Pigeon nest in my terrace/balcony

Aj_newbie

Hello!

Not sure if this is the right category for my query; sorry if not the correct one, and thanks to move to the right place.

During winters, a pigeon family found my terrace/balcony to be safe/comfy/cozy and decided to build their nest. Being winter, we were not using the terrace much anyways, so we were okay with the winged guests. They laid eggs, eggs hatched into chicks, chicks got their wings and they flew away. But, they didn't leave the nest empty.

When one fine day, the area was checked for pre-summer cleaning, we found the pigeon (may be a different one from the previous family) incubating the eggs, yet again.

What precautions can I take to not let the history repeat once these new birdies get their wings and fly away? I want to use the terrace in summers as soon as I can

Thanks in advance!

DaftyDuck

Using the balcony occasionally will be enough. They won't want to share.

It was a seagull using ours... Now, that was a big bird to have tapping on the bedroom balcony door...

Davesnave

I would remove whole lot immediately. We are not short of pigeons.

Good job there isn't an unthanks button, eh? :rotfl:

DaftyDuck

Davesnave wrote: »

I would remove whole lot immediately. We are not short of pigeons.

Good job there isn't an unthanks button, eh? :rotfl:

I have "thanked" your post, and will "unthank" you later...
Evil Dave Is Evil . There! Good enough?

So, in one of my large barns I have five nesting white doves. They poo on everything. However, not only are they pretty (when outside the barn), they sit on top of each other, or side-by-side while nesting. They purr at each other. They hunker down and hide in the nest when I go in...

They are, strictly speaking, just white pigeons. D'ya think I'm going to evict them? After all, I'm known for being hard-hearted with animals...:p

PasturesNew

Subject to the provisions of this Part, if any person intentionally:
.....
takes, damages or destroys the nest of any wild bird while that nest is in use or being built; or
.... he shall be guilty of an offence

http://www.pigeoncontrolresourcecentre.org/html/pigeon-pest-control-and-the-law.html

Wait until the new chicks have flown the nest - then lob it over the balcony.

Davesnave

Oh, I know the law.

Unfortunately, the law doesn't protect my chickens, one of which I had to cull yesterday because of a respiratory disease. I had the same thing happen last year; different disease, but the same method of transfer, though wild birds. It has to arrive from somewhere.

Mind you, I'm not blaming pigeons specifically, as there's a number of species visiting the hen area, and even more flying over, but I suspect the ones which drink. I have almost solved the ones which want to share the food as well, but drink is harder.

I don't approve of shooting pigeons with air rifles and other cruel, ineffective 'controls' like that, but eviction is fine by me. As the OP shows in their post, breeding is almost year-round now. They'll be up and running again in no time.

Quite often, the jackdaws have done it for me at this time of year, because as fast as the pigeons bring sticks to the barn, the 'daws steal them. They're far smarter.

Best method of control is to remove the obvious nest building places though, or find a way to make them unappealing.

Aj_newbie

Thanks everyone for the inputs. I will keep an eye on the family, and one the kids leave the nest, will make it unwelcoming.

However, I have something else as well to add n ask here -

The earlier family had 2 chicks. One of them, a bit shy. The other one, quite daring. The shy one never used to come out of the closet, until it could fly. The daring one used to walk all over the balcony. But one fine day, my partner witnessed the daring one being killed by about 12-15 other pigeons. Thankfully, my 7 yr old was out to school at that time, but I never want kids of this age to witness such things.

However, I fail to understand, and sorry for my ignorance about (urban)wildlife, but why was he killed? Any answers, please.

phil24_7

Perhaps it was some kind of pigeon 'gang' initiation?!?!

Head_The_Ball

Davesnave wrote: »

I would remove whole lot immediately. We are not short of pigeons.

Good job there isn't an unthanks button, eh? :rotfl:

We are not short of humans either so you won't mind someone dropping you off a tall balcony will you?

Davesnave

Head_The_Ball wrote: »

We are not short of humans either so you won't mind someone dropping you off a tall balcony will you?

If I were still at the egg stage, no, not a bit!

In fact, I have good reason to believe that many of my potential brothers and sisters met a similar fate.:D

Davesnave

Aj_newbie wrote: »

Twhy was he killed? Any answers, please.

Social animals don't always tolerate those which show individual traits, so I'd guess behaviour as well as physical differences could trigger a hostile reaction like this.

Maybe it's an in-built defence of the 'useful' genes?

However, sometimes changes in the environment can make formerly 'unhelpful' traits, useful. For example, rabbits which show less fear of traffic have often lived much longer than those who shun it, because grazing at the side of the road makes them less vulnerable to predator attack.

Don't ever let you child see what happens in a chicken pen when one catches a mouse! Witness that, and you'll realise how they're not so far removed from the dinosaurs!