Ecology of Feral Pigeons: Population Monitoring, Resource Selection, and Management Practices

Erin Stukenholtz, Tirhas Hailu, Sean Childers, Charles Leatherwood, Lonnie Evans, Don Roulain, Dale Townsley, Marty Treider, R. Neal Platt, David Ray, John Zak and Richard Stevens

A chapter in Wildlife Population Monitoring from IntechOpen

Abstract: Feral pigeons (Columba livia) are typically ignored by ornithologists but can be found roosting in the thousands within cities across the world. Pigeons have been known to spread zoonoses, through ectoparasites and excrement they produce. Along with disease, feral pigeons have an economic impact due to the cost of cleanup and maintenance of human infrastructure. Many organizations have tried to decrease pigeon abundances through euthanasia or use of chemicals that decrease reproductive output. However, killing pigeons has been unsuccessful in decreasing abundance, and chemical inhibition can be expensive and must be used throughout the year. A case study at Texas Tech University has found that populations fluctuate throughout the year, making it difficult to manage numbers. To successfully decrease populations, it is important to have a multifaceted approach that includes removing necessary resources (i. e. nest sites and roosting areas) and decreasing the number of offspring through humane techniques.

Keywords: birth control; nest sites; nuisance; rock doves; zoonoses (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q20 Q30 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ito:pchaps:180560

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.84612

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