Feeding Pet Pigeons - Don't Do It and Here Is Why

Feeding Pet Pigeons - Don't Do It and Here Is Why

by Lance Winslow

Why is it that humans cannot stop feeding the birds? Have you noticed whenever you go out into a park someone is feeding the pigeons, the ducks, or some other species of bird? This probably isn't a very good idea because the types of things that people eat birds, especially wild birds, probably aren't all that good for them. Especially considering most people feed birds people food, things like popcorn, pieces of bread, and other such things. This is not in their natural and normal diet unless of course they are city birds, and they've adapted for such, which is what pigeons have done for instance.

The last bird you want to feed is a pigeon because they like to stay close to their food supply. And wherever you feed them is where they will hang out, and where they will use their ultrasound bird calls to help map the area for their mind. Once they decide to live in a certain area, it's almost impossible to get rid of them. Sure, you can put up bird spikes and many business owners do, and many homeowners associations and high-rise condo complex managers attempt the same. Still, it's hard to get rid of these birds as they will find somewhere to land, you can't put the spikes on every single horizontal surface.

Pigeons really only need a couple of inches against a wall to perch - and, wherever they perch is where they let loose of their waste, and they seem to have indigestion, and diarrhea judging by what they discharge when they eat people food. Yes, the story gets even worse when you start considering the challenges of things like bird flu. Worse, if you feed the pigeons, they don't just cause a problem in your vicinity, but all of your neighbors have to deal with the ugly stains of pigeon poop everywhere. Pigeons are very good at begging and they remember the types of behavior which garnered the most free food.

They are definitely scavengers, and if you feed one more will come into the area, which means more pigeon poop and more problems, including more bacteria, and the chances of getting bird flu someday. None of this is very good, so even if you think you are doing the pigeons a favor, and you like to go bird watching, feeding them isn't very smart, not even in someone else's park. Suffice it to say, pigeons don't make very good pets, and there's no sense in you learning the hard way. Please consider all this and think on it.