Is Trapping Pigeons in a Cage a Good Idea?

Majority homeowners the first reaction towards any animal infestation is to trap the creature and either relocate it or kill it. With pigeons, people try to adopt the same approach as it's humane. However, as pigeons fly in flocks, it'll consume a lot of time and energy to trap each one of them. Therefore, there are other methods to get rid of the pigeons as well. 

What to do once the pigeon is trapped? 

Some people would catch the bird and would leave it a few kilometers away. They would prefer relocating the pigeon. However, pigeons could easily fly back. Hence, they may infest the area that they were removed from again. Therefore, if you catch a pigeon in a cage the best way to deal with the issue is to put them away humanely. In this manner, you can effectively reduce the population of a pigeon in your area, and the bird won't have to suffer. Also, once you place the trap check it at regular intervals, so the pigeon caught in it doesn't suffer from lack of food and water. 

Relocating caught pigeons isn't a good idea as they are swift flyers and would come back to your place even before you reach back. Therefore, once you caught the pigeon put it down as soon as possible. Don't keep the bird in captivity for long periods as these are wild pigeons and they get agitated in confined places. 

Alternatives to Trapping the Pigeon 

The alternatives to capturing pigeon depend significantly on the area. If the pigeons have infested a larger area outside in the open field, then you should place horizontal nettings or spikes to deter the birds. If the infestation is inside the house such as in the attic, then you would need to deploy different exclusion techniques to get rid of them. Also, you would have to do certain repairs inside your house so the pigeons won't make their way inside it again. 

The morality of trapping the Birds

Humans have been trapping birds for centuries now. They do it to keep them as pets or for recreational purposes. However, trapping wild pigeons such as Feral Pigeons isn't a great idea. The birds stress out in the cages and might even die eventually. If you want to keep pigeons as pets, you should go to animal rescue centers and adopt pigeons from there. 

They have pigeons that are bred locally and cannot be released into the wild as they won't survive. These pigeons need shelter so you can provide it to them and help them survive. Also, morally caging animals isn't the right approach as well.



Also read our other bird tip: Pest Removal Solutions: Rooftop Pigeons How To Exclude Them