# Ceasing to feed wild pigeons



## Disappointed Feeder (Nov 15, 2012)

After reading the sticky we made some of the mistakes that it warns against. Specifically we started feeding pigeons in an area that was inappropriate to do so. It happened quite by accident we were feeding other birds and some squirrels and that attracted the pigeons. Eventually the pigeons took over and we started feeding them. 

The feeding has been ongoing for about two years. Originally the other business that we share the building with liked the pigeons and some of them even started feeding as well. There has been some turnover though and the new tenants do not like the pigeons. The landlord today demanded that we cease feeding them claiming it is a violation of our lease.

*I am concerned about the survivability of the pigeons and so I've come here looking for advice. If we stop feeding the pigeons will they start looking for food on their own or will they starve? * 

To give a better picture we are located in Canada and it is currently the beginning of winter. The environment is suburban but surrounded on all sides by green space. There are also corn fields and hay fields that start about 2-3km away and go on for miles. There is also lots of forest space varying from under a 1km to 5km depending on which direction you choose to fly in. The 

These birds are our responsibility so we want to do what is right. If you tell us that we can stop feeding them and they will be fine then we will do that. If on the other hand the cessation of feeding will lead to their deaths then I will have to come up with an alternative plan. We would greatly appreciate the sharing of any insight into how we should proceed.


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Is there a possibility that could move the feeding grounds to another location? You mentioned there is a lot of green space around. You could train the pijies by moving the food each day a bit further away until you reach a spot where nobody is bothered by them.
I would hate to think that some could starve, especially now that it is getting cold and they need food for energy to stay warm.

Reti


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## Disappointed Feeder (Nov 15, 2012)

The possibility of moving them is something I am entertaining the idea of at least to get though the winter and then wean them in the spring. There is a small piece of land at the end of the road which is just before the forest area. It is just under a km. The pigeons recognize my girlfriend who is the person doing the feeding. I believe if she went and fed them there they would follow her. The move would have to be done in one weekend though and we'd have to be secretive about feeding them there because even though they wouldn't bother anyone it is still close enough that people would complain if they saw us doing it.

The area is all businesses and typically none of the businesses that are bothered by the pigeons are here on the weekend. That would make feeding them down the street easier on weekends. During the week though even if I put out the seed early before anyone arrived the pigeons tend to arrive around 9am and if they all start converging on that new piece of land people will know. I'd hope they wouldn't care but given my interaction with them I believe they would still complain even if the pigeons were being fed at the end of the road a good km from their business.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

usually if you cut the feed gradually and make the case to the landlord for this, they will go elsewhere to forage.


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

Cutting down the feeding is not always so successful- I've never had much luck with the gradual weaning down idea personally. Its a nice idea, but what seems to happen in practice is some of them begin to starve & get ill, and towards the two week mark they start to get very sick as a flock. I have gathered up 10 or more birds from a flock of 200'ish at that point to nurse them back to health and try to stop the whole flock from being taken down by disease. Those were the ones I found- I strongly suspect plenty of others died elsewhere.

I've been doing this every 5 months for 2-3 years, because of property inspections and the need to clear away the birds. 

What works a little better is to physically scare off the birds. The ones who have somewhere else to go for food will go there, and the dependent ones who have no other food will come back. They all eventually come back if you still feed, as birds tend to return to old feeding grounds when one supply dries up.

So- I like your idea of relocating the feeding ground better. Especially with a cold Canadian winter approaching.

You two are nice people BTW, nice to meet fellow bird lovers


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

Where are you located in Canada? I am in Malton/ Mississauga and we feed pigeons at the Mall, lots of seeds that even sometimes they stay on the floor for next day. We have about 250-300 pigeons, and the management of Plaza are Ok; even the parking lot when are cleaned they go around the seeds with that car/machine with tube sucking the garbage.
In my oppinion as long as you are not feeding on the perimeters of which your Condos are managed you are fine. I would do it right next meter from the border ( let's say) and if they say something, i will ask them for the property land drawing; that's will make it hard on them. And if the pigeons like to stay after they are fed in the property, then they can sue the pigeons if they don't like them.
If someone makes my life harder , i will try to find ways to make their life harder, of course in the ruling of the laws, and give them some work to do before they forbiden me to enjoy feeding the pigeons.


