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Most common pest bird species

Many bird species live closely to humans and have adapted to use man-made structures as nesting sites thus becoming pests in residential areas. Some birds feed on seeds, grains or fruits and are a big problem in agricultural areas. Here we will take a look at most common pest bird species.

Common pigeon, also called feral pigeon, rock pigeon or rock dove - Columba livia is the number one urban pest bird. These birds were domesticated in Europe by Romans around two thousand years ago and have spread or had been spread by humans all over the world since then. Pigeons are not afraid of people and since they are often fed by city dwellers, they dominate urban landscape with thousands of pigeons living in every city. Feral pigeons have acidic faeces and can damage human property including historic stone buildings if scores of them rest there.

Rock doves have a diverse diet. Usually they eat mainly grains and seeds, but in urban areas popcorn, cake, peanuts, bread or other human food scraps is their common food. They can also be a problem to farmers if a large number of pigeons live in a small area and some diseases may be spread in pigeon droppings.

House sparrow - Passer domesticus was introduced into Brooklyn in the fall of 1851 and the spring of 1852 and have since spread all over the U. S. now covering the territory from British Columbia to the James Bay and south to Panama, being the number two urban pest bird. House sparrows are native to Eurasia, but they were also introduced to Hawaii, South America, southern Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Sparrows eat seeds and grain, as well as fruits, vegetables, urban scraps and insects. An immense amount of ripe grain is being eaten and wasted by house sparrow flocks in rural areas while destroyed flowers in springtime and dropping-polluted buildings are a common view in urban areas.

Common starling or European starling - Sturnus vulgaris was also introduced in North America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand from Europe in the 19th century. American population of starling is descendent from sixty birds released in Central Park in 1890.

Starlings are very aggressive and will drive native birds out of their territory. They often gather in flocks of the tens of thousands, creating a lot of noise and a nuisance when roosting in populated areas or making huge damage to strawberry, blueberry, grape, cherry and other fruit businesses. Common starlings are also a pest of grain producing regions. Moreover, their dropping sare acidic and can damage the finish on cars.

Gulls or seagulls are called Larus in Latin and live in great numbers along lakes, rivers or coastal areas. There are around 50 species of gulls known worldwide and many species of gull have learned to co-exist with man and have thrived in human habitats.

Gulls are scavenging birds and theirdiet consists of everything from fish, crab, dead fish or garbage to field miceand insects. They can be bothersome in coastal areas, particularly at dump andwaste sites, harbors.

Common grackle - Quiscalus quiscula is a black birdwith metallic purple shine on back, head, neck, and breast. It breeds from northeastern British Columbia, eastern Idaho, and eastern New Mexico eastward to the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.

The common grackle is a scavenging bird, eating whatever food it can find – from insects and other invertebrates, grain, seeds or fruit to small fish, mice, frogs or even other birds. Large numbers of grackle can be found at dump sites or other human areas with food present and their acidic faeces can result in physical damage or simply unsanitary conditions. In agricultural areas common grackle is also a pest bird, because it damages crops and small seedlings.

American or Common Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos and Northwestern crow - Corvus caurinus are two main species of crows in the U. S. Both species are black, with a metallic violet gloss on body.

Both crow species are scavengers and like to eat all kinds of things: seeds, fruits, nuts, insects, mollusks, earthworms, eggs, nestlings, frogs, mice, snakes, garbage, human food scraps and dead things. Crows are frequently a big agricultural pest bird due to their fondness for corn and other farm crops, but they are a minor urban pest compared to the pigeon, starling or house sparrow. Crows prefer to build lined stick nests in trees, often in colonies thus creating a lot of noise and harassing people. Their droppings could also lead to structural damage from uric acid.

Several bird species, such as house finch - Carpodacus mexicanus, Yellow-billedmagpie Pica nuttalli, common starling and some others are pests of fruit industry in southern states, damaging fruits or fruit buds and decreasing yield.