Feral Pigeon
Encyclopedia
Feral pigeons also called city doves, flying rats, city pigeons or street pigeons, are derived from domestic pigeons
that have returned to the wild. The domestic pigeon was originally bred from the wild Rock Pigeon
, which naturally inhabits sea-cliff
s and mountains. All three types readily interbreed. Feral pigeons find the ledge
s of buildings to be a substitute for sea cliffs, and have become adapted to urban life and are abundant in towns and cities throughout much of the world.
As a result of the continuous food supply, pigeon courtship rituals can be observed in urban parks at any time of the year. A male on the ground initially puffs up his feathers at the nape of the neck to appear larger and thereby impress or attract attention. He then singles out a female in the vicinity and approaches her at a rapid walking pace while emitting repetitive quiet notes, often bowing and turning as he comes closer.
Initially, the female invariably walks or flies a short distance away, and the male follows her. Persistence by the male will usually eventually cause the female to tolerate his proximity, at which point he will continue the bowing motion and very often make full- or half-pirouettes in front of the female.
The male then mounts the female. The mating is very brief with the male flapping his wings to maintain balance on top of the female. Sometimes the male and female beaks lock together.
Abandoned buildings are favourite nesting areas. Mass nesting is common, often dozens of birds will share a building. Loose tiles and broken windows give pigeons access; they are good at spotting new access points, for example following property damage caused by strong winds.
Nests and droppings will quickly make a mess of any nesting area. Pigeons are particularly fond of roof spaces. These often contain water tanks, into which the pigeons can defecate or chicks can fall into the tanks and drown. Any water tank or cistern on a roof must therefore be secured and sealed off.
The popularity of a nesting area does not seem to be affected by pigeons dying there. Corpses are often seen among unconcerned live birds.
On undamaged property, the gutters, window air conditioners and empty air conditioner containers, chimney pots and external ledges are used as nesting sites. Many building owners try to limit roosting by using bird control spike
s and netting to cover ledges and potential nesting places on buildings. This probably has little effect on the size of the pigeon population, but it can reduce the accumulation of droppings on and around a particular building.
Only the larger and more wary Common Wood Pigeon, which often shares the same territory and food supply, will build nests in trees, usually close to roads.
Both parents participate in the incubation of the eggs.
Pigeons breed when the food supply is good, which in cities can be any time of the year. Laying of eggs can take place up to six times per year.
In the wild the pigeons are often found in pairs during the breeding season, but usually the pigeons are gregarious.
Feral pigeons can be seen eating grass seed
s and berries in parks and gardens in the spring, but there are plentiful sources throughout the year from scavenging (e.g., dropped fast-food cartons) and they will also take insect
s and spider
s. Further food is also usually available from the disposing of stale bread in parks by restaurants and supermarkets, from tourists buying and distributing birdseed, etc. Pigeons tend to congregate in large, often thick flocks when going for discarded food, and many have been observed flying skilfully around trees, buildings, telephone poles and cables, and even moving traffic just to reach it.
Many city squares are famous for their large pigeon populations, for example, the Piazza San Marco
in Venice, and Trafalgar Square
in London. For many years, the pigeons in Trafalgar Square were considered a tourist attraction, with street vendors selling packets of seeds for visitors to feed the pigeons. The feeding of the Trafalgar Square pigeons was controversially banned in 2003 by London mayor Ken Livingstone
. However, activist groups such as Save the Trafalgar Square Pigeons
flouted the ban, feeding the pigeons from an area south of Nelson's Column in which the ban does not apply. The organisation has since come to an agreement to feed the pigeons only once a day, at 7:30 a.m.
Feral pigeons often only have small populations within cities. For example, the breeding population of feral pigeons in Sheffield
, England, has been estimated at only 12,130 individuals. Despite this, feral pigeons usually reach their highest densities in the central portions of cities, so they are frequently encountered by people, which leads to conflict.
Feral pigeons are often considered a pest or even vermin
, owing to concerns that they spread disease and are much maligned in the media for transmitting bird flu, but it has been shown pigeons do not carry the deadly H5N1 strain. Also concerns of them damaging property, causing pollution
with their excrement, and driving out other bird species. Some also consider pigeons an invasive species
.
While pest exterminators use poison, hawk
s and nets have also been employed at ground level to control urban pigeon populations, though this generally achieves only a limited, temporary effect.
Long-term reduction of feral pigeon populations can be achieved by restricting food supply, which in turn involves legislation and litter (garbage) control. Some cities have deliberately established favorable nesting places for pigeons – nesting places that can easily be reached by city workers who regularly remove eggs, thereby limiting their reproductive success.
s which are also originally cliff dwellers have also adapted to the big cities, living on the window ledges of skyscrapers and often feeding exclusively on Rock Pigeons. Some cities actively encourage this through falcon breeding programs. Projects include Unibase Falcon project and the Victorian Peregrine Project.
