Pigeon control plan will expand to 3 more town council areas

A pigeon management plan piloted in three town council areas has paid off, and the estimated population of the birds is now down by around 50 per cent.

Calling the results seen in Ang Mo Kio, Bishan-Toa Payoh and Tanjong Pagar "encouraging", Senior Minister of State for National Development Tan Kiat How announced on May 20 that the next phase of the plan will be rolled out in three more areas for six to nine months.

These constituencies have been identified as Jalan Besar, Marsiling-Yew Tee and Nee Soon, after considering factors such as pigeon population, hot spots and residents' feedback, he said in a Facebook post.

If successful, the plan could be further scaled up across Singapore, Mr Tan added.

In a statement on May 20, the National Parks Board (NParks) said the initial pilot took place from July 2024 to March 2025.

The three town councils had worked with NParks, the National Environment Agency, Singapore Food Agency and the public to manage the pigeon population, and boost public education and community stewardship.

Pigeon-related feedback across the town councils was around 34 per cent lower than the expected average between October 2024 and March 2025, Mr Tan noted.

Rock pigeons are not native to Singapore but have adapted well to urban environments and tend to roost near residential areas due to the availability of human food, said NParks.

This causes soiling and hygiene issues, and has a potential impact on public health given their proximity to humans.

As rock pigeons have very high reproductive rates and few natural predators in Singapore, their population needs to be actively managed, NParks added.

As part of the pilot plan, the agencies stepped up efforts on several fronts, including improving refuse and food waste management at bin centres and food establishments, and distributing educational materials to food stall operators.

NParks said the operators have since installed protective coverings on their food display cabinets and tray return racks, and also stationed a cleaner near the racks to expedite cleaning.

Enforcement action was also taken in 50 cases of illegal pigeon feeding, after the agency monitored feedback and conducted surveillance physically and via closed-circuit television cameras.

In cases involving repeat offenders or those with mental health needs, NParks said it will work with the Agency for Integrated Care, town councils, the Municipal Services Office and People's Association to understand their motivations, address misconceptions and discourage them from feeding birds.

They will instead be encouraged to consider participating in nature-based activities such as community gardening and birdwatching.

Those who require mental health support will be linked up with counselling services.

Other initiatives led by NParks under the pilot plan included stepping up pigeon removal efforts in hot spots through physical trapping and humane euthanasia, advising on proper removal methods and developing a set of guidelines for the use of alpha-chloralose.

The drug causes birds to lose their ability to control body temperature and overall function.

NParks said it has worked with the three town councils to develop customised pigeon management plans for each of them so that they can continue managing the bird population in their estates and mitigate disamenities.