Pigeons on Montana Buildings, Signs, Bridges and Barns

Why do pigeons stay on one building?

The Montana Field Guide describes the rock pigeon as a non-native species found chiefly in cities and towns or at farms with livestock, and not far from people or agriculture. The Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management (ICWDM) puts it more bluntly: pigeons are highly dependent on humans for food and for places to roost, loaf and nest, and they turn up around farm yards, grain elevators, feed mills, parks, city buildings and bridges.

That list reads like a map of western Montana pigeon complaints: older brick storefronts with deep window ledges and cornices, sign cabinets, bridge girders over the rivers, feed and grain handling sites, and open barns and arenas in the Bitterroot. Each offers a sheltered flat surface above the ground with food within a short flight.

Are pigeons protected in Montana?

No, and three sources we checked agree. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service publishes a list of non-native, human-introduced birds to which the Migratory Bird Treaty Act does not apply, and the rock pigeon is on it. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) says pigeons are not a native wildlife species and are not protected in Montana. Montana's wild bird protection statute names rock doves among the birds it does not cover, along with their nests and eggs.

Two cautions belong beside that. ICWDM advises checking state and local laws before any control measure, because some cities protect all birds, and FWP notes that discharging firearms is illegal and unsafe within many cities. And the exemption is for feral pigeons only. ICWDM points out that the native mourning dove, a smaller tawny-brown bird, is protected by federal and state regulations. If you are not sure which bird you have, treat it as protected until someone has identified it. HJ's work is exclusion and deterrence, not removal of birds.

What is the difference between roosting, loafing and nesting?

They are different uses of the building, and a product that solves one can miss another. Loafing is daytime sitting on a roofline, parapet or sign. Roosting is where the flock spends the night, usually somewhere more sheltered. Nesting needs a protected flat pocket. The Montana Field Guide says pigeons roost and nest in crevices, and ICWDM describes the nest as a crude platform of sticks, twigs and grasses in lofts, steeples, attics and ornate architectural features.

Nesting is what makes a pigeon problem permanent. ICWDM reports that pigeons can breed in all seasons, that most of the five to six broods a year are raised in spring and summer when temperatures are above freezing, and that more eggs are laid before the first young have left the nest. The Field Guide records a clutch of two eggs and pair formation from February through September. A pair that has a nest site is not going to be bothered by a plastic owl.

What damage do pigeons and their droppings cause?

ICWDM lists the building damage plainly. Droppings are acidic and can deface and speed the deterioration of building materials. Accumulations can plug roof gutters and cause water damage, and nests can obstruct exhaust vents. FWP adds that droppings will damage vehicle paint and kill ornamental plants and grass. On farms, ICWDM notes that pigeons eat livestock feed and contaminate it with feces.

On health, ICWDM says accumulated droppings present a risk of disease transmission and that people can reduce their risk by avoiding contaminated areas or wearing proper protection during cleanup. It adds a useful precision on histoplasmosis: droppings provide suitable conditions for the fungus to grow, but the birds themselves do not appear to excrete it. We cover what public health agencies say in bird droppings health risks. Anyone with symptoms after cleaning out a roost should see a clinician.

How are pigeons kept out of a building?

By closing the way in. FWP calls blocking access the most cost-effective long-run method, using wood, metal, masonry or glass, or screening with wire mesh. ICWDM says openings to lofts, steeples, vents and eaves should be blocked with solid material, rust-proofed wire mesh, or plastic or nylon netting, and that in some cases this is very easy.

For open structures, ICWDM describes the standard approach: in a machinery shed, barn or hangar, roosting can be permanently prevented by screening the underside of the rafters with netting, with access panels cut in for servicing lights and equipment. Ornamental architecture on a commercial front can be screened with one-inch mesh netting, usually black, which ICWDM says can last as long as ten years. This is our bird netting and exclusion work. Rooftop arrays are their own case: see pigeons under solar panels.

Which ledge deterrent suits which surface?

ICWDM matches methods to surfaces. A flat ledge can be rebuilt to an angle of 45 degrees or more with sheet metal, wood or other material, which removes the perch altogether. Spike strips, which the sources call porcupine wire, go on window sills, ledges, eaves, roof peaks and ornamental details. FWP calls them costly but very effective. ICWDM warns that pigeons and sparrows sometimes cover them with nesting material or droppings, so they need occasional clearing.

Narrow runs such as conduit, cables and thin ledges take tightly stretched parallel wires or heavy monofilament. Enclosed courtyards have been protected with overhead line grids, though ICWDM cautions that persistent pigeons will likely penetrate parallel or grid line systems. Low-profile electric track gives a shock that repels without killing and fits the same places as spikes. Our bird spikes and ledge deterrents page shows how these are specified on a storefront.

What does not work on pigeons?

Scare devices. FWP says decoy owls, rubber snakes and balloons are effective for only a short period and that noise-making devices have very little effect on pigeons. ICWDM says the same of noise makers, revolving lights, flags and owl models, and states that ultrasonic sound is not effective on pigeons.

Sticky gel repellents are sold for ledges, and FWP describes them. We do not rely on them on building fronts. ICWDM says their effectiveness is usually lost over time, especially in dusty areas, and that they may stain a building or be difficult to remove. Cleaning alone also fails. Washing a sidewalk without changing the ledge above it means washing it again.

Why does feeding matter so much?

Because food sets the size of the flock. ICWDM says pigeons are mainly grain and seed eaters that will live on spilled or poorly stored grain, and will also eat garbage, livestock manure and food people put out on purpose. Its first long-term control measures are habitat changes: discourage public feeding, clean up spilled grain around elevators, feed mills and railcar clean-out areas, and eliminate standing water, since a pigeon needs about an ounce of water a day.

For a downtown owner that means dumpster lids, outdoor seating cleanup and a word with whoever is scattering seed. For a ranch it means feed storage and spill cleanup. Exclusion holds far better when the food that drew the flock is gone.

Where should a property owner start?

With a walk around the building at dusk to see where the birds actually settle, then a plan that closes nest sites first and treats ledges second. Our bird mitigation assessment does that, and bird dropping cleanup follows once the birds are out. Property managers can start with commercial bird control, and the Montana Bird Control Guide covers the other species you may be seeing.

Call HJ Property Care & Tree Service at (406) 215-7319 or request a bird assessment and we will identify the species, the access points, and what will actually stop them.

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