Paola pigeons face hard times as a new bye-law proposed by the local council will be targeting the pesky-bird population.

Following in the footsteps of other localities that enacted similar legislation in the past months, the local council hopes it will be able to control the population of these birds by banning the feeding of wild pigeons.

The bye-law excludes domesticated pigeons and pigeon breeders.

“This law is not targeting domestic pigeons but wild pigeons which have become reliant on their feeders and crowd particular places, making it impossible for pedestrians to walk on a sidewalk. Their droppings also pose a health hazard,” secretary Kevin Borg said.

The biggest problem in the locality is the feeding of pigeons in the square just outside the health clinic.

Residents have complained of wild pigeons flocking in groups on their rooftops while the birds also nest in crevices they find on the church building.

Problems arise when people overfeed the birds, attracting an uncontrollable number of them to particular areas.

Due to its acidity, the birds’ excrement damages building façades, corroding the stonework.

Droppings can also become slippery and pose a hazard to pedestrians. The excrement and nests block gutters and drains, resulting in plumbing problems.

Being infectious too, overcrowding by the “feathered rats”, as some people refer to them, is also a matter of hygiene and health. Dead pigeons in uncovered water tanks could contaminate the water supply.

In 2005, fears of avian influenza had prompted the Pietà local council to start enforcing a similar bye-law under which people who fed pigeons could be fined.

In April a similar law came into effect in Valletta, making it illegal to feed pigeons in the city, while calling on owners of uninhabited buildings to bar all entrances to prevent pigeons from nesting there.

Floriana, Msida, Sliema, Ħamrun and Gżira have enacted similar legislation.