Please stop feeding pigeons

conorh91

...Or, alternatively, what can be done to curb the invasion of pigeons?

I live in an apartment overlooking an open plaza/ square.
This is adjacent to the canal, where there are often swans, moorhens, and ducks to be seen. No problem with those at all.

But some visitors, who obviously don't have to deal with the smell, have been feeding the pigeons. There is usually one person there every couple of hours, feeding a loaf of bread to a swarm of at least 100 pigeons.

The Council occasionally come by, to wash away the droppings. If it weren't for them, the whole place would be caked in a crust of pigeon droppings (as is our balcony.

Benches and recreational areas are frequently un-usable because of droppings, and the smell.

I felt like a right crank emailing a local councillor about this, but his only response was to try to increase the cleaning. I appreciate that, but I wish people wouldn't feed these flying rats to begin with. These pigeons are extremely brazen; they show no fear towards man or beast, and will swarm around any humans without compunction.

Is there any practical steps that we can take to be rid of them?

A few times, when I was walking to my building, I've mentioned this to feeders, suggesting that they feed the birds of the canal instead. Didn't go down well. Do people not understand what it's like to be constantly plagued by these creatures?

Speedsie

Know any falconers?
Trafalgar Square are using hawks to reduce the pigeon population. It's quite effective.

http://www.effectivebirdcontrol.co.uk/projects-trafalgar.html

S

AndonHandon

Is it true that you can go sprinkle a load of rice around the area and it will deal with the pigeons?

Gongoozler

AndonHandon wrote: »

Is it true that you can go sprinkle a load of rice around the area and it will deal with the pigeons?

No, not remotely.


Don't see the problem myself OP. The rain of the winter will wash any poop away.

January

km991148, we do not condone illegal activities here and the posting of such again will earn you a ban from this forum.

km991148

For clarity - I don't condone illegal activities either. I am also strictly against animal cruelty - I am simply reminded of the clip when people talk of the amount of pigeons.

Additionally - when people talk about rice and pigeons it is with the intention of killing the pigeons as the rice is thought to swell in the stomachs of the pigeons - it may not be true, but that is the thought i.e.:

https://sg.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071013173257AAqM6H8

I wont post any more in this thread - I just wanted to clarify that the clip was posted in good humour and good faith.

Also -to answer the OP - I see lots of "Hawks on Sticks" on roofs about town - can the management co/ building owner get one of those?

conorh91

Gongoozler wrote: »

Don't see the problem myself OP. The rain of the winter will wash any poop away.

We've had a huge amount of rain in Dublin since Saturday night. The place still stinks to Hell.

This is not a very big square; it's a small area of maybe 20 x 30 metres. But it has seating for people who want to visit the canal and is completely un-usable.

I just don't understand how recreational users can see the pigeon droppings spoiling the area and still go ahead and feed the pigeons.

Thanks km991148 for suggesting the mock-falcon on the roof, but I can's see it working. The pigeons pay no attention to dogs who chase them. I've frequently tried to physically push them off our balcony, and they barely regard me at all. In fact, when we take food out there, or onto the roof, they fly around us, and i mean up very close. It's like an episode of Birds.

As for the rice comment, I don't believe it's a crime to kill pigeons. Most people consider them a pest. I grew up on a farm, and when we had problems with crows stealing grain, they'd be shot and hung.

I don't propose doing the same with pigeons, needless to say; pest control would be a matter for the owner of the open area, which is the Local Authority.

Gongoozler

conorh91 wrote: »

As for the rice comment, I don't believe it's a crime to kill pigeons. Most people consider them a pest. I grew up on a farm, and when we had problems with crows stealing grain, they'd be shot and hung.

I don't propose doing the same with pigeons, needless to say; pest control would be a matter for the owner of the open area, which is the Local Authority.

How can you not 'believe' something is illegal?

Why not go to your local authority so, what's posting on here going to do for you?

conorh91

Gongoozler wrote: »

How can you not 'believe' something is illegal?

I didn't say I can't believe it to be a crime, I said I don't believe it to be a crime. Obviously I'm referring to pigeons on my property there. Laying poison on the balcony or roof probably is a lawful option. I'm not suggesting it is legal to lay poison on canal banks and public squares.

Why not go to your local authority so, what's posting on here going to do for you?

I did.

Did you read the OP?

I'm looking for practical advice others may have found useful, having already approached a council representative without much success.

Gongoozler

conorh91 wrote: »

I didn't say I can't believe it to be a crime, I said I don't believe it to be a crime. Obviously I'm referring to pigeons on my property there. Laying poison on the balcony or roof probably is a lawful option. I'm not suggesting it is legal to lay poison on canal banks and public squares.

I did.

Did you read the OP?

I'm looking for practical advice others may have found useful, having already approached a council representative without much success.

Why would you think poisoning animals in your property is legal when you acknowledge doing it in public isn't?

conorh91

Gongoozler wrote: »

Why would you think poisoning animals in your property is legal when you acknowledge doing it in public isn't?

Excuse me, but I have never said poisoning (or otherwise killing) animals on others' land is strictly illegal.

I indicated that laying poison on others' land is illegal.

Laying poision on my own property, on in enterprise with the other property owners, with the intention of killing pigeons, would not be illegal, if it were sufficiently well-aimed at killing pigeons. Pigeons are considered pests (or more pedantically, are not offered protection) under the Wildlife Acts.

