Area-Wide Pigeon Control

This area of the PiCAS website has been designed as a reference section for those individuals or organisations that have a responsibility for area-wide pigeon control in an urban environment such as a town or city or possibly for a large site such as a school, hospital or industrial site. In the main this information will be of most value to Councils, Town/City Centre Management agencies and Facilities Managers. The PiCAS model is a holistic approach and is detailed here in four separate sections.

Artificial Breeding Facilities

Scientific research* has found that by providing artificial breeding facilities for pigeons and by encouraging the birds to use the facilities for the purpose of roosting and breeding, pigeon flock size can be reduced by as much as 50% in as little as 4 years. This reduction is achieved by removing eggs, as laid, from these facilities and replacing them with dummy eggs. Although scientific studies have proven that pigeon flock size can be reduced by up to 50% by providing a system based on artificial breeding facilities, one PiCAS client has experienced a 95% reduction in pigeon numbers in only 5 years without resorting to lethal controls of any description. This reduction was achieved by providing a site-wide holistic system which included the installation of deterrents to move pigeons away from the site together with artificial breeding facilities to accommodate those birds that were reluctant to leave their existing roosts. This type of reduction in flock size is a permanent reduction unlike other more invasive controls such as culling where any reduction in pigeon numbers following a cull will be extremely short-term - in most cases only 4-6 weeks.

Artificial breeding facilities can be almost any shape or size ranging from wall mounted nesting boxes costing as little as £20-£30, pigeon lofts costing £200-£300 through to large ornamental dovecotes costing several thousand pounds. These facilities can be tailored to suit both the available budget and the aesthetics of the building, site or area where they are erected. Where the root cause of the problem is deliberate and persistent public feeding of pigeons a dovecote facility combined with a designated feeding area may be the most effective system. Wall-mounted nesting boxes and pigeon lofts are often provided as a complimentary control where a dovecote/feeding area system is provided. Pigeon Lofts and nesting boxes mounted on or in buildings can be used as a standalone control however. Many German towns and cities have provided loft-based area-wide systems with extremely high rates of success.

For the purposes of this section we will look at the dovecote/feeding area system in more detail due to the fact that the criteria for providing this system is common to virtually all town and city centre locations worldwide where public feeding of pigeons is the source of the problem. Loft-based systems are more commonly used for resolving roosting and breeding-related problems on individual sites or buildings and as a result must be tailored to suit the specific requirements of the site or building concerned.

A wall-mounted pigeon nesting box

When providing an area-wide system involving the use of dovecotes and public feeding areas it is always important to try and identify a site where pigeons are already present and, if possible, where pigeons are already being fed. There is little point in providing a site for a dovecote/feeding area facility that fits all the other criteria such as accessibility, aesthetics, permission from the owner etc. if there are no pigeons present. An ideal site would be a green area, owned by the local authority (or by the site concerned) and close to a town or city centre where the public is already feeding pigeons. A dovecote should always be designed with the needs of the pigeon in mind but it should also be a pleasant and attractive feature for the public to enjoy and appreciate.  Pigeons will quickly be drawn away from existing daytime feeding perches, assuming that the artificial breeding facility is complemented by a designated feeding area where members of the public can legitimately feed the birds. Once a public information/education campaign is in place, directing the public to feed pigeons only on the designated site, pigeon-related problems associated with the exploitation of food in other areas of the town or city will reduce dramatically.

The initial outlay for this type of dovecote facility need not be great and PiCAS will assist with the design of a PiCAS-approved dovecote and designated public feeding area. It is certainly worth looking at the possibility of commercial sponsorship, particularly if a dovecote is to be considered. A dovecote could, for example, be constructed in the shape of a local hotel or historic building thereby providing extensive publicity for the sponsor and reducing cost to the council concerned. The structure can be as basic or as elaborate as is required depending on budgetary restrictions and the aesthetics of the site upon which the facility is to be provided. As long as the facility has been constructed with the needs of the pigeon in mind, and providing that it has been erected on an appropriate site, feeding flocks will quickly relocate to exploit the new food source. Persuading pigeons to leave their existing roosting and breeding sites, however, is more complex and uptake of a dovecote for this purpose of roosting and breeding can only be achieved if existing roosting and breeding sites throughout the town or city are closed down.

