Why you shouldn't feed the pigeons

One of the animals that can be seen most in Mexico City is pigeons, a European bird that the Spaniards brought to America since the 17th century, and although many people often feed these birds, today it is considered a pest that causes damage to real estate and human health. The National Autonomous University of Mexico explained why it is important not to feed them, even if it is thought to be a benefit for them.

This bird was imported mainly as a food species, it was important in the Middle Ages, the Renaissance era and in later centuries in Europe. Its scientific name is Columba and it is known for nesting in houses, churches, historic and modern buildings. In many parts of Mexico City it is normal to see them on the sidewalks.

Jorge Schondube, an academic at UNAM, mentioned that feeding them generates risks derived from their excrement, since in contact with rain it produces acids that affect buildings and human health since it is something that is breathed in the streets. Some of the buildings that have been most affected are the stones of which churches and historic buildings are made.

Although these pigeons have not been responsible for negative effects on native birds such as invasive species, which displace the native ones and eat their food, today they have been seen in farmland, according to the sampling done by Academician Schondube in Sonora, which means that they can be a plague.

It is very common to see pigeon droppings even on the windshields of cars and also to see them rest in buildings, however it also causes two diseases such as histoplasmosis, which is mainly associated with bats and chlamydia, sexually transmitted infection.

The fungus Histoplasma capsulatum grows in both species but the difference, explained the researcher, is that pigeons make their nests in buildings close to humans, while bats do so in caves mainly far from people.

When people enter to clean this type of stool, they breathe spores of this fungus, which can cause histoplasmosis and can become fatal.

In the case of chlamydia, the pathogen is the bacterium Chlamydia psittaci and the infection is called psittacosis, but they affect not only humans, but other birds of prey such as hawks, if they hunt and eat a pigeon infected with chlamydia they can get sick and die.

According to Shondube, there are cities in Europe where it is forbidden to feed them and thanks to this, populations are reduced and even forced to look for food outside the cities. The researcher recommended to stop feeding them in squares in cities and towns as this will help reduce the risk of these diseases for Mexicans.

Pigeons are self-sufficient to search for food and over time they have become omnivorous animals, which means that they have the ability to digest different types of food. Feeding these animals favors their uncontrolled reproduction, increases the dirt on public roads and consequently the appearance of bad smells that contain spores that we breathe daily and can harm us.

KEEP READING: