Pigeon

Birds—Pigeon

Overview

The feral pigeon is the number one urban bird pest. They exist in large numbers in every city across the country. Not a native bird, feral pigeons are descendants of domestic homing pigeons brought over from Europe and released here in the 1600's. Several traits have allowed them to dominate the urban landscape. Pigeons are not afraid of people; they roost and nest readily in man made structures and they have a diverse diet. The standard pigeon has a short neck with a small head. Their short legs with the level front and hind toes allow them to perch on branches as well as walk on flat surfaces.

Characteristics

The Rock Dove is generally blue-gray with a white rump; has iridescent feathers on head and neck; two broad black bars across each wing and a broad dark band across the end of the tail. They also can display white, brown or gray plumage.

Where

All fifty states: Urban and Suburban areas

Habitat

Protected ledges and roof tops

Diet

Widely varied - grains, seeds, corn, human food scraps

Nesting

Nest building is very simple and often consists of a few stiff twigs. The male will pick the site. They prefer small flat areas away from the ground. Look for nests along building ledges, bridge supports, air conditioning units, window sills and the like. In crowded flocks, pigeons will even forgo nest building and lay eggs directly on a protected ledge.

Breeding

Pigeons are monogamous and a mating pair will typically have three or four broods a year. The female will usually lay two eggs at a time. The eggs are a solid bright white color. The eggs take roughly eighteen days to hatch and thirty-five more days before the fledglings leave the nest.

Cycles

Pigeons are not migratory. The natural instinct is to stay near their birth site. This trait gives the pigeon a very determined personality when it comes to roosting at a particular site, much to the dismay of the inexperienced pest control technician. The daily cycle of a pigeon is to roost at night, feed in the morning and loaf in the afternoon. The seasonal cycle is as follows; courtship in the early winter, nest building in late winter and breeding in the spring. However, In warm climates, breeding will occur year round. Pigeons molt once a year in late summer.

Damage

Feral pigeons are responsible for untold millions of dollars of damage each year in urban areas. The uric acid in their feces is highly corrosive. Roosting flocks can cut a roof life in half. Extensive damage to air conditioning units and other roof top machinery is commonplace. There are also other economic costs associated with pigeon infestations such as slip and fall liability and projection of unclean, dirty company image. Besides physical damage, the bacteria, fungal agents and ectoparasites found in pigeon droppings represent a serious health risk.

Control

There are numerous products and techniques available to combat feral pigeon problems. Handling a pigeon infestation most often requires a combination of products and techniques. Coil, spring wire or bird point all have distinct merits for ledge applications. For exclusion, two inch netting is sufficient, be sure to use only woven and knotted netting for large applications. Any exclusion work should be coupled with some form of flock dispersal such as Avitrol, trapping or shooting. Flock reduction alone is not a long term solution as long as food and attractive shelter remain at the site.