Pigeon control efforts to be stepped up in hot spots

Three areas chosen for their high pigeon populations and proximity to one another

- Elise Wong

Pigeon control efforts in three adjacent constituencies will be ramped up over the next six months, with various government agencies and town councils taking more measures to bring down the numbers of wild pigeons there.

The initiative, carried out in the Ang Mo Kio, Bishan-Toa Payoh and Tanjong Pagar town council areas, will run from June to December 2024.

Under the plan, the National Environment Agency (NEA), Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and National Parks Board (NParks) will work with the three town councils on a variety of measures to reduce the numbers of rock pigeons – one of four species of pest birds in Singapore. These birds are not native to the Republic.

These include stepping up efforts to improve rubbish and food waste management at bin centres and food establishments, and conducting outreach programmes to educate residents about not feeding birds. Pigeons will also be trapped and humanely euthanised under the pilot.

The three town council areas were chosen for their high pigeon populations and proximity to one another. The initiative aims to bring pigeon numbers down to manageable levels across the three constituencies. The authorities declined to comment on what such numbers could look like.

When queried about current pigeon populations across the three areas, NParks said only that there were “numerous clusters exceeding 100 pigeons” in each of the selected regions.

By rolling out pigeon control measures across the three connected town council areas instead of carrying them out in just one area, the “spillover” effect – when pigeons fly from one area to another – can be reduced, said the authorities in a statement.