Once pigeons have been excluded from their breeding sites displaced breeding flocks will start to consider roosting and breeding within the dovecote facility based on the fact that it is provided immediately beside their feeding area. Once pigeons are using the facility for the purpose of breeding eggs can be removed once a week and replaced with dummy eggs; this will cause no distress to adult birds and the population will quickly decline – this method of birth control is 100% effective. In most cases it is possible to enlist the help of a bona fide wildlife organisation to service the needs of the artificial breeding facility by removing and replacing eggs and cleaning. This service will normally be provided on a voluntary basis thereby further reducing the cost to the council and its sponsors. If the council chooses to service the facility in-house, egg removal from a standard dovecote or loft will take 10 minutes per week. Cleansing, assuming that the cote is well designed, would normally only need to be carried out once every 6 months. This method of control is not only scientifically proven to be extremely effective in the long-term control of pigeons, but is also popular with the general public and property owners alike.

A futuristic dovecote and designated feeding area, provided by
Kortrijk City Council in Belgium

It is not enough, however, simply to provide an artificial breeding facility and do nothing more. To affect a sustainable control system that will continue reducing pigeon numbers indefinitely a local authority will need to focus on public education and information combined with the installation of deterrents in sensitive areas. Cleansing services will also need to be upgraded to reduce public perception of the problem. The council concerned will also need to actively persuade property owners to protect their properties with deterrents and take a proactive approach in respect of closing down existing large-scale roosting and breeding sites.

The public (including commercial property owners) need be made aware of what the authority is trying to achieve and why. Their support and cooperation is critical to the success of any holistic pigeon control programme. Members of the public need to reduce food to pigeons and those that insist on feeding, irrespective of requests not to do so, must be directed to feed only in the designated feeding areas provided. Fast food outlets and food shops need to maintain high standards of hygiene outside their premises and must assist the council by displaying posters and handing out leaflets to customers explaining why the council is taking the action it is. Cleansing managers need to re-assess key areas of high pigeon occupancy and upgrade cleansing services.

Concept drawing of a PiCAS recommended dovecote

Artificial Breeding Facilities Summary

Where artificial breeding facilities are considered by local authorities and site managers PiCAS would recommend the following actions:

• Put in place a comprehensive public education/information campaign
• Liaise with commercial property owners and offer free impartial advice on the
installation of deterrents (via PiCAS) to ensure pigeons are unable to use existing
daytime perches and overnight roosts
• Identify sites for artificial breeding facilities with assistance from PiCAS
• Design and produce appropriate artificial breeding facilities in consultation with
PiCAS
• Explore the possibility of commercial sponsorship
• Ensure that buildings immediately adjacent to the breeding facility are protected
with deterrents to ensure that pigeons use the dovecote for daytime perching and
not surrounding buildings
• Consider designating a public feeding site adjacent to any dovecote facility
provided
• Landscape the area around the facility (including the feeding area) so that it can
be easily cleaned
• Open the facility in a blaze of publicity - this will further encourage commercial
sponsors
• Explore the possibility of voluntary assistance with the servicing of artificial
breeding facilities from local wildlife groups
• Provide extensive signage on each public site explaining to the public what the
council is trying to achieve and why
• Make it clear that the council is working in consultation with PiCAS


* Regulation of the street pigeon in Basel by Daniel Haag-Wackernagel, 1988-1992

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Designated Feeding Areas

The provision of a designated feeding area where members of the public can legitimately feed pigeons is an important element of any area-wide pigeon control programme where the persistent and deliberate feeding of pigeons is seen to be the root cause of the problem. In any town or city there will be a hardcore of deliberate and persistent pigeon feeders that go out each day and feed pigeons in a variety of different areas. Many of these feeders are elderly people who will often feed at the same time each day and in exactly the same place. Pigeons are quick to recognise the routine and learn to wait at each of the different feeding sites to exploit the food provided. This inevitably means that the birds will use a perch on the same building each day to await the feeder with resultant soiling problems for the property owner concerned. However, if a central feeding site is provided where persistent feeders can be directed to feed pigeons, and if the random feeding of pigeons is banned outside this area, pigeons will gather at this site and random perching elsewhere will reduce dramatically. If an artificial breeding facility is also provided on the site, pigeons will quickly learn to adopt this as their regular perch and roost.

