Problems Caused by Pest Birds

Problems caused by large numbers of pest birds – pigeons, gulls, starlings etc. –  are obvious, with large amounts of droppings, damage to buildings etc.  Droppings can accumulate on roofs and in the gutters and hopperheads of buildings, causing blockages of the roof drainage system, which will inevitably lead to the ingress of water into the buildings concerned, leading to damage and presenting a potential health risk to staff and users of the buildings.

Bird faecal material looks unsightly, harbours disease-causing pathogens – through both dry “dust” and the accumulated compacted wet waste – and also represents an obvious slip hazard, particularly for the elderly and/or infirm.

In the breeding season (May and June), gulls become extremely protective of their territory, and will attack anything – humans, animals and even vehicles – that they perceive to be a threat to their nests, eggs or young.

As the pest bird populations rise, so too will the problems, and nearby buildings and businesses will suffer as a direct consequence of the increased pest bird problem.  This will dissuade people from visiting the area, thus risking damaging social structure and the economy.  In addition, the health risks posed to human users of the area will also increase, as will the likelihood of accidents caused by slips etc. due to the bird droppings.

Large numbers of pest birds produce a lot of noise, which is distracting and potentially harmful to humans in both business and residential areas.

Diseases linked with pest birds can be potentially fatal for young children and older people.  An outbreak of disease which can be linked to pest birds in an area will produce much adverse publicity for all concerned.  Where little or nothing has been done to manage such a problem, the effects on the organisation concerned can be devastating, leading to bad publicity, legal action and criminal prosecution for a failure of duty of care.