Why Do Pigeons Congregate on One Roof?

More than 280 species of pigeons and doves are present with varying behaviors as some like to live as a flock, while a few wild birds prefer to live lonely, showing diversity.

Why Do Pigeons Congregate on One Roof? Pigeons can congregate on one roof with abundant food sources to fulfill their nutritional requirements. Moreover, sitting on the roof provides an aerial view of the environment and helps avoid predators when sitting in large numbers. Furthermore, it offers sufficient roosting space for these social birds to live and avoid pest-controlling measures.

A flock of pigeons on buildings is a common sight on the buildings and spacious areas of the ground when they have an aerial view of their surroundings and get food.

Do pigeons prefer to live in groups?

Most commonly, you can find pigeons flying in groups as they can be moving in the form of circles and V-shape patterns in the sky.

In addition to flying together, they like to sit collectively at the highest point of the building for different reasons. They prefer to sit on the rooftops and utility wires.

You can find small to large groups based on 10 to 20 or even hundreds of birds forming a group and flocking together at different locations.

Furthermore, it is common to see a group of birds roosting and feeding collectively, particularly in urban areas where people offer food at different spots.

However, the rural birds like to live separately, but the whole family can live inside a single nest, including males, and females, fertilized and hatched eggs forming a small group.

Why do pigeons congregate on one roof?

Many reasons account for the congregation of pigeons when they are present on a single roof like they can be searching for food collectively or avoiding the risk of attack.

Presence of food

They can collectively sit on the rooftop to scoop out the food sources clearly because it provides a clear view of the surroundings.

They can have a better aerial view of their environment and find a spot where they can get abundant food sources to meet their body requirements.

Moreover, their presence can also indicate that food source is present on the roof, leading to the accumulation of these birds.

So, you can find them strolling in the city and perching on different buildings to search for food as they can move their eyes all around the area from the highest spot.

Sense of security

Most probably, you have heard about the selfish herd theory that depicts the strategy of birds and animals to live in a group to decrease the chances of predator attack for every one of them.

It can also be considered a cooperative escape from danger that increases many times when the pigeon is flying and sitting alone, making the bird more prone to attack.

It can help avoid the risk of being captured by the predators like hawks, falcons, and owls.

Moreover, they can also prevent ground predators by sitting on the roof, like there is a risk of attack from domestic cats, rats, snakes, and even dogs.

Abundant roosting space

The tall buildings attract them as these spots mimic the natural cliffs. They like to sit preferably in the form of groups and need a large space that is provided by roofs usually.

There is abundant roosting space on the roof that can accommodate multiple birds simultaneously. They can sit on the building edges, forming a single row by maintaining minimum distance.

So, you can find them on a single roof because it provides enough space for these birds to sit together and search for a safe location collectively.

Social birds 

They are social creatures that like to live in the form of groups, as you can see a congregation of almost 15 to 30 birds on the buildings or ground.

They mate for life, live together while caring for their babies, and divide the nest tasks.

Moreover, the male and female couple collaborate with each other as a mother takes care of the babies in the daytime while the male goes out searching for food.

However, the male takes control of the babies in the afternoon, and the female pigeons manage other tasks. So, you can see a male, female, and babies together that can congregate in the building.

Avoid pest control measures

They move their nests from the ground to the tall buildings as there are usually free of pest controlling measures followed by humans to get rid of them.

There is a great risk of being entrapped or entangled within the traps in the form of nets and wires in the gardens to make them disappear and protect plants.

So, there is a probability that humans have destroyed their nests in gardens; that’s why they can sit on the building’s edges.

In addition, the presence of pigeons on one roof can also indicate that they can avoid the traps and protect themselves.

Is it bad to have pigeons on the roof?

Pigeons are messy birds responsible for making the roofs dirty by leaving dropping. In addition, the nesting material and droppings of acidic nature can cause damage to the building.

A continuous buildup of droppings can cause leakages in the roofing material due to acidity. 

The droppings can attract pathogens responsible for polluting the environment and spreading diseases.

Moreover, many birds on the roof can make your home susceptible to diseases and structural damage. It is also associated with constant noise and unwanted disturbances.

Furthermore, it can block the drainage system and restrict water flow by living inside the large pipes and leaving droppings that can accumulate and cause damage.

How to avoid pigeon congregation on the roof?

Making your home free of pigeons is challenging once they find a large space to roost, a comfortable living spot, and abundant food to eat.

It is better to cut off their food supply because they have to go far from the house, which can lessen their nest to return to the same spot, and they would probably shift to a new site.

Moreover, you can use repellants like cinnamon to spray on the roof areas where they prefer to roost as they do not like the cinnamon smell. Its aroma can irritate and make them stay away.

In addition to repellants, you can add some physical barriers like anti-roosting spikes to block their sitting area on the edges of the building.

Furthermore, the transparent spikes can help avoid these birds and do not affect the looks of your house.

You can also seek help from professional pest managers with expertise in dealing with such birds compromising the beauty and peaceful environment of the house.

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