Flocks of pigeons are an increasing feature of many towns and cities and many people like to feed them.

But what we don’t always see is that pigeons can cause a considerable amount of damage and nuisance where they roost. Owners of buildings and local authorities are then left to deal with the problems they cause.

Pigeons are natural scavengers and will find their own food source. The size of the flock is determined by the amount of food available to them. The more we feed them, the more their numbers increase.

A pair of birds can breed up to 6 times a year if the conditions are ideal and will lay 2 eggs each time. If food is readily available the birds will continue to breed at this rate and the numbers will rise dramatically. If, however, the food supply is reduced, the flock size will reduce accordingly. Pigeons control their own numbers very effectively and a reduction in food supply does not mean that the birds will die of starvation, it just means they will breed less often or even not at all.

Your act of kindness in feeding the pigeons may result in the birds becoming a problem for someone else.

If we make a conscious decision not to feed them, over time there will inevitably be less, but if there is a small healthy flock there is less chance that they will need to be controlled.

The problems pigeons create
 

1. The places pigeons roost on or regularly visit soon become fouled with droppings, nesting materials and dead birds. These are objectionable and have to be removed. The droppings can cause damage to the building if they are not removed.
2. Feeding pigeons attracts pests and puts human health at risk. 
3. Pigeon fouling, nesting and other debris can contain bacteria, viruses, mites and insects, which could be passed to humans. Biting mites often infest offices gaining access through windows and air vents. Pigeons frequently get into water storage tanks in lofts.
4.  In places where people over feed pigeons, rats and mice are encouraged into the area. These are known spreaders of disease.  
5. Pigeon droppings on pavements, particularly when wet, can cause people to slip and injure themselves. These accumulations have to be cleaned up.    
6. Pigeons are wildlife. They are not domesticated and not dependant on us to feed them.
7. Feeding pigeons in town centres causes them to live in areas which are unnatural  to them. This exposes them to risk of injury and they can often be seen with missing or deformed feet or wing injuries.  If pigeons are fed unnaturally it encourages them to breed excessively and the weakest will die.
8. Large numbers of pigeons can drive out smaller birds from feeding areas. 
9. Feral pigeons can carry diseases, which will spread to other birds.