Valencia announces new measures against pigeons as population soars in five years

VALENCIA City’s pigeon population has soared by 14,000 in just five years to an estimated 36,000 birds.

New measures to cut the numbers will include using more feeders with food that sterilises them.

Controlled captures will also be increased to take the birds to more ‘suitable’ areas.

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Valencia’s animal welfare councillor, Juan Carlos Caballero, said: “We have to reduce the population and eliminate the public health problems they can cause.”

Caballero said numbers had risen due to more pigeons using abandoned buildings to nest.

There’s also the regular problem of people insisting on feeding them.

The council has awarded a two-year-contract worth €220,000 to Lokimica to sort out the problem.

It says the contractor has ‘over 40 years of experience in combating urban pests’.

Councillor Caballero says their first task is to find out how many pigeons there are and to target areas with the worst problems.

“El Marítimo, Patraix, and Ciutat Vella are the districts with the highest numbers,“ he revealed.

Extra feeders will be moved to those areas.