing loading may increase vulnerability to predation. To compensate for an increase in wing loading, birds are able to independently decrease body mass (BM) or increase pectoral muscle mass (PMM). Comparing nearshore and farshore foraging shorebird species, we develop a theory as to which of these responses should be the most appropriate. We hypothesize that nearshore foragers should respond to increased predation by increasing their PMM in order to promote speed-based escape. Instead, farshore foragers should decrease BM in order to improve agility for maneuvering escape. Experiments on 2 shorebird species are consistent with these predictions, but on the basis of the theoretical framework for evaluating effect size and biological significance developed here, more experiments are clearly needed. Source
They can startle the predator, stand their ground, crouch and stay put, or fly off (Caro 2005). For most birds, flight is the predominant escape mode. A reduction of speed or maneuverability is likely to increase the chance of being depredated once airborne
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
Bird Gone, Pigeon Gone, Seagull Gone, Pigeon problems, 1-877-4NO-BIRD, 4-S Gel, Bird Control, Pigeon Control, bird repellent,, sonic bird repellent, stainless steel , bird spikes Vancouver, Ultra Sonic Bird Control, Bird Netting, Canada bird deterrents, Pigeon Pests, B Gone Pigeon, Pigeon Patrol, pest controller, pest control operator, pest control technician, Pigeon Control Products, humane pigeon, pigeon deterrents, pigeon traps, Pigeon repellents, Sound & Laser Deterrents, wildlife control, raccoon, skunk, squirrel deterrent, De-Fence Spikes, Dragons Den, Canada bird spikes, Canada pigeon, pigeon control, pigeon patrol, pigeon. Kill pigeons, crow, starling, Pigeon Habitat, Pigeon identifications,
by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 4, 2020 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Bird Spikes, Pigeon Control, Pigeon Droppings, Pigeon Patrol's Services
Do You Wanna Know How To Reduce The Numbers In Pigeons Roaming Around?
Keep on reading!
The need to reduce numbers in feral pigeon populations in urban areas has been the subject of intense debate for decades with town and city councils making little impact on the problem due to lack of investment and, in many cases, a reluctance to think laterally. Although the feral pigeon has been a common feature of urban life for the last 100 years there is no doubt that urban flocks are now growing faster than their numbers can be controlled. The reason for this unprecedented rise in feral pigeon numbers is due, almost exclusively, to the availability of food and the methods used to control the birds. Other factors such as the availability of good roosting and breeding facilities also play their part.
The feral pigeon is completely at home in urban environments, exploiting humans for food and using buildings for the purposes of roosting and breeding. This is because the feral pigeon is a descendent of the rock dove, a cliff-dwelling bird that was commonly found feeding and breeding along rocky coastlines prior to its mass exodus inland to make its home alongside man.
Pigeons (Rock Doves) in
their Natural Habitat
The reason that the rock dove chose to desert its natural habitat is the obvious availability of food combined with the optimum breeding and roosting potential offered by buildings, which resemble cliff faces. In its natural habitat the only real predator of the rock dove was the peregrine falcon, an extremely efficient predator that preyed on both pigeons and gull chicks.
In these natural environments flock size was restricted and maintained at levels dictated by the availability of natural food sources and the extent of predation in the area concerned. In urban environments, however, the picture is very different with man being the sole predator of the feral pigeon and food sources guaranteed.
Peregrine Falcon
Today the feral pigeon can be seen in virtually every area of the globe other than the two polar icecaps, exploiting man for food and his buildings for the purposes of roosting and breeding. Man has attempted to control the feral pigeon by using a variety of lethal controls, including poisons, narcotics, cage traps and shooting, and yet the pigeon has shrugged off all these attempts at population control and continued to live and breed in close association with man undeterred. Lethal controls have been complemented by an arsenal of deterrents, provided in an effort to deny or restrict roosting and perching opportunities (thereby reducing guano-related problems). Anti-roosting systems such as anti-roosting spikes have proved extremely effective at displacing pigeons from areas that pigeons roost and nest; but may not be a total solution as pigeons may simply move to other areas nearby.
