THE BIRDS!

Cairina moschata, Columba livia, Sturnus vulgaris

GENERAL INFO: There are several species of birds that can cause trouble around your home, apartment, store front, or office building. Pigeons, crows, Muscovy ducks, starlings and sparrows are just a few. Birds can be a nuisance on many levels. Certain species are known to steal picnic food. Others leave messy excrement on picnic tables. And generally, their flocking and noisy behavior can be a deterrent to potential customers. The three most common nuisance birds in Southern Florida are the Muscovy Duck (Cairina moschata), the Rock Pigeon (Columba livia), and the Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris).

THREAT: Birds will nest just about anywhere with adequate space - your building's sign, your dryer vent, attic, or the roof of your house - all of which can pose a fire hazard. The most common problem with birds are their droppings. Bird droppings are not only unsightly but can pose potential health hazards. Bird droppings can carry a number of transmittable diseases that can easily be spread to humans, pets and livestock. A few of the most common diseases are histoplasmosis, toxoplasmosis and salmonella. These diseases are spread through fungi and airborne spores in bird droppings. For these reasons, they can pose serious inhalation hazards.

REMOVAL / PREVENTION: Closing off all entry points and excluding common nesting areas will keep help keep many birds away. Trapping and removing birds is very effective in reducing the problem as well as deterrents to keep them away.

IMAGES: Click for larger image.

GENERAL CAPACITIES

Physical Strength*:

Resilience*:

Speed*:

Agressiveness*:

Health Threat*:

Property Threat*:

Breeding / Propagation*:

*Brighter red indicates starlings and pigeons, darker red, indicates Muscovy ducks. Colors are stacked - for instance, the pigeon and starling are two bars of strength and the duck is four.

GEOGRAPHIC RANGE

AVG. BREEDING RATE

Ducks X 36 to 45 a year.
Pigeons & Starlings can have a lot of chicks a year for most species!

DID YOU KNOW?

Muscovy ducks were brought to North America by European explorers. They were domesticated for their meat and are now even raised as pets.