Colour: Mostly bluish-grey with narrow black wing bands and white bottoms, but colours can vary.
Size: Length – 13.5”. Weight – can weigh up to 1lb.
Common nesting areas: Usually high ledges and alcoves of buildings and structures. They will also nest in eaves and under soffit areas.
Diet: Mostly seeds and grains together with fruit, insects green feed and plenty of grit for digestion.
Baby Removal: Pigeons will have 7 broods each year during all seasons. Each brood will usually contain 1-2 eggs. First flight occurs after about 5-6 weeks old. Once babies have been located they can be removed – and depending on their age – they can be removed and set free or removed and placed in insulated bird box away from nesting area to have mother tend to young. And in many cases pigeon’s nests carry mites and should be treated, removed and then cleaned thoroughly. Birds that have gotten into living spaces can be caught and removed while onsite.
PREVENTION METHODS CAN INCLUDE:
Common prevention methods: Bird netting, shock track, wire mesh, bird slope, bird gel, bird spiking, bird wire, and visual or sound deterrents. In some cases if pigeons have got into an enclosed space a humane one way door system can be set up to allow pigeons to vacate.
Eaves: Bird spiking.
Ledges: Bird slope, bird wire, spiking, bird gel, shock track.
Enclosed areas: Bird netting, screening, visual or sound deterrents.
Hazards: Pigeons can cause serious losses to small grains and may contaminate foodstuffs and spread disease to domestic stock. Feral pigeons can carry Newcastle Disease, Aspergillosis, Pigeon Ornithosis, Encephalitis, Pigeon Coccidiosis, Toxoplasmosis and Salmonellosis. Ectoparasites such as pigeon nest fleas, bugs, ticks and mites may bite man and possibly transmit disease. Also skin infection and welts can result from Ectoparasite bites. Cryptococosis and Histoplasmosis are systematic fungus diseases of man which can also be contracted while cleaning up accumulations of dry dusty pigeon droppings. The uric acid in the feces will corrode stone, metal and masonry over time.
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