As I said above, I am interested in alternatives to pigeon killing for now.

Speedsie

conorh91 wrote: »

As I said above, I am interested in alternatives to pigeon killing for now.

A live hawk flying around the square will disturb the pigeons enough to stop them breeding. Also encourages them to leave the area. Not as lethal as poison or raw rice.

Has been successfully used to reduce the numbers a pigeons in areas such as Trafalgar square in London.

conorh91

Speedsie wrote: »

A live hawk flying around the square will disturb the pigeons enough to stop them breeding. Also encourages them to leave the area. Not as lethal as poison or raw rice.

Has been successfully used to reduce the numbers a pigeons in areas such as Trafalgar square in London.

I think this is a great natural solution, but I assume a licence is required for the procurement of all hawks and harriers and similar birds of prey in this country.

It might be something the Local Authority would be interested in here, so long as the predation would be unlikely to harm the non-pest bird population, particularly small ducks and moorhens.

I assume the sparrowhawk would be the best option in that regard?

Muahahaha

OP there is much hope a local authority is going to do anything about pigeons in your area. Some Senator or TD recently came out against seagulls in Dublin city centre and he was held up at a laughing stock for saying seagulls were stealing ice creams off little children. The papers took the piss out of him for a few days and that was it. But funnily enough the politician actually has a point, but only people who live in the city centre would realise it. A mate of mine lives top floor in the city centre and the seagulls are huge pests on his balcony. They are also huge in size from eating junk food scraps from rubblish bags left out in the city. They're also quite agressive to the points they'd go for you if you tried to disturb them while eating. That TD did have a point but he was laughed out of it.

kumate_champ07

conorh91 wrote: »

We've had a huge amount of rain in Dublin since Saturday night. The place still stinks to Hell.

This is not a very big square; it's a small area of maybe 20 x 30 metres. But it has seating for people who want to visit the canal and is completely un-usable.

I just don't understand how recreational users can see the pigeon droppings spoiling the area and still go ahead and feed the pigeons.

Thanks km991148 for suggesting the mock-falcon on the roof, but I can's see it working. The pigeons pay no attention to dogs who chase them. I've frequently tried to physically push them off our balcony, and they barely regard me at all. In fact, when we take food out there, or onto the roof, they fly around us, and i mean up very close. It's like an episode of Birds.

As for the rice comment, I don't believe it's a crime to kill pigeons. Most people consider them a pest. I grew up on a farm, and when we had problems with crows stealing grain, they'd be shot and hung.

I don't propose doing the same with pigeons, needless to say; pest control would be a matter for the owner of the open area, which is the Local Authority.

I'd consider humans a pest, whos feeding the pigeons? whould you turn down free food?

also crows are highly intelligent, was the grain not covered properly or was it just more convenient to keep killing them rather than solve the problem?

F.R.

SI No. 481 of 2010 (Restrictions on Use of Poison Bait) Regulations 2010

There are now no poisons which can legally be used to kill birds or animals, apart from rats and mice.

See here for further clarification.

JuliusCaesar

http://www.thejournal.ie/birds-of-prey-ireland-in-danger-1048522-Sep2013/

I've seen sparrowhawks in Dublin - one perched on the fence in my back garden (inside the canals); and the other one lying dead in a lane in the city centre very early one morning :-(.

The guys in the Rec>Nature & Bird Watching might have more information about how birds of prey can be encouraged in the city centre.

conorh91

kumate_champ07 wrote: »

also crows are highly intelligent, was the grain not covered properly or was it just more convenient to keep killing them rather than solve the problem?

I appreciate this is the Dublin forum, but how exactly do you propose "covering" 100 acres of barley? Tarpaulin?

F.R. wrote: »

There are now no poisons which can legally be used to kill birds or animals, apart from rats and mice.

That's not quite the case, although it isn't mentioned in the SI to which you refer.

Feral pigeons are the last remaining bird species in Ireland which may still be poisoned. It is necessary to get permission from the NPWS before laying poison for pigeons, but that's just to ensure birds who need special protection, like eagles or kites, do not reside in the area.

As I have said though, poisoning them would be the last resort for now.

Broken Arrow

I hate city pigeons

hmmm

Pigeons clean up a huge amount of loose food that would otherwise be used to feed real rats. I don't get the hate, I think they do a great job.

Kablamo!

Print off a few signs that say do not feed the pidgeons? They'll probably get ripped down but might deter one or two people?

GreeBo

hmmm wrote: »

Pigeons clean up a huge amount of loose food that would otherwise be used to feed real rats. I don't get the hate, I think they do a great job.

Are pigeons any better then rats?
I'd say no, rats with wings.

conorh91

hmmm wrote: »

Pigeons clean up a huge amount of loose food that would otherwise be used to feed real rats. I don't get the hate, I think they do a great job.

We still have plenty of rats. But that's fine, because that's what you expect when you live adjacent to the canal. You also expect a pigeon nuisance when you live adjacent to a small square, but this really has to be seen to be believed. I've never seen pigeons this intrusive; they literally swarm around people, almost aggressively. They're a plague.

chopper6

Try a Larson Trap...you can either release them elsewhere or kill them yourself once you've caught a few.

Personally if it was me i'd shootthem with a .22 with some subsonic hollow points as long as there was a suitable back stop behind them( so probably not practical in a built up area).