Rifle Used for Pigeon Culling
So what other options are available to control and contain the problem? The answer to the question really lies in the source of the problem: available food and the means by which we currently control the birds. The use of lethal control as a means of controlling and reducing pigeon populations has been found to have no effect in terms of reducing pigeon flock size. Scientific research has even found that lethal controls can have the opposite effect, resulting in an increased flock size as a result of rejuvenation within the flock. Although we now have the science which proves that all attempts to reduce flock size by lethal means will be a wasted effort, the use of lethal control on pigeon populations is still extensive in the UK and many other countries worldwide. Why then are lethal controls used at all? Culling has been relied upon for decades by the pest control industry as a highly lucrative and revenue-rich service. If it were withdrawn as a control option many contractors would simply go out of business.
Pigeon Loft used for
Breeding Control
The only proven method of reducing pigeon flock size as part of an area-wide control system is to use a method pioneered by PiCAS International involving the use of artificial breeding facilities. This stand-alone method of control has been scientifically* proven to reduce pigeon flock size and is currently being employed throughout mainland Europe by councils and commercial organizations alike. The principle of a scheme using artificial breeding facilities is to provide a pigeon loft or dovecote in which feral pigeons can be encouraged to roost and breed and from which their eggs can be removed as laid and replaced with dummy eggs. This method of breeding control has been found to be extremely effective in reducing flock size and maintaining that reduction indefinitely
Whether a dovecote or pigeon loft is used the principle is the same – pigeons are encouraged to take up residence in the facility provided and as soon as breeding commences their eggs are removed as laid and substituted with dummy eggs. The hen bird will then continue to sit on the eggs for a period of between 18 and 25 days before realizing that the eggs will not hatch, at which time she will then abandon them. If eggs are removed without substituting with dummy eggs the hen bird will re-lay immediately and continue to re-lay each time her eggs are removed.
This may result in long-term health-related problems for the hen bird (such as a severe calcium deficiency) and as the goal is to maintain a small healthy flock of pigeons this is clearly not desirable.
The two types of artificial breeding facility available for use as a breeding control are very different in respect of both design and siting criteria, with a pigeon ‘loft’ normally provided on or possibly even within a building and a dovecote provided in an open space and at ground level. A pigeon loft would normally be provided by a property owner on a specific building or site in an effort to control breeding flocks of feral pigeons within that localized area. A dovecote would normally be provided in a green open space, such as a public park, where the scope of the facility would be the control of large feeding flocks of feral pigeons. In the case of a dovecote-based system a designated public feeding area would normally be provided adjacent to the dovecote in which the general public would be encouraged to feed pigeons, as the food would act to attract the birds to the dovecote facility.
The additional benefit of a designated feeding area, certainly where deliberate and persistent feeding of pigeons is identified as being the root cause of the problem, is that the facility will draw feeders away from their normal feeding areas in town and city centers and relocate them to green areas where pigeons can be better tolerated. Many councils will use the ‘carrot and stick’ approach when offering a system of this nature, providing feeders with legitimized areas in which to feed pigeons but large fines if they continue to feed outside the designated areas.
The main source of all pigeon-related problems in urban areas is deliberate and persistent over-feeding of pigeons by a small number of people who normally feed large quantities of high quality food 7 days a week. To a lesser extent the methods most commonly used to control pigeons (lethal controls) exacerbate and further entrench problems caused by overfeeding. The combination of overfeeding and the rejuvenation of pigeon flocks through the use of lethal controls has resulted in deeply entrenched problems in virtually every city in the Western world.
In some countries the feral pigeon has a religious significance and this fact has also acted to further embed the problem. Muslim, Hindu and Sikh cultures feed pigeons for religious reasons and although the feeding of pigeons for these reasons still continues in many UK towns and cities today, there is a view that the feeding of pigeons is the preserve of the older generation with younger generations taking little interest in the bird. In multi-racial cities like Leicester, for example, where the council embraces the concept of culling and where ethnic minority groups offer huge quantities of food to feral pigeon populations on a daily basis, feral pigeon flocks have grown to unsustainable proportions, creating deeply entrenched problems for property owners.
The problem has become so entrenched that several years ago PICAS International was called in to humanely remove nearly 2000 breeding pigeons and their young from 7 residential roof-spaces in council-owned properties in the city. This indicates the scale of the problem and confirms that citywide overfeeding of feral pigeons, combined with the over-use of culling, will only ever result in upwardly spiraling pigeon flock size.
