Feral and urban pigeons face welfare challenges from pest control methods, disease, and the precarious nature of urban survival.
Urban pigeons face welfare challenges from both human intervention and natural urban hazards. Anti-roosting spikes cause wing and foot injuries when birds land on them. Fishing line and twine causes leg entanglement and degloved feet. Poisoning programs cause prolonged suffering. Bread and junk food diets cause metabolic bone disease. Their pair bonds mean the death of a partner causes behavioral changes consistent with grief. Humane population management through contraceptive feeding is far preferable to lethal control.