3 to 3.5 years in the wild; 10 - 12 years domestic
7 to 10 pounds of grain per day
7 - 10 young per year (1 or 2
young per brood up to 5 times per year)
In many cities an extensive food supply supports an overpopulation,
which causes different problems to man and the feral pigeons themselves. Fecal droppings cause extensive damage to buildings and monuments.
Domestication is
distinguished by
a high annual reproduction
success, tameness,
and selection against too aggressive males. These features may
be responsible
for the enormous
survival success
of the feral pigeon in our cities. This overcrowding
leads to poor hygienic
nesting conditions
causing disease.
: Whole corn may desired for use with pigeons
because it is too large to be accepted by many non-target species
and because one kernel is a near perfect dose for an adult pigeon.
However in many cases mixed grains may be the preferred bait.
Careful observation of the proposed treatment area will provide
an estimate of the number of birds involved and their patterns of use. Around buildings, a survey should be conducted to determine
