Dealing with Pigeon Nuisance at HDB Estates

Ms Foo Mee Har asked the Minister for National Development what effective strategies have been developed to deal with pigeon nuisance at HDB estates.

The management of pigeon-related issues requires a multi-stakeholder approach. This includes Government agencies, such as the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) and the National Environment Agency (NEA), Town Councils, and members of the public.

Restricting the availability of food is one of the most effective ways to reduce pigeon populations. AVA issues advisories to inform residents about the environmental health and hygiene issues caused by feeding pigeons and also takes enforcement action against pigeon feeders. In tandem, NEA ensures good food waste management in food centres and coffee shops in Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates and enforces against littering offences. Finally, Town Councils maintain the cleanliness of estates. Where appropriate, they also deploy localised bird-deterrent measures, such as spikes or nets on the external facades of buildings, to discourage pigeons from roosting.

AVA will continue to test other solutions to manage the pigeon population. For example, AVA has conducted trials at selected locations to study the efficacy of contraceptives to manage the pigeon population. These trials saw some success but also revealed that the use of contraceptives should still be coupled with other measures, such as enforcement and education, to ensure a sustained reduction in the pigeon population. AVA will continue to trial the contraceptives at other suitable locations to further assess the effectiveness of this solution.