When meeting with new local authority clients PiCAS is often told that there are no persistent feeders in the area; this is rarely if ever the case. In every town or city worldwide there are deliberate and persistent feeders. One individual that provides food on a daily basis can sustain a sizeable flock of birds in his or her own right and in many cases feeders will go out to deposit food for pigeons in the early hours of the morning or late at night so as to avoid detection and abuse from other members of the public. This will not only result in an increase in the local rodent population but, due to extensive street lighting in town and city centres, pigeons will also quickly learn to feed after dark. If designated feeding sites are provided where persistent feeders can legitimately feed pigeons not only will the pigeon population be contained in one localised area but excess food can be removed by local authority cleansing operatives. Persistent feeders will normally be happy to use designated sites if for no other reason than that they can feed without being verbally abused by those that do not share their passion for pigeons.

If a designated feeding site is to be considered it is vital that this facility is highlighted in any public education and information programme. The public should be made aware that if they do feed pigeons they should do so only on the designated site provided and if they continue to feed pigeons elsewhere they will be fined. It should also be made clear that the public are not being encouraged to feed pigeons, they are simply being told that if they insist on doing so they are restricted to feeding solely on the designated site/s. Good signage should be erected on the site explaining what the authority is trying to achieve and why and it should be made clear that the authority is working in consultation with PiCAS – this association should have a positive impact on pigeon feeders. If a designated feeding area is to be provided it is more or less essential to put in place some type of perching facility to ensure that the pigeons that are attracted to the site do not start to perch on properties adjacent to the feeding area. If a breeding control system is also considered, a dovecote or similar facility on the site will not only provide excellent perching opportunities but will also reduce pigeon numbers permanently through egg removal/replacement schemes. Any pigeon control system designed to reduce the size of an urban pigeon population sustained by persistent and deliberate feeding will include at least one designated feeding area with an artificial breeding facility on the same site.

A designated feeding area can simply be a piece of open ground where the public are directed to provide food although it is important to fence off the area so that the public are left in no doubt as to where they are being directed to feed. By fencing the area and physically denying access to the public the council discharges its responsibility to the public on health and safety grounds should a member of the public injure themselves whilst illegally accessing the feeding area. The fenced area can be covered with gravel, wood chipped, paved or simply left as a grassy area but it is often better to provide a solid base such as paving slabs so that the area can be steam cleaned or power-washed periodically. If a solid base is provided it should slope gently to a central ’soak-away’ with a removable trap. When cleansing operations are undertaken excess water will flow to the soak-away and any solids washed into the soak-away will be caught in the removable trap and can be disposed of easily. Once a site is identified and building works have been completed a small opening ceremony will ensure a good deal of media attention, which is vital if the site is to be well used.

Designated Feeding Areas Summary

PiCAS would recommend the following actions:

• Identify a suitable area to designate as a public feeding area
• Ensure that this facility receives as much media attention as possible
• Highlight the facility in public information/education programmes
• Consider creating a web page on the council website to inform the public what the
council is trying to achieve and why
• Consider dedicating a page of the monthly/quarterly/annual council magazine to
the issue
• Consider staging a Pigeon Awareness Day on the site to publicise the scheme
• Erect comprehensive signage on the site explaining what the authority is trying
to achieve and why
• Make it clear that the authority is working in consultation with PiCAS to provide a
humane and pigeon friendly control system
• Look at the possibility of erecting some type of perching facility or artificial
breeding facility on the site
• Involve Cleansing Services in the scheme so that the site is visited once or twice
a day to ensure that excess food is removed from the feeding area
• Make it clear to commercial property owners in the vicinity of the designated site
that this scheme is designed to reduce pigeon occupancy, not to increase it

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Deterrents and Proofing

Town and city centres are favoured roosting and perching places for urban pigeons. This is because the pigeon is descended from a cliff-dwelling bird that roosted and nested on small ledges on coastal cliffs. Pigeons then started to move inland to exploit easily available food sources in town and city centres and use buildings that simulate cliff faces for the purposes of roosting and breeding. Pigeons are completely at home in this type of environment. Commercial property owners and leaseholders are the most vociferous complainants where pigeon-related problems are concerned yet most are reluctant to spend money to protect their properties in order to resolve the problem. This is because many commercially available deterrents degrade and fail extremely rapidly and the products themselves are extremely expensive to purchase and install, in some cases costing tens of thousands of pounds to install. Poor advice and poor standards of workmanship offered by the pest control contractors compound the problem.

