Why do pigeons like my balcony?

Pigeons are adorable birds and quite interesting to watch. But when they begin to land on your balcony, they can become a nuisance, and you may start thinking of how to get rid of them. Knowing what attracts them in the first place is a good place to start. So, why do pigeons like your balcony?

There are several reasons pigeons could be attracted to your balcony. They include shelter, flat and comfortable rails, quiet and undisturbed space, plants, crumbs of food, bird feeder, vantage points, water sources, and familiarity. You need to prevent this as pigeons can cause various problems.

However, there are several ways to get rid of pigeons on your balcony in a humane way. Here, we discuss what attracts pigeons to your balcony and how to get rid of them.

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What Attracts Pigeon to A Balcony?

If you’re always noticing pigeons on your balcony, you may wonder why they are coming there. After all, your neighbors have balconies too. It could be due to the following reasons:

1. Shelter

Pigeons want protection from weather elements such as strong winds, heavy rains, and harsh afternoon sun. If your balcony provides this, you’ll find them coming often. Balconies with pitched roofs usually have horizontal spaces where the pigeons can roost. They can easily gain entry and enjoy ventilation without being affected by weather elements. Thus, they can choose your roof as a nesting place where they rest and live. If your balcony has a flat concrete roof, it’s unlikely that you’ll find pigeons living in it.

2. Vantage Points

The higher the balcony, the more likely you will find pigeons there. These birds instinctively find a high roosting point with protected sides as they’ll be safer there. This is due to their low rank in the food chain, which means several predatory birds will come for them.

This instinct makes them prefer nesting in roof gable ends and roof eaves. The balcony is also relatively safer for them compared to trees. So if your balcony has an accessible area, especially on the roof, you can expect to find these birds there building their nests and raising little pigeons.

3. Flat Balcony Rails

Expect to find pigeons if your balcony has rails with flat and hard surfaces. This kind of railing is more convenient to stand on for them than the rounded railing. Pigeons don’t have the strong claws that predatory birds have. So they need a surface that’s easy to maneuver.

4. Quiet and Undisturbed

After shelter and safety, pigeons also prefer a quiet environment. Any area with no predatory threats and limited human activities could attract pigeons. This could be your balcony if you don’t use it often. Once the pigeons get comfortable at a roosting site, removing them is extremely difficult.

5. Crumbs of Food

Food attracts pigeons. So, if you have crumbs of food or leftovers on your balcony, you may find pigeons coming more often. The balcony is a great place to have breakfast and enjoy the weather. But the crumbs left behind after you’re done eating is exciting for pigeons. They’ll keep coming once they see that food is available.

6. Water Sources

Pigeons like water, whether to drink or have a quick bath. It allows them to cool in hot weather. If your balcony has water on it, you may attract pigeons. The water could be from several sources. It could be due to the uneven floor, leaky hose, or you even left water in a bowl for your pet.

7. Bird Feeder

Bird feeding and watching are fun to do. You get to see them up close. You might place a bird feeder on your balcony if you enjoy this. The bird feeder usually holds the seeds. When a bird perches, its weight makes feeding ports open. But pigeons can’t fit into the perch.

Instead, their weight could close the port and make seeds fall on the balcony, where they’ll feed on them. This encourages them to keep coming. If you want a bird feeder, let it be a pigeon-proof one with a tray that catches the spilled seeds.

8. Potted plants

Plants that produce seeds, fruits, and flowers on your balcony may attract birds. Your balcony garden is a food source for the pigeons, and they’ll come. You’ll have to be proactive by removing all fallen seeds and ripe fruits to stop them. But, even that might not be enough. It’s also possible for leaves from your plants to clog the drainage. This will lead to stagnant water, which also attracts the birds.

9. Familiarity

The best thing is to make sure pigeons are comfortable on your balcony. Once they are, it’ll take a lot of effort to get rid of them. So, it’s important to remove anything that’ll make your balcony attractive to pigeons unless you want them to stay there.

Why You Should Get Rid of Pigeons in Your Balcony?

It’s not advisable to let pigeons congregate on your balcony. While they might look great and lovely, they can cause property damage. They’ll likely destroy your garden end and could be noisy with their cooking. Their droppings also damage the house because it’s acidic. It can affect your paint and corrode metals. The droppings might also cause your drainage to become clogged as they trap large particles and leaves in the drainage. Over time, they can cause the drainage to start leaking.

They may attract other pests and carry pests such as lice, mites, fleas, etc., which could infect you and your pets. Pigeon droppings can also cause health problems. This is because it contains several parasitic organisms and transmittable diseases. This can contaminate water and food, and the more they are, the higher the risks of these diseases spreading.

How To Prevent Pigeons on Your Balcony?

You can prevent pigeons from getting on your balcony using the following methods:

Add steel spikes to any surface where they can roost
Block all potential roosting spot
Remove all food and water
Use a garden netting or architectural screen to protect your garden
Spray your ledges with scents that they find repulsive such as garlic, hot pepper spray, cinnamon, etc.

In Conclusion

Pigeons are wonderful birds and quite friendly. Watching them in parks could be quite great. But when they begin to assemble on the balconies, it might become a problem. There could be several reasons for this. But it’s important you prevent it from happening as pigeons can be difficult to get rid of.