Feral pigeons are one of the most numerous urban birds and among the most persecuted. Understanding their welfare needs and addressing human-pigeon conflict humanely is important.
Urban pigeon welfare is complicated by their liminal status: simultaneously loved by some, persecuted by others, and treated as pests by local authorities. Pigeons that are poisoned die slowly from neurological toxicity; those caught in poorly maintained netting suffer slow death from starvation. These are preventable welfare harms. Fertility control - providing treated bait that prevents egg hatching without killing adults - is the most humane population management approach and is now available to UK local authorities. Managing pigeon numbers through sterilisation rather than killing achieves comparable population reduction without the welfare costs of lethal control. Public education about the consequences of feeding - driving population growth in concentrated areas - is also important.