Bird Trapping - Can You Trap Pigeons in a Cage?

Should You Ever Trap A Pigeon or Other Bird In A Cage?

For many homeowners who have dealt with different pest animal species over the years, one of the natural reactions to having a pigeon infestation is to reach for the cage trap that is in the shed or garage and to set the trap in the area where the pigeons are causing a problem. The difficulty with pigeons is that the cage trap is rarely the best option to actually deal with animal, and although this is a humane approach, there are other humane options that you can use to solve your pigeon problem.

What Can You Do With The Pigeon Once It Is Trapped?

One of the main reasons that people will think about using a cage trap to deal with a pigeon is that they will think about taking the trap and then releasing the pigeons some distance away from the domestic property or area where the pigeons were causing the problem. The other alternative that some people will do is to catch the pigeons and then to put them down humanely. The key when using this kind of trap is that it does need to be checked several times a day, otherwise the birds may suffer from a lack of food and water.

Why Relocation Doesn't Work With Pigeons

The main problem with using relocation with pigeons is that they are actually quite swift fliers when they need to be, and they also have a good homing instinct. In some cases, it is even possible that the pigeon will have returned to the area where they were causing the problem even before you have completed the journey home.

Euthanasia Of Trapped Pigeons

Dealing with the pigeons once they have been trapped is a problem, but if you are intending to kill the pigeons that have been trapped then make sure that this is done humanely and that it is carried out quickly after the pigeon has been caught.

Alternatives To Trapping

The alternatives will largely depend on the area where the pigeons are causing the problems. If your issue with the pigeons is an external one, where the pigeons are landing on a roof or windowsills, then it is worth looking at anti pigeon netting or spikes to deter the birds. Alternatively, if the pigeon infestation is within the building such as in an attic, there are exclusion measures and repairs that can be used to get the pests out of your home or commercial building.

Getting rid of birds with cage traps, or alternative methods: In case you are facing a difficult problem because of birds that don’t leave your premises and act as a serious source of disturbance, then there are different kinds of strategies that can be used for solving the problems. Different kinds of trapping techniques can be used for this purpose, but before using traps we suggest that you should try to follow the below mentioned tactics as they are termed as useful by many

  • You can scare the birds away, but be careful they should not be harmed
  • Switch off the lights
  • Use food trails
These strategies work, but even after the adoption of such techniques you don’t get any kind of positive results, then it is best to move towards the next step, which is trapping. You will have to adopt a careful approach here and monitor movements of birds so that proper plans can be developed for the purpose of setting traps. Trapping should always be done in such a way where the birds are not harmed in any sense.

What about keeping birds in cages or traps as pets? The tradition of keeping birds inside cages is centuries old and has in it its own values, concepts and forms. The birds which we see in cages more often are the ones that are captured or held captive. However, it is never correct to keep birds like this because in wild these beings are never alone they like to live with their flockmates. It is a well-known fact that birds live in groups; they not only fly and play together, but also share eggs as well as incubation related duties. In fact, it has also been noticed that many species of birds show mating for their lifetime and share different kinds of tasks related with parenting. Many birds are never willing to take another mate after the loss of first partner. This dedication and love which birds have clearly suggests that keeping them in cages away from their partners is never a good thing to do.

Should you ever trap a bird in a cage? This is a question which may be present in many minds who want to keep birds enclosed for various reasons. Some are disturbed because birds have turned pests and bring damage to their properties. Others simply are charmed by their beauty and want to keep them close in cages. However, some also follow the idea to relocate the birds. In all cases it is strongly recommended that keeping birds trapped inside a cage is not going to work in your favor no matter what the main cause is. It is best to think of other means for getting rid of your problems because your negligence can bring damage for the birds as they will lose their elegance and charm as we all know that nobody wants to stay trapped in any case.

Why birds are trapped? There are different reasons which compel people to keep birds in cages like some have a love for different kinds of birds so they prefer to keep them close others keep them for decorative reasons. A very common practice is to trap birds, which have gained entry into house or buildings and put them in cages for selling or the purpose of relocation. However, this is not at all a wise strategy or approach because relocating is never going to provide desired results in any case. Actually the main idea behind caging is to put the bird temporarily inside a cage and then release at a place located at considerable distance from the house so that it should not find its way back. But we have already mentioned above these kinds of strategies are useless. Actually the point to understand here is that birds have a strong and very well developed nervous system and for them reaching the place of interest is never difficult so even if you are going to release them at a far off place they are going find their way back easily. Those who relocate birds with the aim of getting rid of the pests are not going to find any kind of benefits from this concept at all as it’s only a matter of time and birds will be back in your home. All the effort will be wasted and there will be no gains.

It will not be wrong to mention here that when birds are held captive it is more like a death sentence for them the environment is simply not fit for such beings as the stress of being locked and unable of fly is fatal for their wellbeing and existence. Confinements bring mood swings as well as tantrums related with temper they get extremely frustrated and face different problems in the end.

This is not only the case with birds, but will all different kinds of animals because when you will take them away from natural habitats many problems arise, which not only influence animals, but also ecosystems. Keeping inconsideration all these aspects experts clearly suggest that birds should never be caged for any reasons and if you are troubled then it is better to take other proper means for dealing with the problem in a convincing fashion.

It is possible to trap a pigeon in a cage, and it is [usually] legal to trap a pigeon in a cage. Some people have even said that pigeons are relatively easy to trap because they happily follow the path of food. 

The question you should ask yourself is this: Is it necessary to trap a pigeon in a cage?

If you have one pigeon that is flying around your home like a maniac, trapping it and relocating it is not a bad plan, especially if you have a pigeon-suitable trap to hand. 

If you have a flick of birds causing problems on your property, however, trapping and releasing the pigeons won’t change the situation. It will take you a while to trap and release all of the flock one by one, and the birds are likely to flap and panic inside the cage, injuring themselves in the process. Releasing an injured pigeon into a new location is basically the same as releasing a baby pigeon into a new location: it won’t be able to feed itself, fend off predators, or keep itself safe. 

There are better approaches to pigeon control than trapping and releasing, especially when you consider that pigeons have been said to travel somewhere in the region of 700 to 1300 miles on a really good day. You couldn’t travel far enough to release the bird in a location where it won’t find its way back.