Pigeon control in Purley
Pigeon control in Purley can be quite an emotive topic.
After a lot of discussions with experts in the fields the view is that while there are people feeding the pigeon and there are suitable nesting area the pigeons will be there.
Essentially there are many people who like the pigeons and are happy feeding them. We have spoken to several different pigeon feeders, and the view is that they will carry on feeding despite objections from other people.
We have also discussed this issue with the council and do not believe there are enough resources that would be required to continuously monitor and enforce any no feeding/litter order in place. No fines to date have been placed as the council will always look to engage rather that fine.
secondly with regards to habitat there are several areas that are a great habitat for pigeons to nest that would be quite costly to make “bird proof” such as parts of the closed old sainsburys at 50 high street, where pigeons have been nesting for years.
Purley BID has investigated numerous different approaches to manage the issue and have been approach by several others including a “Hawk” company that uses the bird to scare of the pigeons in an area. After they engaged with use they offered to bring the hawk to the site to explain more. Aside from the hawk being such a beautiful creature, this will not be a route the BID will be pursuing as both the cost and the longevity and success of the operation could not be guaranteed.
following the visit it attracted some passionate comments online and we had a visit from a lovely lady from London wildlife protection. We had a very nice discussion on the issue and she kindly passed on the following information, which we in turn have passed onto the business community.
Hi Simon
Thank you for meeting with me yesterday, I was thrilled to hear that you won’t be considering lethal use of ‘pest control’ . I understand the pigeon population is a very emotive issue for local residents with feelings running high on both sides. What we aim to do is advise and guide organisations and businesses whereby wildlife can exist in a habit which we are increasingly building on without posing health or safety hazards to humans. As we discussed, traditional ‘pest’ control; methods are exorbitantly expensive and are not only ineffective but in fact often lead to a year on year increase in population. The only winners are the companies that provide these ‘services’.
In terms of individual businesses employing deterrent methods there are a number of companies offering non-lethal humane solutions that offer services whereby birds are discouraged from nesting or resting. A list of companies and organisations we recommend are listed at the end of this email.
Additional London Wildlife Protection can provide volunteers to attend to do small amounts of nest clearing free of charge and eggs and juveniles can be taken to locations of safety with rehabbers, which you can arrange directly through me.
If you have any concerns at all or wish to discuss the matter further please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Kind regards
Saffron Gloyne
London Wildlife Protection
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ4pmr1pFf_YyLaXnSWCRgA
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South London Animal Protection