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## Disappointed Feeder (Nov 15, 2012)

Thank you for all the assistance so far. I am really appreciative since this is obviously a topic I do not know much about.

I counted the pigeons this morning and there was 42. I believe the entire flock is about 60. Their routine is as follows. Around 9am they line up on the power line across for our business. Either when my GF's car arrives or around 10am they start coming down to a patch of what was grass but is now dirt where we feed them. This is directly in front of our door and if there is no feed they look in. Not feeding them is hard because they are right there and look so helpless. Once they are adequately fed they disappear and don't return until the next day. Once people complained there was an incentive to feed them early so that they would be mostly gone by afternoon. 

The consensus seems to be that if we stop feeding them at least some will die. That is a unacceptable outcome for us. 

*The Plan *

My current plan is to move the feeding location. With the use of google maps I've discovered that the trees to the right of us are actually just a narrow row (two trees deep) that then leads to a field that is not being used for anything. My goal is to get them to the other side of the tree line.

Today is Friday so we will not feed them since businesses are open and there are people here. I assume that one day without food will not be an issue. 

Tomorrow my GF will try to move them to our side of the tree line. That is 500-700 meters from where they currently feed but it is in line of sight if they look to the left from their position on the wire. The pigeons seem to recognize my GF's car and associate it with feeding as they do not descend until she arrives. My hope is that if we park her car there they will see it and come investigate. We will do the same on Sunday. This will be the hardest part since I don't know if they will move that far in one shot.

Starting Monday I will start coming in before dawn and dump seed at the new location but I will move them further and further. I don't know how I will get them past the tree line but it is one row of trees followed by a small open patch followed by a second row of trees so I assume this will work. Once they are on the other side of the tree line I can feed them with no one seeing. 

We plan to use a air horn to scare them away from the current feeding zone.

I think this is our best option.

*I do have some additional questions.*

1) For the next few weeks there will be no snow but eventually the ground will be covered in snow. Currently we feed them in an area that is shovelled but obviously I can't shovel a random field. Can I feed them by just spreading feed on the snow or do I have to use some sort of plate system to keep the seed on the surface? Also can they find their own water or do I need to provide that as well?

2) How often do they need to be fed? Currently we feed them every day and if that is necessary I will do it but since feeding now involves trekking would something less frequent be acceptable? They seem to eat until there is nothing left so I'm not sure if giving them just lots of food and then coming back two days later would work. 

3) Eventually we need to stop feeding. The goal is just to get them through the winter. We had considered moving the business previously and had the option to get better space for considerably less. Our animals were actually a major factor in staying. So at the end of the lease and maybe even sooner we will be moving to a different area. That means in the spring we need to safely dissolve the flock. What are my options for doing that? Is the best option to just wean them in the spring?

If I am successful in moving them to the new feeding location they will be flanked on both sides by large corn fields. There is also a field that is used to produce hay directly in front of them. There will be a few hundred acres of forest and mixed in some grass space.

Edit: So we broke down and just fed them today. They looked so sad looking in the windows. We will start moving them tomorrow.


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

Sounds like a very good plan. I am not so sure they will follow your car 500 meters. But you can lead them while driving you car by spilling seeds and leave a trail behind the car. Or thow seeds from the window, then drive another 20 meter throw seeds and so on..the big breakfast will be at the location tyou chose to have them stay every morning..If you do it a few days will be enough. After than just drive straight to the feeding place and dump the seeds there. If you are driving on the street to take them to that location, then gets complicated. But if they recognize your car and you have patience to wait untill they come that would be great. I am also more 50% confident that if you throw seeds in the chosen location every day, they will find it eventualy.

That's so nice to hear that the employees like them and that pigeons were one of the reasons your business didn't move somewhere else.


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

I agree with Dima; the pigeons I feed would probably not move 500 meters in one go....it took a couple of tries just to move them 20 meters. Yours would probably need the changes to be made in increments, but your patience will be worth it if you can get them eating near the corn fields. Hopefully that will encourage them to combine wild food from the fields with the food you give them.


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