Baby pigeons stuck on 6th floor balcony

[Kangaroosjump]

So...

My SIL lives in a council property, 6 floors up

She did her balcony up putting wooden fencing to hide the rusty metal one and we've just discovered baby pigeons behind the wood fence who presumably hatched fairly recently??

She's freaking out and saying she's chopping down the wood fence (doesn't like birds) Iv tried the RSPCA, RSPB and environmental health none of whom can give advice (other than automated machine)

If she chops down the fence will they be able to fly away or likely to die on balcony as no shelter anymore?

[TTWK]

Squabs. That's the correct term for a baby pigeon.

No help at all but hopefully a new word learnt.

[LeChien]

Do they not have parent pigeons coming and looking after them?
Could they be left?

[Kangaroosjump]

She thinks they do hve parents coming as she's usually shooing them off the balcony

How long till they'd fly away? Might be only option

[MinesAPintOfTea]

Illegal to disturb nnesting birds. She has to wait until they leave.

[sadwidow28]

They do not leave the nest until they are 35 days old. The parents will be flying back and forth to feed them.

[lottiegarbanzo]

Huh? Leave them alone, they grow up and fly away.

And yes, it is a criminal offence to disturb nesting birds. Any sort of birds.

Why is she 'freaking out'? That makes no sense. If she has some kind of pigeon phobia she should see a doctor. Her irrationality is NO excuse for harming sentient creatures or breaking the law.

[LeChien]

Tell her to stop shooing them away, they're trying to look after their babies!
Once they've grown they'll go and she can pigeon proof the balcony.

[lottiegarbanzo]

Btw, what do you mean by 'stuck'? If parent pigeons were able to get in to lay eggs, the space cannot be that small. She didn't add the wooden fence after the eggs had been laid, did she?

Default advice with baby birds is always 'leave them alone'. No organisation can advise on how to solve a problem with an animal when there isn't an animal with a problem.

[Kangaroosjump]

Well a pest control company has said they could sort it so not sure it's illegal where pigeons are involved

But would involve them removing animals via her property since they aren't going to abseil down!!! and she's having a panic attack about birds in her home...

But it might be best for everyone if she just closes balcony door and waits till they've flown away in next few weeks...

I can see myself pigeon proofing and mopping up pigeon poo soon

[Kangaroosjump]

I think the fence is secured at the top not the bottom as nowhere to tie it too so they've pushed it out at the bottom and she hadn't realised till today it had happened

[LoisEinhorn]

www.facebook.com/groups/PigeonProtection/

A really helpful group. There might be someone local that can help and advise

[LaLaLaaaa]

If they have parents coming and going and they are not trapped then leave them alone. Illegal to interfere with nest while in use.

If they are trapped as result of her putting up boards she will need to take them down until birds have fledged.

If no parents then report via RSPCA website (is logged same way as phone line) or pigeon protection and someone will come out to get them as soon as possible.

[LaLaLaaaa]

NB yes pest control can 'sort it' but this will likely mean the pigeons being killed. Under general licenses you can interfere with nest if on basis of public health, but if they are not directly impacting on her/her property negatively she can just leave them be until they fledge abc problem solved

[Kangaroosjump]

She says council have something about not allowing pigeons on balcony due to acidic poo wearing away building?

But I think best course of action regardless is she lets them hopefully soon fly away and then rethinks the balcony

[LaLaLaaaa]

Yeah it's not the nicest of stuff :) hopefully they fledge soon. Once they go she can block it to stop them getting in and they should find another nesting place next time

[StrawberryCheese]

If they're not causing damage to her property then just leave them and pigeon proof the balcony once they have left. Pest control have removed a nest with chicks from my block of flats but that is only because they were in the roof and causing damage.