When providing a comprehensive town or city centre pigeon control programme it is important to encourage commercial property owners to install deterrents on their properties in an effort to reduce pigeon occupancy and resultant soiling in key areas. If property owners are faced with massive estimates for installing deterrents many will simply put all thoughts of protecting their property aside. PiCAS will offer expert and independent advice on the most appropriate products and controls required to resolve a specific problem, often recommending complimentary control options that cost a fraction of their industry standard counterparts. PiCAS will normally recommend a mix of non-standard and commercially available products which in most cases can be installed by a builder or even a window cleaner negating the need to use the services of a pest control contractor.

PiCAS normally recommend that councils produce a leaflet for commercial property owners explaining that the authority is working in partnership with PiCAS and that if independent help or advice is required they can contact PiCAS direct. As a Council is the only body that can be a catalyst for a town or city-wide pigeon control system it is important to make it as easy as possible for commercial property owners to play their part and protect their own properties. Once one property owner has successfully proofed a property it will be in the best interests of their immediate neighbours to protect their properties otherwise excluded pigeons will quickly take up residence. It may also be helpful for council officers to contact commercial property owners directly, particularly those in key areas where pigeon occupancy is high, to offer help and advice.

Local authorities should take the initiative wherever possible and protect their own properties against pigeon occupancy in an effort to set an example for commercial property owners. Many council-owned properties suffer from high levels of pigeon occupancy, particularly older Victorian style buildings, and it is vital that these properties are effectively protected. It will be almost impossible to convince a commercial property owner to carry out extensive proofing works if local authority-owned buildings are not adequately protected.

It must be understood that irrespective of how much pigeon-proofing work is carried out pigeons will merely move from one building to the next. For a comprehensive pigeon-proofing strategy to be effective other measures must be put in place by the local authority to draw pigeons away from key areas and reduce pigeon numbers at the same time. These measures include the provision of a designated feeding area and artificial breeding facilities where egg removal schemes can be operated. Public information/education campaigns are also vital to the success of any town or city centre pigeon control system.

Deterrents and Proofing Summary

PiCAS International would recommend the following actions:

• Put in place a comprehensive public education/information campaign highlighting
all the issues surrounding pigeon-related problems and advising those with a
pigeon problem to protect their properties
• Produce a leaflet for commercial property owners in conjunction with PiCAS
offering advice on the provision of deterrents
• Consider visiting property owners that are experiencing problems and ask if they
need help or advice
• Recommend that residential and commercial property owners contact PiCAS
for expert and non-commercially biased on the protection of their properties
• Offer advice on the installation of pigeon lofts to those property owners with an
overnight roosting or breeding problem
• Make it clear to property owners that it is in their best interests to protect their
own property and suggest that independent advice should always be sought prior
to buying deterrents on the advice of a pest control contractor
• Put in place complimentary pigeon controls such as designated feeding areas and
artificial breeding facilities if the source of the problem is persistent and deliberate
feeding by the public

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Public Education Campaigns

Any strategy designed to reduce pigeon numbers in a given area must include a comprehensive public education/information campaign to reduce public feeding and to encourage the proofing of buildings in key areas. Scientific research* has proved conclusively that pigeon numbers rise and fall according to the extent of available food. Commercial waste from fast food outlets is a growing problem but deliberate and persistent feeding by members of the public is the real source of the problem. A single individual that regularly feeds pigeon flocks each day can sustain a sizeable flock in his/her own right and therefore it is vital to seek public cooperation in an effort to reduce pigeon numbers.

Historically, public education campaigns that have been designed and produced by local authorities have failed to address the problem of public feeding, in the main as a result of poorly designed public information literature. The majority of public information literature produced by local authorities is designed with those members of the public in mind that are currently experiencing pigeon-related problems. Much of the information provided is factually incorrect and in many cases health and safety problems associated with pigeons are wildly exaggerated. This type of material will appease those that regularly complain about pigeons but alienate those that are causing the problem by regular feeding. The response from the regular pigeon feeders to negative public information campaigns will often result in an increase in feeding rather than a reduction.

