Testimonies

"We at Pigeon Recovery do not consider there to be a "pigeon problem", only a human one, but since society as a whole is opposed to our coexisting with these gentle creatures, it is vital that some humane alternatives to culling are available.

We believe it is important that the pigeons' few but very dedicated friends keep an eye open for council plans to reduce pigeon numbers by killing, explaining to them that scientific research has proved conclusively that all lethal methods of control are totally ineffectual. A given population of pigeons will simply fill the gap with more vigorous youngsters within 1-3 months of a cull. People who choose to kill for a living know this, and in order to protect their incomes they largely ignore the cheaper, more effective and morally acceptable alternatives available.

Resources wasted on killing pigeons would be far better spent on cleaning up after pigeons and, of course, ourselves."

Pigeon recovery is a London based charity, they provide a vital service, collecting and caring for injured, sick and baby pigeons.

The following are extracts from a report by Guy Merchant, founder of the organisation and Projects Manager of the CARES Wildlife Hospital:

"Methods of control used by pest control companies include putting down poisoned or narcotic bait, shooting birds in their roosting sites and trapping operations. All forms of culling are cruel. instance, although less commonly used nowadays, poisoning is still legal. It ensures that the bird dies a slow and agonising death. If narcotic bait is used the bird staggers off to be killed on the road or by cats, which may in turn become poisoned.
Shooting as a method of control is widely used by pest control companies and birds are usually shot at night. Air rifles are generally used to shoot the birds and operatives carrying out the task are often inexperienced and untrained. As it is almost impossible to kill a bird of this size with an air rifle, a majority of the birds are wounded and left to die. Wildlife hospitals treat large numbers of pigeons that have been shot and wounded as a result of a pest control operation.
Trapping as a means of control is widespread. This method involves encouraging the birds into baited traps, normally placed in their roosting or feeding area. Once a certain number of birds are trapped they are removed and their necks broken. The traps will then be re-set. Alternatively the birds may be trapped and removed for release elsewhere, but this is less common. Although there is a legal requirement for anyone setting traps to inspect their traps every 24 hours, not all pest control companies comply with this legislation and the birds are often left to starve or die of exposure.
There are some places where, understandably, the presence of pigeons is not hygienic or desirable, such as hospitals or food outlets. It is important to cut down on food spillages which attract them. Anti-roosting devices are available but must be chosen with care, as some can be harmful and indeed lethal to pigeons. Where netting is used but is not fitted properly or maintained, birds can become entangled or die of starvation. Nylon line can break and become wrapped around the legs and birds can be left in a distressed state having come into contact with anti-roosting jelly. Anti-perching devices are a good method of deterring pigeons from roosting or perching on a specific building as long as a genuinely humane deterrent is chosen. Ideally advice should be sought from an independent source, not a pest control company which will have a vested interest in selling a product irrespective of its implication for the welfare of the birds."