Some people call them "flying rats". In many people they provoke intensely negative sentiments, which sends many other people, like me, rushing to their defence. I've discovered some fascinating information on pigeons, which can be found via the links on page three. I realised I was quite ignorant of their habits and their history. Ignorance is never a good thing - and most people who hate pigeons are displaying only their own ignorance.

Pigeons tend to be dependent on the goodwill of humans. Which is possibly not the strongest position for a bird to be in when many of the population views you as a flying rat.

Pigeon problems - in gardens and towns

You can feel your goodwill diminishing if it seems your garden is being overrun with pigeons. I try to feed as many birds as possible, and wouldn't mind a couple of pigeons, as they are often rather handsome birds, like "Hooky", pictured. Large groups of them visiting can become a problem.

Unlike the other ground-feeders, like blackbirds and dunnocks, pigeons seem entirely dependent on humans. Blackbirds, for example, will be pleased if you give them some food, but if you don't, they'll go off and look for earthworms under the mulch, or eat the apples that have fallen from the tree. Pigeons don't like earthworms or apples. Pigeons learn to hang around under the feeders waiting for the seeds and nuts dropped by the sparrows, tits and finches. Or they wait for other cereal-based food like bread (or in town centres, pies, pasties, and burgers from MacDonalds).

Many local councils now have official guidelines on pigeons, which discourage local people from feeding them. The emphasis on discouraging feeding is well-meant. The more pigeons are fed, the more they are likely to reproduce, so the more pigeons there are. The more pigeons there are the more the bird is seen as a pest.

Trying to manage the problem in gardens

Knowing all this, I am faced with a dilemma. The guidelines make sense, and I try not to feed the pigeons. But the council policy chiefs aren't sitting here looking out of my window having to endure the rather heart-rending sight of pigeons in the middle of winter scrabbling about in the foul weather for tiny bits of seed. As far as I'm aware neither have they given any useful guidelines on how to feed other garden birds without also feeding the pigeons.

Every gardener has to find their own solution, but the one that I've had to adopt is to tail off the feeding of birds during the spring months. The pigeons slowly disperse as they realise food is no longer available. It is difficult for me to ignore them, but I have to. A gang of ten pigeons in a small town garden is not really sustainable.

I resumed feeding again once the pigeons had dispersed, as goldfinches and greenfinches had begun visiting often, and seemed in need of this food supply. Only an occasional pigeon now drops by, which is no problem.

In the winter months I just have to live with the problem, and concentrate on minimizing it, by not putting out food on the ground when the pigeons are around. Hard to stick to though, if you're a soppy type like me who feels just a bit sorry for these much-maligned, but rather interesting birds.

Pigeons do a great job of clearing up food scraps that would otherwise attract rats and mice. They are, in their own way, doing a public service for a very messy species (us). So before condemning them entirely, let's think about that.

Let's have a heated debate! - Persecuted pigeons - and pigeon links

Hooky the pigeon

Hooky the pigeon says "I'm descended from rock doves, you know."