Larger birds of prey occasionally take advantage of this population as well. In New York City
, the abundance of pigeons (and other small animals) has created such a conducive environment for predators that the Red-Tailed Hawk
has begun to return in very small numbers, the most famous of which is Pale Male
.
use only while 4-AP is a restricted use pesticide, for use only by licensed applicators.
The use of poisons has been proven to be fairly ineffective, however, as pigeons can breed very quickly — up to six times a year — and their numbers are determined by how much food is available; that is, they breed more often when more food is provided to them.
When pigeons are poisoned, surviving birds do not leave the area. On the contrary, they are left with more food per bird than before. This attracts pigeons from outside areas as well as encouraging more breeding, and populations are re-established quickly. An additional problem with poisoning is that it also kills pigeon predators. Due to this, in cities with Peregrine Falcon programs it is typically illegal to poison pigeons.
, Italy.
, started work on nicarbazin
, a promising compound for avian contraception. Originally developed for use in resident Canada geese, nicarbazin
was introduced for use as a contraceptive for feral pigeons in 2007.
The active ingredient, nicarbazin
, interferes with the viability of eggs by binding the ZP-3 sperm receptor site in the egg. This unique contraceptive action is non-hormonal and fully reversible.
Registered by the EPA as a pesticide (EPA Reg. No. 80224-1), "OvoControl P", brand of nicarbazin, is increasingly used in urban areas and industrial sites to control pigeon populations. Declared safe and humane, the new technology is environmentally benign and does not represent a secondary toxicity hazard to raptors or scavengers.
Avian contraception has the support of a range of animal welfare
groups including the Humane Society of the United States
(HSUS), the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
(ASPCA) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
(PETA).
USDA continues to develop wildlife contraceptives, including the recently registered Gonadotropin-releasing hormone
(GnRH) for deer and Diazacon for birds and small mammals. Further development and registrations of Porcine Zona Pellucida
or PZP, another immunocontraceptive targeted for feral horses, is supported by HSUS. The new field of wildlife contraceptives is developing rapidly and promises a bright future for the safe, effective and humane management of animal populations.
prevent the pigeons breeding. Such structures are being used in New York City
and also the Melbourne city centre
by the Melbourne City Council at Batman Park
The loft used in Melbourne is on stilts, with a cage door allowing access from beneath for accessing structure at night when the pigeons are asleep.
Domestic Pigeon
The Domestic Pigeon was derived from the Rock Pigeon. The Rock Pigeon is the world's oldest domesticated bird. Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets mention the domestication of pigeons more than 5,000 years ago, as do Egyptian hieroglyphics.Research suggests that domestication of pigeons was as early as...
that have returned to the wild. The domestic pigeon was originally bred from the wild Rock Pigeon
Rock Pigeon
The Rock Dove or Rock Pigeon, is a member of the bird family Columbidae . In common usage, this bird is often simply referred to as the "pigeon"....
, which naturally inhabits sea-cliff
Cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...
s and mountains. All three types readily interbreed. Feral pigeons find the ledge
Ledge
Ledge may refer to:*Ridge, a geological feature*Reef, an underwater feature*Stratum, a layer of rock*A narrow, flat area with cliff faces or steep slopes both below and above.*Slang for Legend or Legendary...
s of buildings to be a substitute for sea cliffs, and have become adapted to urban life and are abundant in towns and cities throughout much of the world.
Courtship
Initially, the female invariably walks or flies a short distance away, and the male follows her. Persistence by the male will usually eventually cause the female to tolerate his proximity, at which point he will continue the bowing motion and very often make full- or half-pirouettes in front of the female.
The male then mounts the female. The mating is very brief with the male flapping his wings to maintain balance on top of the female. Sometimes the male and female beaks lock together.
Nesting
Nests are rudimentary, similar to for wild doves and pigeons.Abandoned buildings are favourite nesting areas. Mass nesting is common, often dozens of birds will share a building. Loose tiles and broken windows give pigeons access; they are good at spotting new access points, for example following property damage caused by strong winds.
Nests and droppings will quickly make a mess of any nesting area. Pigeons are particularly fond of roof spaces. These often contain water tanks, into which the pigeons can defecate or chicks can fall into the tanks and drown. Any water tank or cistern on a roof must therefore be secured and sealed off.
The popularity of a nesting area does not seem to be affected by pigeons dying there. Corpses are often seen among unconcerned live birds.
