HelpWildlife.co.uk Helping you to help them
  • WILDLIFE ADVICE
    • Sick, Injured or At Risk Wildlife
    • Problem Wildlife
    • Advice Posters
  • WILDLIFE RESCUE DIRECTORY
  • HELP!
  • ABOUT US
    • Contact Us
    • Our Policies
    • Get Involved
    • Feedback
    • Donate

How can we help?

Popular Search birdinjured foxmangesquirrelbird been captured
Advice by Species - Adult Birds

Advice by Species - Adult Birds

4
  • Test Elementor
  • When to Help Waterfowl
  • When to Help Owls and Birds of Prey
  • When to Help Garden Birds
Advice by Species - Baby Birds

Advice by Species - Baby Birds

5
  • When to Help Baby Waterfowl
  • When to Help Baby Gulls
  • When to Help Baby Feral Pigeons
  • When to Help Baby Garden Birds
  • When to Help Baby Birds of Prey and Owls
Advice by Species - Mammals

Advice by Species - Mammals

9
  • When to Help Badgers
  • When to Help Bats
  • When to Help Deer
  • When to Help Foxes
  • When to Help Hedgehogs
  • When to Help Otters
  • When to Help Rodents
  • When to Help Squirrels
  • Baby rabbits and hares
Common Scenarios

Common Scenarios

20
  • Birds trapped in elevated netting
  • Birds in Shops or Warehouses
  • Peafowl
  • Animals Hit by a Car
  • Reuniting Baby Squirrels
  • Helping Stray Racing Pigeons
  • Oiled Birds
  • Birds with Broken Wings
  • Nesting Birds
  • Birds in Chimneys
  • Animals Tangled in Netting, Fencing or Line
  • Animals Caught by a Cat or Dog
  • Autumn Juvenile Hedgehogs
  • Helping Foxes with Mange
  • Wildlife in Urban Areas
  • Helping Animals with a Limp
  • Ducks nesting away from a water source
  • Airplane Wing
  • Fledgling Garden Birds
  • Birds flying into windows
Practical Advice for Finders

Practical Advice for Finders

6
  • Step 1: Assessing if Help is Needed
  • Step 2: Capturing a Wild Animal in Need of Help
  • Step 3: Finding and Contacting a Wildlife Rescue
  • Step 4: Short term care of a wildlife casualty
  • Step 5: Getting A Wildlife Casualty to Rescue
  • Sending an Animal to Rescue in an Uber
Other Articles

Other Articles

7
  • What to do if you find dead wildlife
  • Rescue Criticism and Abuse
  • Releasing or rehoming hedgehogs in your garden
  • Finding Help for ‘Vermin’
  • The Ethics of Pigeon Racing
  • Who to Call for Help
  • Caring for Wildlife Casualties Yourself
Conflict Advice

Conflict Advice

8
  • Why Traditional ‘Pest-Control’ Doesn’t Work
  • Solving Problems with Squirrels
  • Solving Problems with Rodents
  • Solving Problems with Pigeons
  • Solving Problems with Bats
  • Solving Problems with Corvids
  • Solving Problems with Foxes
  • Wildlife Management Resources
  • Home
  • Advice
  • Conflict Advice
  • Solving Problems with Pigeons

Solving Problems with Pigeons

Table of Contents
  • Common Issues
    • 'Stealing' food meant for other birds
    • Nesting on balconies
    • The problem with lethal control
    • The Alternatives

There are five species of pigeon and dove normally present in the UK – Turtle Doves, Stock Doves, Wood Pigeons, Collared Doves and Feral Pigeons/Rock Doves.

There’s a common myth that pigeons are ‘vermin’ so it’s legal to kill them. All UK species of pigeon and dove receive protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act meaning it is usually illegal to harm or kill them or disturb their nests. There are a few exceptions for limited reasons where lethal action is permitted IF non-lethal attempts to resolve the conflict aren’t possible or have failed.

 

Common Issues #

On this page, we’ll cover the common complaints an average householder might have about the presence of pigeons. We won’t be covering larger scale/commercial issues. PiCAS are a good source of information for this type of conflict.

‘Stealing’ food meant for other birds #

Clearly, no bird understands the concept of ownership. If food is put out, they will happily partake. Contrary to popular belief, small birds like sparrows and tits are not generally ‘scared off’ by the presence of larger birds such as pigeons. Consequently it isn’t really realistic to want to ‘pick and choose’ which birds you do and don’t want to feed. Some feeders claim to prevent larger species of bird from accessing the food but these should be used with caution as they can cause injury.

