Lasers, hawks and even guns haven’t solved the UK’s pigeon problem. There is a better way | Sydney Lobe

Councils spend heavily on grisly yet ineffective methods. Why won’t they consider a proven, low-cost and humane strategy? By some estimates there are almost 3 million pigeons residing in London, which has the highest pigeon population in the country. Known as “rats with wings”, “flying ashtrays” and “gutter birds”, pigeons do not have popular sentiment on their side. London’s best-known victory in the war against pigeons was self-declared, after an operation in Trafalgar Square in the early 2000s.

Ken Livingstone’s city government flew two Harris hawks around the area to “deter” pigeons – although the hawks went further than that, killing 121 pigeons in what ended up being a years-long bloodbath. And it did little to permanently cut down pigeon populations. Last year in Manchester at least 81 pigeons were shot and killed by pest control services – employed by Northern Trains – in early morning offensives at Manchester Victoria station. The event is known to some as the Manchester Victoria pigeon massacre. Sydney Lobe Councils spend heavily on grisly yet ineffective methods.

B y some estimates there are almost 3 million pigeons residing in London, which has the highest pigeon population in the country. Known as “rats with wings”, “flying ashtrays” and “gutter birds”, pigeons do not have popular sentiment on their side. Ken Livingstone’s city government flew two Harris hawks around the area to “deter” pigeons – although the hawks went further than that, killing 121 pigeons in what ended up being a years-long bloodbath. And it did little to permanently cut down pigeon populations. Last year in Manchester at least 81 pigeons were shot and killed by pest control services – employed by Northern Trains – in early morning offensives at Manchester Victoria station.

The event is known to some as the Manchester Victoria pigeon massacre . No more pigeons need to be shot, trapped, poisoned, starved or hunted by hawks. According to the UK Pigeon Control Advisory Service (PiCAS), an adult pair of pigeons produces about 14 young a year, meaning that one loft with 50 pairs of roosting pigeons could prevent more than 1,000 young pigeons from being born. By some estimates there are almost 3 million pigeons residing in London, which has the highest pigeon population in the country. Known as “rats with wings”, “flying ashtrays” and “gutter birds”, pigeons do not have popular sentiment on their side.

Ken Livingstone’s city government flew two Harris hawks around the area to “deter” pigeons – although the hawks went further than that, killing 121 pigeons in what ended up being a years-long bloodbath. And it did little to permanently cut down pigeon populations. Last year in Manchester at least 81 pigeons were shot and killed by pest control services – employed by Northern Trains – in early morning offensives at Manchester Victoria station. The event is known to some as the Manchester Victoria pigeon massacre. Lasers, hawks and even guns haven’t solved the UK’s pigeon problem.