On undamaged property, the gutters, window air conditioners and empty air conditioner containers, chimney pots and external ledges are used as nesting sites. Many building owners try to limit roosting by using bird control spike
Bird control spike
A bird control spike, also known as an anti-roosting spike or roost modification, is a device consisting of long, needle-like rods used for bird control. They can be attached to building ledges, street lighting, and commercial signage to prevent wild or feral birds from perching or roosting...
s and netting to cover ledges and potential nesting places on buildings. This probably has little effect on the size of the pigeon population, but it can reduce the accumulation of droppings on and around a particular building.
Only the larger and more wary Common Wood Pigeon, which often shares the same territory and food supply, will build nests in trees, usually close to roads.
Cooing
In Wendell Levi's The Pigeon, he describes the crowing/cooing of pigeons as mostly being associated with strutting and fighting in male birds. Hens will also coo, but this is noticeably less guttural than the cooing of the cock. Cooing is also more frequent between couples during mating and nesting.Both parents participate in the incubation of the eggs.
Food
In the wild the pigeons are often found in pairs during the breeding season, but usually the pigeons are gregarious.
Feral pigeons can be seen eating grass seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s and berries in parks and gardens in the spring, but there are plentiful sources throughout the year from scavenging (e.g., dropped fast-food cartons) and they will also take insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s and spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
s. Further food is also usually available from the disposing of stale bread in parks by restaurants and supermarkets, from tourists buying and distributing birdseed, etc. Pigeons tend to congregate in large, often thick flocks when going for discarded food, and many have been observed flying skilfully around trees, buildings, telephone poles and cables, and even moving traffic just to reach it.
Cities famous for pigeons
Piazza San Marco
Piazza San Marco , is the principal public square of Venice, Italy, where it is generally known just as "the Piazza". All other urban spaces in the city are called "campi"...
in Venice, and Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction in central London, England, United Kingdom. At its centre is Nelson's Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of statues and sculptures in the square, with one plinth displaying changing pieces of...
in London. For many years, the pigeons in Trafalgar Square were considered a tourist attraction, with street vendors selling packets of seeds for visitors to feed the pigeons. The feeding of the Trafalgar Square pigeons was controversially banned in 2003 by London mayor Ken Livingstone
Ken Livingstone
Kenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
. However, activist groups such as Save the Trafalgar Square Pigeons
Save the Trafalgar Square Pigeons
Save the Trafalgar Square Pigeons are an organisation that claim to oppose cruelty to wild birds, especially pigeons, in Trafalgar Square, London, England since their creation in 2000.-History:...
flouted the ban, feeding the pigeons from an area south of Nelson's Column in which the ban does not apply. The organisation has since come to an agreement to feed the pigeons only once a day, at 7:30 a.m.
Population control
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, England, has been estimated at only 12,130 individuals. Despite this, feral pigeons usually reach their highest densities in the central portions of cities, so they are frequently encountered by people, which leads to conflict.
Vermin
Vermin is a term applied to various animal species regarded by some as pests or nuisances and especially to those associated with the carrying of disease. Since the term is defined in relation to human activities, which species are included will vary from area to area and even person to person...
, owing to concerns that they spread disease and are much maligned in the media for transmitting bird flu, but it has been shown pigeons do not carry the deadly H5N1 strain. Also concerns of them damaging property, causing pollution
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
with their excrement, and driving out other bird species. Some also consider pigeons an invasive species
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
.
While pest exterminators use poison, hawk
Hawk
The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
s and nets have also been employed at ground level to control urban pigeon populations, though this generally achieves only a limited, temporary effect.
Long-term reduction of feral pigeon populations can be achieved by restricting food supply, which in turn involves legislation and litter (garbage) control. Some cities have deliberately established favorable nesting places for pigeons – nesting places that can easily be reached by city workers who regularly remove eggs, thereby limiting their reproductive success.
Peregrine Falcons
Peregrine FalconPeregrine Falcon
The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
s which are also originally cliff dwellers have also adapted to the big cities, living on the window ledges of skyscrapers and often feeding exclusively on Rock Pigeons. Some cities actively encourage this through falcon breeding programs. Projects include Unibase Falcon project and the Victorian Peregrine Project.
Larger birds of prey occasionally take advantage of this population as well. In New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the abundance of pigeons (and other small animals) has created such a conducive environment for predators that the Red-Tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
The Red-tailed Hawk is a bird of prey, one of three species colloquially known in the United States as the "chickenhawk," though it rarely preys on standard sized chickens. It breeds throughout most of North America, from western Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West...
has begun to return in very small numbers, the most famous of which is Pale Male
Pale Male
Pale Male is a well known New York City Red-tailed Hawk who has made his home since the early 1990s near Central Park. Birdwatcher and author Marie Winn gave him his name because of the unusually light coloring of his head...
