**4. Conclusion**

Pigeons can influence humans through disease transmission, infrastructure damage, or financial loss. How to rid an area of pigeons is not always straightforward. Some methods are not effective in decreasing populations (**Figure 4**). Due to their rapid reproductive output, high fledgling success and homing ability, culling or trapping pigeons does not work when trying to decrease abundance. Culling and removal deems to be a short-term solution to a long-term problem. Scaring pigeons with fake birds of prey or with sound or lights also proves to be ineffective.

One of the most important aspects and the first step to any population management plan is to study the population that is a nuisance. Studying abundance, population hot spots, colonial nest locations, and primary food resources can create the building blocks of an effective plan to modify habitat and decrease carrying capacity of the location. Nest and roosting locations can be removed by modifying ledges or crevices. Decreasing the attractiveness of buildings in Perugia, Italy resulted in a 23% decrease in pigeon abundance within a year [60]. If an organization can determine the primary food source for the population, decreasing it or educating the public can prove to be very effective. Venice, Italy used to have more than 10,000 pigeons living in St. Mark's Square [18]. When they decreased the number of tourists feeding the population, the number dropped to 1,000 individuals [18]. However, if the population is flying to nonurban areas, such as agricultural fields, this method of decreasing carrying capacity by decreasing feeding sources may not work. Population models performed by Guinchi et al. found that influencing the habitat is the most effective and long-lasting method in decreasing abundance [18]. Simply killing off pigeons was least likely to control the population [18].

Guinchi et al. also discovered that controlling fertility with habitat modification may create the most profitable outcome [18]. However, when designing this plan, a city or organization needs to take into account effective budgeting. A population decrease will not happen immediately and it may take years to reach an optimal abundance. A multifaceted approach, using sterilization and habitat modification

**47**

necessary.

**Figure 4.**

decrease habitat favorability.

**Acknowledgements**

*Ecology of Feral Pigeons: Population Monitoring, Resource Selection, and Management Practices*

techniques, is useful in decreasing abundance, but can be expensive over time [7, 18]. If a sterilization technique is preferred, studying seasonal egg-laying patterns may be useful to know when to dispense nicarbazin-laced bait and when it can be suspended. Therefore, the organization is not spending money when it is not

*Flowchart shows the most common methods and disadvantages at attempting to decrease pigeon abundance.*

The most effective management strategy for TTU includes habitat modification to decrease roost and nest sites, and sterilization techniques via dispensing OvoControl in locations of high pigeon abundance. Texas Tech University has decreased roosting locations using bird wire and decreased nesting locations by screening off balconies that housed a large colony. OvoControl is currently being dispensed on top of buildings that house large pigeon populations. Preliminary results from enumerating pigeon abundance on ESB and Holden Hall have shown a significant reduction within the last year. The Experimental Sciences Building is next to the Biology building where OvoControl is being dispensed, while OvoControl is being dispensed on top of Holden Hall. Bird wire has been placed on both buildings, and balconies have been screened off at ESB to decrease nesting locations. Texas Tech University is furthering their study of pigeon ecology and conducting more detailed analyses of nesting and roosting locations to further

We would like to thank TTU for their financial help in conducting our research.

We would like to thank all volunteers for their time and efforts in researching pigeon ecology on Texas Tech campus. We would also like to express our gratitude toward Eric Wolf and Alex McDonald from Innolytics, LCC for their valuable insight on using nicarbazin bait to decrease reproductive output of pigeons on TTU.

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.84612*

*Ecology of Feral Pigeons: Population Monitoring, Resource Selection, and Management Practices DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.84612*

**Figure 4.** *Flowchart shows the most common methods and disadvantages at attempting to decrease pigeon abundance.*

techniques, is useful in decreasing abundance, but can be expensive over time [7, 18]. If a sterilization technique is preferred, studying seasonal egg-laying patterns may be useful to know when to dispense nicarbazin-laced bait and when it can be suspended. Therefore, the organization is not spending money when it is not necessary.

The most effective management strategy for TTU includes habitat modification to decrease roost and nest sites, and sterilization techniques via dispensing OvoControl in locations of high pigeon abundance. Texas Tech University has decreased roosting locations using bird wire and decreased nesting locations by screening off balconies that housed a large colony. OvoControl is currently being dispensed on top of buildings that house large pigeon populations. Preliminary results from enumerating pigeon abundance on ESB and Holden Hall have shown a significant reduction within the last year. The Experimental Sciences Building is next to the Biology building where OvoControl is being dispensed, while OvoControl is being dispensed on top of Holden Hall. Bird wire has been placed on both buildings, and balconies have been screened off at ESB to decrease nesting locations. Texas Tech University is furthering their study of pigeon ecology and conducting more detailed analyses of nesting and roosting locations to further decrease habitat favorability.