For any urban pigeon control system to be effective there must not only be area-wide controls provided in the form of pigeon lofts and dovecotes with designated feeding areas, but also an acceptance by property owners that they must play their part. The only body that can be a catalyst for area-wide controls is a council, but if property owners fail to control pigeons on their own properties and allow entrenched roosting and breeding problems to occur or to continue any programme provided by the council will inevitably be compromised. Breeding controls can be astonishingly effective, but if property owners fail to exclude pigeons from their properties those same birds will continue to breed unchecked, further compounding the problem throughout the area. If breeding controls are provided in the form of lofts and dovecotes, however, and if both the local authority and property owners pull in the same direction, a vast majority of pigeons that are excluded during proofing programmes will end up in loft or dovecote facilities where their breeding can be controlled.
The average property owner can provide an extremely effective pigeon control system by installing deterrents in areas where roosting, breeding or perching exists and, if the problem justifies it, by providing an artificial breeding facility in the form of a pigeon loft. The combination of these two controls on one building or site will not only reduce the incidence of soiling in sensitive areas, but will also reduce flock size year on year, resulting in a small manageable flock of pigeons. This must be the goal of every property owner based on the fact that it is simply impossible to eradicate the feral pigeon completely. Although deterrents cannot be considered to be cheap, if the correct choice is made and if the product is sourced and installed by the property owner concerned at least 20-30 years’ protection should be afforded. The correct choice of deterrents is key, with some anti-perching products such as repellent gel only providing between 3 and 12 months’ protection and bird exclusion products like nylon bird netting only offering 5-10 years’ protection. The anti-roosting spike will, however, offer the property owner up to 30 years’ protection without the need to maintain or replace the product, making it an economical and aesthetically pleasing choice.
When a council chooses to provide an area-wide control system for feral pigeons (and very few UK-based councils do provide area-wide systems) expert guidance is critically important. Control systems that are designed to resolve entrenched pigeon-related problems are complex, particularly if the root cause of the problem is persistent and deliberate feeding by the general public. Many UK-based councils have attempted to address the problem by using hard-hitting and aggressive campaigns threatening pigeon feeders with large fines or imprisonment and often undertaking deeply unpopular culling operations at the same time. In each and every case these campaigns have failed due to the fact that the council concerned has failed to understand the underlying reason why people feed pigeons. The ‘problem’ cannot be dealt with as a littering offense or an anti-social act; it must be dealt with by education and persuasion rather than by threats and legislation.
If public feeding is identified to be the cause of the problem a system of controls must be provided that take the impact of persistent feeding into consideration at the same time as identifying large-scale pigeon roosts and closing them down. The principle of an effective area-wide control system using dovecote-based artificial breeding facilities is to provide the general public with an area specifically set aside for the purpose of pigeon feeding and to confirm that feeding is allowed in this area, but nowhere else.
A high-quality public education campaign must be launched confirming what the council is trying to achieve and why. Once a dovecote and designated feeding area facility has been provided in a central and accessible area the task of encouraging the feral pigeon population to feed on the site and take up residence in the dovecote is the next step.
Where pigeon-related problems exist as a result of public feeding the public education campaign will guide feeders to use the dovecote site for this purpose and as a result pigeons will follow, thereby resolving problems for property owners. Where breeding or roosting-related problems exist, however, it will be necessary to exclude pigeons from these areas with physical deterrents or to provide a loft-based artificial breeding facility or a combination of both.
One of the main reasons that area-wide control systems break down is the failure of councils to identify large-scale overnight roosts and force property owners to close them down and exclude pigeons. Councils have the power to force any property owner to undertake works to exclude pigeons from their property or, if the property owner refuses, to undertake those works itself and then bill the property owner. Even in light of these far-ranging powers, however, councils are deeply reluctant to take this action even though it may make render the area-wide control system a failure.
Of course, it is not always advisable or desirable to exclude pigeons from an existing roosting or breeding site, particularly if there is no area-wide control system in place to provide alternative accommodation. This does not stop property owners and companies like Network Rail excluding tens of thousands of pigeons from buildings and roosting sites under railway bridges every year. These excluded birds simply become someone else’s problem and the cycle begins again. This is why it is so important to provide a system of sustainable controls, such as the use of artificial breeding facilities, that will continue to control both breeding and (in the case of dovecote-based systems) feeding indefinitely, with little or no cost involved other than the initial outlay. These systems are popular with the general public and property owners alike as they humanely relocate pigeons to areas where they can be tolerated, accommodated and controlled without the need to resort to unpopular, invasive and unsustainable controls such as culling.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Contact us at 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD, (604) 585-9279 or visit our website at www.pigeonpatrol.ca
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