.
Poison
Due to their non-selective nature, most avian poisons have been banned. In the United States market only 4-aminopyridine (Avitrol) and DRC-1339 remained registered by EPA. DRC-1339 is limited to USDAUnited States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
use only while 4-AP is a restricted use pesticide, for use only by licensed applicators.
The use of poisons has been proven to be fairly ineffective, however, as pigeons can breed very quickly — up to six times a year — and their numbers are determined by how much food is available; that is, they breed more often when more food is provided to them.
When pigeons are poisoned, surviving birds do not leave the area. On the contrary, they are left with more food per bird than before. This attracts pigeons from outside areas as well as encouraging more breeding, and populations are re-established quickly. An additional problem with poisoning is that it also kills pigeon predators. Due to this, in cities with Peregrine Falcon programs it is typically illegal to poison pigeons.
Reducing food supply
A more effective tactic to reduce the number of feral pigeons is deprivation. Cities around the world have discovered that not feeding their local birds results in a steady population decrease in only a few years. Pigeons, however, will still pick at garbage bags containing discarded food or at leftovers carelessly dropped on the ground. Feeding of pigeons is banned in parts of VeniceVenice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, Italy.
Avian contraceptives
In 1998, in response to conservation groups and the public interest, the National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC), a USDA/APHIS laboratory in Fort Collins, ColoradoFort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins is a Home Rule Municipality situated on the Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range, and is the county seat and most populous city of Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Fort Collins is located north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. With a 2010 census...
, started work on nicarbazin
Nicarbazin
Nicarbazin is a coccidiostat....
, a promising compound for avian contraception. Originally developed for use in resident Canada geese, nicarbazin
Nicarbazin
Nicarbazin is a coccidiostat....
was introduced for use as a contraceptive for feral pigeons in 2007.
The active ingredient, nicarbazin
Nicarbazin
Nicarbazin is a coccidiostat....
, interferes with the viability of eggs by binding the ZP-3 sperm receptor site in the egg. This unique contraceptive action is non-hormonal and fully reversible.
Registered by the EPA as a pesticide (EPA Reg. No. 80224-1), "OvoControl P", brand of nicarbazin, is increasingly used in urban areas and industrial sites to control pigeon populations. Declared safe and humane, the new technology is environmentally benign and does not represent a secondary toxicity hazard to raptors or scavengers.
Avian contraception has the support of a range of animal welfare
Animal welfare
Animal welfare is the physical and psychological well-being of animals.The term animal welfare can also mean human concern for animal welfare or a position in a debate on animal ethics and animal rights...
groups including the Humane Society of the United States
Humane Society of the United States
The Humane Society of the United States , based in Washington, D.C., is the largest animal advocacy organization in the world. In 2009, HSUS reported assets of over US$160 million....
(HSUS), the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing cruelty towards animals...
(ASPCA) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is an American animal rights organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. A non-profit corporation with 300 employees and two million members and supporters, it claims to be the largest animal rights...
(PETA).
USDA continues to develop wildlife contraceptives, including the recently registered Gonadotropin-releasing hormone
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone , also known as Luteinizing-hormone-releasing hormone and luliberin, is a tropic peptide hormone responsible for the release of follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone from the anterior pituitary. GnRH is synthesized and released from neurons within...
(GnRH) for deer and Diazacon for birds and small mammals. Further development and registrations of Porcine Zona Pellucida
Porcine zona pellucida
Porcine zona pellucida is a form of zona pellucida extracted from the ovaries of pigs, often referred to by the initials PZP.The zona pellucida is a thick membrane that surrounds the unfertilized eggs of mammals. In order for an egg to be fertilized, sperm must first bind to, and then penetrate the...
or PZP, another immunocontraceptive targeted for feral horses, is supported by HSUS. The new field of wildlife contraceptives is developing rapidly and promises a bright future for the safe, effective and humane management of animal populations.
Dummy egg nesting
Dummy egg nesting programs have been tested in some cities with mixed results. Nest or coop structures are erected and the eggs are removed and replaced with dummy eggs. The eggs are then disposed of toprevent the pigeons breeding. Such structures are being used in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and also the Melbourne city centre
Melbourne city centre
Melbourne City Centre is an area of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is not to be confused with the larger local government area of the City of Melbourne...
by the Melbourne City Council at Batman Park
Batman Park
Batman Park is an urban park, located on the northern bank of the Yarra River in central Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.Batman Park is a small open grassed space with paths and planted Eucalyptus trees bordered by Spencer Street at the west, Flinders Street Viaduct at the north and King Street to...
The loft used in Melbourne is on stilts, with a cage door allowing access from beneath for accessing structure at night when the pigeons are asleep.