Pigeon issues

[Adam247]

Hi all , I have the great unexpected pleasure of pigeons nesting on my sky dish , problem is they have effected signal and 1- they have laid eggs 2 - make a bloody dam racket into all hours

How do I get rid of them or am I stuck with them till they go . Have no idea on species but know one is rather big and the other looks light brown/ grey . Where do I stand in getting them moved along with last resort action being humane death

[Ken L]

Unless they're turtle doves (which is very unlikely), I'd proceed directly to humane death.

[ayjay]

 

How do I get rid of them or am I stuck with them till they go . Have no idea on species but know one is rather big and the other looks light brown/ grey . Where do I stand in getting them moved along with last resort action being humane death

Just so you know where you stand legally:-

 

All wild birds in the United Kingdom, including pigeons, are protected by law. It is illegal to intentionally harm or kill pigeons, and you are not allowed to take their eggs or disturb, damage or destroy their nests.

[Clifftop]

try washing the dish with the hose on full blast

[corydoras]

try washing the dish with the hose on full blast

That could result in the original poster receiving a fine and/or a prison sentence and a criminal record.

[les middy]

Rats with wings.

 

make a pie out of them

[chesters1]

Just solve the problem at night with no witnesses, they ofcourse left voluntarily after their badly made nest fell down under its own accord

Mind you its probably the best thing ever to come out of a sky dish!

Edited June 4, 2013 by chesters1

[kirisute]

as a feral bird; a pigeon comes under a "general" licence.

which means it can be controlled by a licenced person to be removed.

that's regardless of if its nesting or has chicks, eggs etc etc

 

yes DEFRA and the wildlife act have made it an offence to remove a nesting wild bird; but that ruling has certain clauses that are covered for feral species and the pigeon, rock dove, most gulls etc are within those clauses

to quote:

"

The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) states that all wild birds are protected and usually cannot be killed or taken except under licence. As a result, you must not:

• intentionally kill, injure or take any wild bird
• intentionally damage, destroy or take the nest of any wild bird while it is in use or being built - nests of golden eagles, white tailed eagles and ospreys are protected all year round
• intentionally destroy an egg of any wild bird
• intentionally or recklessly disturb certain wild birds or their dependent young while they are at or near to an active nest site
• kill or take huntable birds during the close season for that species

There are instances when you would not be in violation of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. For example, it’s not usually necessary to apply for a specific licence for species such as crows, pigeons and some members of the gull family. However, you must comply with the terms and conditions of the relevant general licences if you are taking action against these species - eg by only using the services of a trained and authorised operator when using stupefying treatments against feral pigeons.

Before you apply for any licence to control wild birds, you must be sure that you have exhausted all possible ways to satisfactorily deal with them."

 

if your not happy dealing with them then contact a local pest control person who should have the correct knowledge for you:

http://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/file/351172

this leaflet lays it out very clearly.

 

solution is; get someone in to cull/remove the birds. they will make the choice if they are suitably annoying to be removed....from personal experience I truly doubt you will have any issue at all with a pest control expert removing them. you have to be able to prove that you have tried non lethal methods before lethal methods are used though...

more reading for you:

http://www.picasuk.com/the_law.html

 

though to be fair...if it was my garden....well..its a horrible world out there..gusts of wind, cats, the list of accidents that could befall a poor nesting feral pigeon are endless.

Edited June 4, 2013 by kirisute

[corydoras]

Rats with wings.

 

make a pie out of them

You eat rats??

[Phone]

Adam,

 

I don't know much about your laws or culture but damned if I don't think that bird would see a tragic accident of some sort.

 

Phone