How to Get Rid of Pigeons at Bird Feeders
Updated: Nov. 01, 2022Rock pigeons are nonnative birds that can gobble up lots of bird seed quickly. Learn how to discourage pigeons from visiting your feeders.
Ask the Experts: How to Get Rid of Pigeons
“How do I get rid of pigeons at my feeders?” asks Birds & Blooms reader Vivian Tester of Bristol, Tennessee.
Birding experts Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman write, “Pigeons can be a nuisance, especially when they arrive in large flocks, gobbling up loads of seeds. Taking your feeders down for a while is sometimes effective, but there are other options to discourage pigeons, too. Hanging feeders, especially tube style, are more difficult for pigeons to access. There also are tray-style feeders with cagelike baffles that fit over the top, designed to keep large birds from reaching the seed. Since pigeons prefer to feed on the ground, be sure to keep the area under your feeders clean as well.
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Take a Break
When less-desirable birds like pigeons or house sparrows visit your feeders in numbers, sometimes the only options are to take down your feeders until the flocks move on or to embrace the common birds as a fixture of your backyard landscape.
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Pigeons Are Nonnative Birds
Rock pigeons, like Eurasian collared-doves and European starlings, are not native to the United States. Introduced from Europe in the 1600s, rock pigeons saved lives carrying messages for the U.S. Army in both world wars. Many are gray with two black wing bars and shiny green or red on the neck. Pigeons nest in buildings, in barns and under bridges. They feed young with milk developed in their throat pouches.
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