A well-designed and well-executed public information campaign will focus on the fact that a reduction in available food will not result in large numbers of pigeons starving to death but will simply mean that pigeons slow down or stop breeding altogether. It is a common misconception amongst those that regularly feed pigeons that if they reduce their daily pigeon feeds mass starvation will result. Pigeons will not breed if there is insufficient food available to them to feed their young and this fact must be communicated to persistent feeders. A reduction in feeding must be seen to be a natural way to control pigeon numbers and as an alternative to other more invasive forms of pigeon management such as culling. It may also be helpful to make it clear to pigeon feeders that the authority is working in consultation with PiCAS, an organisation that is seen to be looking after the best interests of the both the pigeon and the public alike. By printing the PiCAS logo and PiCAS contact details on public information literature concerned residents and pigeon feeders can contact PiCAS direct to be assured that PiCAS fully supports the control regime provided by the authority concerned. PiCAS will confirm that their compliance is vital for any humane and effective control mechanism to be successful.  PiCAS will also make it clear that if they do not comply with requests to reduce food invasive control techniques such as culling may be considered as an alternative in the future.

Another method of getting the message across to the general public is to consider employing a Pigeon Warden. The job of a Pigeon Warden is to act as an intermediary between property owners and the local authority itself. The Pigeon Warden will provide property owners with contact details for PiCAS as a source of expert and independent advice. The Warden will also interact with persistent and deliberate pigeon feeders in an effort to get the message across that continuing to feed pigeons large quantities of food will simply result in more pigeons being killed by pest control contractors. Most persistent feeders believe that they are being kind by feeding pigeons and that if they stop their daily feeds the birds will die of starvation. This is of course untrue, but the message will be far more palatable to the feeder coming from a Pigeon Warden than from an Environmental Health Officer or a Pest Control Officer. The benefits of employing a Pigeon Warden are extensive and PiCAS will provide training and support where required.

Media involvement in any public education campaign is essential - the media is an excellent source of free publicity for any initiative put forward by a local authority. PiCAS will work with any organisation to design and launch a good media-friendly campaign. Radio, TV and newspapers will all respond to well-designed press releases and particularly to publicity-rich events such as a ‘Pigeon Awareness Day’. The greater the public debate on the issue of pigeon control the more successful the public information campaign will inevitably be.

Many local authorities publish a monthly, quarterly or annual magazine that is delivered free to all households in their area. A feature in this type of publication will ensure that a large percentage of residents are made aware of the launch of a campaign and why the authority is taking this type of action. It will also confirm how residents can help. For those councils that have a website, a link to the PiCAS website or a page set aside to discuss pigeon control would also be extremely beneficial.

A vast majority of pigeon-related complaints received by local authorities are from commercial property owners, particularly retailers. Apart from protecting their own properties commercial property owners can also assist the authority to get the message across to the public to reduce feeding. This can be achieved by providing space in shop windows for posters and possibly by handing out leaflets to shoppers when paying for goods. There is also a need to educate shopkeepers and service providers (particularly fast food establishments) to play their part by ensuring that there is a minimum of commercial refuse left lying in the streets. A leaflet should be designed for the commercial sector explaining the need for hygiene outside their premises and the need to ensure that their customers create a minimum of litter. This could be by providing extra bins outside their establishments and possibly by providing a litter collection service, at their own expense, within a 500m radius of their establishment. In some areas it is estimated that edible refuse from fast food establishments has increased the numbers of rodents and pigeons by 10-15%.

Public Education Campaigns Summary

In summary, some or all of the following actions are recommended:

• Put in place a comprehensive public education/information campaign
• Involve PiCAS and the media in all aspects of the campaign
• Involve the Press Officer and/or PR department in all aspects of the campaign
• Liaise with PiCAS when producing press releases
• Design leaflets and signage in consultation with PiCAS
• Consider using PiCAS logo on all public information material
• Consider a feature on pigeon control in the authority’s magazine, explaining what
the authority is trying to achieve and why
• Consider providing a link on the authority’s website to the PiCAS website and
also dedicate a page to pigeon control
• Liaise with commercial property owners and leaseholders to assist with the
distribution of public education literature and the implementation of a litter
reduction strategy
• Consider having a ‘Pigeon Awareness Day’ to publicise the launch of the public
information campaign
• If a Designated Feeding Area is provided, good information notice boards should
be designed and erected in consultation with PiCAS
• Consider the idea of employing a Pigeon Warden as a liaison between the public
and the authority


* Regulation of the street pigeon in Basel by Daniel Haag-Wackernagel, 1992
* Haag-Wackernagel, 1992

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