Nesting on balconies #

Rock doves/feral pigeons are naturally cliff nesting birds so balconies are perfect nest spots for them, closely resembling a ledge on a cliff. You should be aware that nesting feral pigeons are protected under law, just as other birds are. This means that it is illegal to disturb or harm their nests or eggs. The only exception is where there is a demonstrable risk to public health or safety and non-lethal methods are not practicable. This is extremely unlikely to apply in this situation – it’s not enough to simply cite the common myth that pigeons are ‘dirty’ or ‘spread disease’. The presence of a nest on a balcony is highly unlikely to pose a health and safety risk especially if you clean up any droppings regularly.

 

The problem with lethal control #

Essentially, the issues with traditional methods of pest control, which rely largely on killing, are

  • in all but a few limited circumstances, killing birds is illegal
  • methods of killing often cause considerable suffering
  • methods of killing are indiscriminate which can lead to young being left without a parent and then suffering a slow death
  • some methods of killing, such as poison, also have an impact on other species
  • removing individual animals is not a successful long-term solution. Animals are attracted to an area by territory availability, food and shelter. If all these things remain in place and individual animals are removed or killed, animals in surrounding territories will soon move in to take advantage of the available resource.

These issues are covered in more detail here –

https://helpwildlife.co.uk/advice/traditional-methods/

 

The Alternatives #

Integrated Wildlife Management is a more intelligent, science-led approach to ‘pest-control’. Rather than simply shooting or poisoning the ‘offending’ creature, which will only bring about a very temporary solution, it uses an understanding of wildlife behaviour and ecology to find a holistic, humane and effective long term solution.

The most effective method of resolving a wildlife conflict is to remove what is attracting the animal. These basic tips will help to make your garden less interesting

  • Clear up any food such as pet food, spilt bird food or fallen fruit
  • Feed birds in hanging feeders, not on a flat table. Pigeons do generally have a different feeding style to smaller birds, and are less inclined to feed from suspended feeders. Choose versions with small holes or an outer guard which larger birds can’t access
  • Do your composting in a secure compost bin
  • Place all refuse in wheely bins
  • Tidy up any overgrown trees which might be providing shelter or nesting sites (outside of nesting season only, otherwise you risk breaking the law)

If that proves ineffective, the next step is to actively deter the animals. To do this, you need to offend as many of their senses as possible. Birds rely more on sight and hearing than taste and smell so that’s where to focus your approach. However, keep in mind, these methods are likely to affect all birds, not just the ones you consider undesirable.

Sight

  • use brightly coloured wind spinners or CDs hanging from string to create random movements
  • drive stakes into the ground and fix plastic bags or sheets of tinfoil to them. As they flap in the wind the birds will find these quite daunting and avoid the area
  • commercially available silhouettes of cats or birds of prey can help to deter them

Sounds

  • sonic deterrent devices or windchimes create unpleasant sounds which may deter them

In the case of nesting pigeons, your only legal option is to wait until the babies have fledged and the nest is no longer in use and then take measures to clear the balcony and prevent the nesting birds returning. Often, just ensuring the balcony is clean and tidy without areas for the birds to hide under will be enough to deter them from nesting there again. It also helps to go out there regularly so the birds see human activity in the area. If the issue persists, the most used solution is to block access to the balcony with netting. However, this must be professionally installed and regularly maintained otherwise it becomes loose and birds can become trapped in it. If this occurs you would be liable for prosecution under the Animal Welfare Act if any suffering is caused.

There are also growing number of humane pest control companies using the same holistic principles as us. You can find details of some here.

Was this article helpful?
Share This Article :
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
Still stuck? How can we help?

How can we help?

Updated on January 13, 2022
Solving Problems with RodentsSolving Problems with Bats

Powered by BetterDocs

Table of Contents
  • Common Issues
    • 'Stealing' food meant for other birds
    • Nesting on balconies
    • The problem with lethal control
    • The Alternatives

Have we Helped?

Helpwildlife.co.uk is a charity run website providing advice about sick, injured or problem wildlife, and a directory of around 600 wildlife rescue organisations. If you have found it to be a useful resource, please leave a comment on our feedback page.

Like HelpWildlife.co.uk on facebook for news, advice and to spread the word about our work.

NEED HELP?

Our helpdesk volunteers can advise when to intervene and put you in touch with wildlife rescues in your area. Submit a ticket here.

Copyright © Starlight Trust 2021.
Site by www.adamhowse.com
Website hosted by 79DESIGN

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Change Location
Find awesome listings near you!
 

Loading Comments...