How do we stop pigeons from roosting and nesting on our HOA buildings?

By OurHOA · General information · Revised October 28, 2026

How an HOA board stops pigeons roosting on buildings: legal status in TX and CO, netting and ledge fixes, safe droppings cleanup, feeding rules and contractor bids.

Part of the HOA board handbook: vendors, projects and upkeep.

The short answer

Pigeons stay where they find food and a sheltered ledge. Take away both and most flocks move on. Confirm the birds are feral pigeons and not a protected native dove, stop the feeding, clean the droppings safely, then block the spots where they roost and nest with netting, mesh, sloped ledge covers or spike strips. Treat trapping and poison baits as a last resort and leave them to a licensed contractor. Budget for exclusion as a one-time capital cost on the worst buildings rather than paying for repeated cleanups. Local ordinances and your governing documents can change the details, and this is general education, not legal advice.

Confirm what you are dealing with before anyone touches a nest

The feral or rock pigeon (Columba livia) is not native. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists it among the human-introduced species to which the Migratory Bird Treaty Act does not apply (85 Fed. Reg. 21262, April 16, 2020). Native doves are not on that list, so a mourning dove nest under the same eave is still federally protected. Texas: Parks and Wildlife Code 64.002(b) says feral rock doves, European starlings and English sparrows may be killed at any time and their nests and eggs destroyed. Every other nongame bird's nest and eggs are protected under 64.002(a). Colorado: C.R.S. 33-6-107(9) lets a property owner or employee take common pigeons on land they own or lease without a license, but only when the birds are damaging property. Doves and band-tailed pigeons are small game under 33-1-102, so the same rule does not cover them. Florida: call the regional Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission office and check your county code before trapping. Cities can be stricter than the state, especially on trapping and discharging firearms, so check the municipal code too. A contractor who cannot tell a pigeon from a mourning dove should not be on the job.

Find out what is drawing them

Walk the property at dawn and dusk, when the birds come and go, and note where they sit. Purdue Extension's pigeon publication, written by a USDA Wildlife Services biologist, says pigeons live on spilled grain, garbage and food people put out for them, and calls feeding them a mistaken kindness. A pair can raise 3 to 4 broods a year, so a small group under one breezeway becomes a flock in a season. Check for an owner scattering bread or seed, overflowing dumpsters, bird feeders that spill onto the ground, and standing water on flat roofs. Then list the roosts: ledges under overhangs, the tops of light fixtures, gaps behind gutters, open vents and the space above breezeway ceilings. Photograph each one. That list becomes the contractor's scope.

Block the roosts and nests

Purdue's guidance gives specific fixes: Close openings to attics, vents and eaves with wood, metal or 3/4-inch rust-proofed wire mesh. Plastic or nylon netting works but needs replacing more often. Slope flat ledges to 45 degrees or more with sheet metal, wood or stone so the birds cannot sit. Use spike strips, which Purdue calls porcupine wires, on sills, ledges, beams and roof peaks. They cost more but last. Install low-voltage electric track where spikes will not fit. Apply paste repellents in rows about 1/2 inch thick and no more than 2 to 3 inches apart. They lose strength in dust and usually need reapplying after about a year, and every ledge must be treated or the birds just move over. The same publication says noisemakers, ultrasonic devices, flashing lights, flags, balloons and rubber snakes are not effective. Skip them, whatever the hardware store display says. Before you net a breezeway or courtyard, get the board's sign-off on how it will look, and have the installer confirm it will not block fire sprinklers, exit signs or vents.

Clean up droppings without making anyone sick

Large amounts of old droppings can carry Histoplasma, a fungus that causes the lung infection histoplasmosis. NIOSH says the best prevention is to keep birds from building up droppings in the first place. When droppings must be removed, its 2021 employer fact sheet recommends spraying them with water to keep dust down, training workers, posting warnings, and using disposable coveralls with a hood, a NIOSH-approved respirator, eye protection, gloves and disposable shoe covers. CDC's histoplasmosis prevention page says large amounts of bird or bat droppings should be cleaned up by professional companies. For the board, that means no volunteer work days with a shop vac and a dust mask. A light film on a bench can be wiped down wet. A pile in an attic, on a flat roof or above a breezeway ceiling goes to a contractor, with cleanup as a separate bid line, and the area stays closed until it is done. Use the same rule for the maintenance staff.

Hiring a bird control contractor

Ask at least two bird control or pest management companies to bid from your photo list. Each bid should give, location by location, the method (netting, mesh, ledge cover or spikes), the material, the price, and the warranty in years. Ask for droppings cleanup and sanitizing as separate lines, plus a price for a return visit to repair netting. If a contractor proposes trapping, ask what happens to the birds. Purdue notes that releasing pigeons is impractical because they come back even from 50 miles or more away. If a contractor proposes a poison bait, the common one, Avitrol, is a restricted-use pesticide that only certified applicators may use, so ask for the applicator's license number and tell owners with pets before baiting starts. A fertility-control bait (OvoControl P) is also registered by EPA and works slowly over seasons, alongside exclusion rather than in place of it. Record the vote in the minutes with the reason. For example: 'Approved netting and ledge covers on Buildings C and D at $4,800, five-year warranty, chosen over trapping because the birds return.'

Stop the feeding with a rule and a notice

Exclusion fails if someone keeps feeding the flock. If your rules do not already cover it, adopt a rule that bans feeding pigeons and other wild birds on common area and on balconies, patios and windowsills that face it. Our guide on adopting a new HOA rule and notifying owners covers notice and comment, and the guide on stopping residents from feeding ducks and geese at the pond shows how to enforce a feeding rule without a feud. Notice wording you can adapt: 'Pigeons are nesting on several buildings, and their droppings damage paint and railings and can carry disease. The association is installing netting and ledge covers. Please do not feed pigeons or other wild birds, including from balconies and patios, and keep seed feeders off the buildings. If you see birds nesting in a vent or under an overhang, report the location to the board at [email or phone].' Post it, email it, and repeat it after the exclusion work is finished.

Mistakes boards make

Knocking down nests without checking the species. In Texas the nest of a feral rock dove can go; a mourning dove nest cannot. Buying a gadget instead of a fix. Ultrasonic boxes, flags and rubber snakes cost money and leave the ledge just as usable. Covering half the problem. Netting one breezeway sends the flock to the next one. Scope the whole building, or at least every ledge on one side. Putting volunteers on cleanup. Send heavy droppings to a contractor. Ignoring maintenance. Netting tears and spikes collect leaves. Put a yearly inspection on the board calendar and in the contract.

Sources

These guides are general education for HOA boards and residents, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Rules vary by state and by your community's governing documents - check with a professional for your situation.

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