Pigeons in Urban Landscapes: Population Control Using OvoControl®P at TransLink SkyTrain Stations.

Pigeon (Columba livia) abundance in urban environments can result in human-wildlife conflicts such as excrement exposure, disease risk, and nuisance behaviour. Traditional methods of pigeon control (i.e., netting, spikes, lethal control, flying raptors) rely on exclusion and removal principles, which are not effective in the long-term. OvoControl®P is an avian contraceptive that may provide a humane management alternative and is registered by Health Canada Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) for pigeon control. The active ingredient, nicarbazin (0.5%), prevents egg fertilization in birds but eggs are still laid. To test its efficacy as a pigeon management method for a major public transit network, 8 TransLink SkyTrain stations in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada were chosen as study sites between March 2020 and March 2021. Four control site stations dispensed cracked corn and 4 experimental site stations dispensed OvoControl®P. Trail cameras were installed at each station to confirm ingestion of product and estimate populations, while system track alarm trigger data were also reviewed. Over time, a decrease in pigeon numbers was observed at 2 of 4 stations treated with OvoControl®P, however, there was no significant decrease in pigeon populations within the time frames tested in groups receiving OvoControl®P after the introduction of treatment. The use of OvoControl®P within a major public transportation network has shown that it can be scaled and implemented, with logistical lessons noted. Results after 1 yr of treatment showed an increase in observed pigeons at stations treated with cracked corn, and small to no change in observed pigeons populations at stations treated with OvoControl®P. As contraceptive control measures require natural deaths to see a significant decline in pigeon populations, ongoing treatment at stations is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]