LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Neighbors want a large flock of pigeons to leave a Henderson home, and tell FOX5 they are tired of the noise, feathers and droppings around their community.
FOX5 paid several visits over several days to the outside of the home off of Pecos Road and Robindale Road. On one occasion, the home’s roof was covered in pigeons. FOX5 could see at least dozens surrounding the property at any given time.
A neighbor shared with FOX5 surveillance video from just this week, showing a flock going to and from the roof of the home.
“They start cooing about 5 a.m. and it goes on all day long, flying and flocking, flying and flocking,” the anonymous neighbor said. “It’s a health hazard for all of us. Our cars are always covered in pigeon poop, our houses, our yards, everything,” she said.
The Southern Nevada Health District considers pigeons a health hazard. According to experts, the birds and their droppings carry diseases.
“We had to spend a lot of money to put reflectors and spikes and knock some nests down with eggs. It has become very expensive try to fight the pigeons,” another anonymous neighbor tells FOX5.
Henderson Police tell FOX5, seven complaints have been filed against the property, including one criminal complaint (the neighbor who filed the complaint said she was instructed to submit a written complaint with surveillance video to the city attorney).
The property is still under investigation by Animal Control, police and the city attorney, according to Henderson Police.
FOX5 called and reached out to the landlord. The landlord, in a text, stated they “didn’t see” the problems that FOX5 witnessed over the period of several days, after the landlord personally paid a visit to the property on Sunday.
Neighbors suspect that the tenants are feeding the pigeons, but the property owner tells FOX5, the tenants have told them that they are not doing so; the pigeons are, however, attracted to the water from the pool, the landlord said.
FOX5 did ask the landlord if they or the tenant are doing anything to deter the pigeons from returning. The landlord did not respond to the question.
It is illegal in the city of Henderson to feed pigeons or encourage them to gather or roost.
“The roosting or lingering of wild pigeons poses a health hazard in addition to offending the aesthetic senses by pigeon contamination. Such roosting or lingering of wild pigeons is declared to be a public nuisance,” city code states.
“It shall be unlawful for any person to encourage the lingering, roosting and/or congregating of wild pigeons by providing food-including but not limited to grain, seeds, greens, breadcrumbs and miscellaneous food scraps intended for wild pigeon ingestion on public or residential property,” according to city code.
According to the city of Henderson’s website, neither the city nor Animal Control can remove pigeons for a property owner; they must call and hire a pest control company.
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