Elche, a city in Spain, is grappling with an overpopulation of pigeons that is causing significant damage to its historic buildings and posing health risks to residents and tourists. The Animal Welfare Department, under the leadership of Councillor Inma Mora, is striving to address this issue. However, their efforts have met with limited success as pigeons have adapted well to urban environments, easily finding food, water, and nesting sites in older buildings.

Councillor Inma Mora explains that pigeons exhibit a remarkable adaptation to city life, which has contributed to their thriving populations. Despite various awareness campaigns and the imposition of fines for feeding the birds, the situation has not improved. The city has considered the use of sterilising feed as a solution, but Mora noted that there is a lack of supporting research and concerns raised by animal associations regarding potential harm to other bird species.

In light of these difficulties, Elche City Council is looking at an unconventional option: employing birds of prey to help regulate the pigeon population. Early indications suggest that this approach may have potential, as kestrels and other predatory birds are already present in urban areas. Specifically, species like peregrine falcons and goshawks, which thrive without causing destruction, are also being considered.

The challenge of pigeon overpopulation is not unique to Elche, but the city’s historic architecture makes it a more urgent matter. The pigeons’ acidic droppings can harm construction materials and carry diseases such as cryptococcosis and salmonellosis. Although no definitive action has been taken yet, Elche continues to explore innovative strategies to address the issue of its pigeon population.