UK Pigeon Advocates Push Egg-Swapping Lofts to Curb Urban Flocks Humanely

London holds nearly 3 million pigeons, the largest population in the UK. Derided as 'rats with wings,' 'flying ashtrays' and 'gutter birds,' the birds face public disdain. Councils across Britain have tried bird spikes, netting, glue, lasers, electric wires, traps, shooting, poisoning and hawks for decades, with little success.

London claimed a win in Trafalgar Square in the early 2000s. Ken Livingstone's city government deployed two Harris hawks to deter pigeons. The hawks killed 121 birds over years in an operation that cost £226,000 ($290,000). Wildlife activists called it cruel, and numbers soon rebounded. Last year, pest control for Northern Trains shot at least 81 pigeons at Manchester Victoria station in early morning operations, dubbed by some the Manchester Victoria pigeon massacre.

Sue Joyce, president of the National Pigeon Advocacy Association, or NPAA, known as Sue the Pigeon Lady, advocates a different approach. She envisions council-provided flats above stores like Boots, Sainsbury's or Greggs in major cities. Volunteers would install shelves mimicking cliff edges, with plywood roosting boxes and steady food. Every few days, they would replace fertilized eggs with plastic decoys. Pigeons sit on the fakes until giving up, producing fewer squabs while remaining unaware.

Over time, flocks shrink to manageable sizes with ample food. Parks stay clear without shooting, trapping, poisoning or hawks. Such aviaries work elsewhere, but UK councils have dismissed NPAA proposals, often laughing them off.

The 'German method' of egg swapping has succeeded worldwide. The UK Pigeon Control Advisory Service, or PiCAS, says one pair of pigeons produces about 14 young yearly, so a loft for 50 pairs prevents more than 1,000 births. Basel, Switzerland, cut its population 50% over four years starting in 1988. Augsburg, Germany, adopted it a decade later. Groups in Germany, Belgium and the Czech Republic report similar results, often with volunteers in donated spaces.

Joyce faults councils for viewing the idea as activist fantasy, not proven strategy. Norwich city council, after seeing an NPAA proposal, said it is considering humane, legal and proportionate measures while focusing on redevelopment and housing.

Public attitudes shift. More people keep pigeons as pets, and the birds inspire fashion, nail art and hair coloring. Humans domesticated pigeons thousands of years ago, breeding dependence before abandonment. This curbs their instincts, leading to constant breeding on poor diets of street scraps. 'They are all suffering, when you really look at it,' Joyce says.