Birds

What are pigeons?

Pigeons are one of the most common birds in the nation, found across all fifty states. However, they are not native to North America and have no natural predators, allowing their populations to grown and thrive in areas with ample food, water, and shelter.

Pigeons are often gray with black bars on their wings, though they may have green or purple tints in their plumage. Pigeons typically reach up to one foot in length and can weigh as much as one pound.

Pigeons have a natural “homing” instinct that fosters a biological attachment to their roost, allowing them to navigate back to their nesting place after traveling extreme distances. This made them incredibly useful to humans centuries ago, who could use pigeons to fly messages back home faster than people could hope to travel on foot. In the modern era, however, this instinct only serves to make pigeons a pest that won’t ever go away on their own.

Are pigeons dangerous?

Pigeons are colloquially called “flying rodents” for a reason: the two pests have a lot in common. Beyond their universal presence across the nation, pigeons can likewise spread a number of diseases, including salmonella, cryptococcosis, and toxoplasmosis. They can also be the cause of food poisoning if they come into direct contact with human food.

Beyond disease, pigeon droppings are unsightly and can cause significant damage to structures and vehicles. In large quantities, it can also become a hazard to people who may step in it. In buildings, pigeon nests can clog pipes and cause electrical problems. Pigeons can also play host to a number of parasites such as fleas, lice, ticks, mites, and gnats. These unwanted parasites pose additional problems once they infest homes and businesses.

Why do I have a pigeon problem?

Like virtually every pest, pigeons typically invade looking for a safe place to create nests and protect their eggs. Unfortunately, most human dwellings create the perfect environment for them to settle down and start a family. Aside from shelter, pigeons also need reliable food and water sources to survive and support their growing families.

While pigeons prefer to eat grains, they will eat any human food they happen to come across, so the presence of food in your yard could be an attractant. Pigeons often congregate where people feed them. In urban areas, this could be places like public parks, while in rural areas they tend to gather around farms, grain mills, and food manufacturing plants. If your home or business is in close proximity to one of these areas, you're more likely to develop a pigeon problem.