Wood pigeons are treated as agricultural pests because of the crop damage they cause. There is no legal category called ‘vermin’, but many people use the word for them.
However, the long history between people and pigeons has brought us to a point where many now think of the wood pigeon as vermin.
Are Wood Pigeons Legally Vermin?
If you look at the legal status of wild pigeons in the UK, then as defined in the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981 they have some protection. However, in England they can be controlled to prevent serious crop damage under a general licence (GL42 (opens in new tab)).
Vermin is an everyday term rather than a legal one, but in practice it means much the same thing.
The main reason pigeons are called pests or vermin is overpopulation and their impact on agriculture.
Wood Pigeons As An Arable Pest
The UK wood pigeon breeding population is estimated at over 5 million pairs, with even more birds in winter, and there are hundreds of thousands of pairs of feral pigeons as well.
Wood pigeons are found across almost the whole country, mostly in farmland and woodland, but they are also common in parks and gardens in towns.
There are numerous natural predators of pigeons but not in sufficient numbers to control the population.
The growth in wood pigeon numbers on arable farms is thought to be linked to the large areas of oilseed rape sown from the 1970s, which gives them green food through the winter.
Wood pigeons feed in flocks and can cause a great amount of damage to oilseed rape and other crops like corn, wheat, peas, and sprouts.
Estimates of the cost vary, but heavy grazing can cost growers hundreds of pounds per hectare on badly affected crops, adding up to millions of pounds a year across the UK.
Because of this damage, wood pigeons are treated as an agricultural pest, and in England they can be controlled under a general licence when non-lethal methods have not worked.
Humans vs Pigeons
People have been at odds with pigeons for a long time.
We use all manner of pigeon repellents and deterrents to keep them away from paths, squares, statues, buildings, and rooftops.
Some cities have banned feeding them, and pigeons are trapped, shot and, in some places, poisoned.
Some cities have even used birth control on them.
Is this level of hostility towards pigeons fair?
Other pests and nuisance animals cause more damage and are more dangerous.
It is even more puzzling when we know that man and pigeons have lived side by side in towns and cities for thousands of years.
In a 2008 study, the New York sociologist Colin Jerolmack (opens in new tab) looked at newspaper coverage and found that attitudes to pigeons in New York began to turn from acceptance to dislike in the 1930s and 1940s.
Concern grew in the 1950s about the diseases that pigeons can carry and spread.
By the 1960s, officials were describing pigeons as a menace. In 1966 New York City Parks Commissioner Thomas Hoving popularised the phrase “rats with wings”.
The phrase caught on, and since then pigeons have often been linked with disease and dirt.
The idea has been repeated so often in newspapers, films and television that many people now take it for granted.
Many people see the pigeon as a blot on the urban landscape, while pigeon fanciers see pigeons as valued and charismatic birds.
Part of the problem is that many people don’t know the difference between the most common types of pigeon.
The pigeons that roam our town and city neighborhoods are feral pigeons.
These look a little like the wood pigeon, which is most common in the countryside but also lives in towns.
This similarity has led to both types being tarred with the same brush.
The “rats with wings” idea started in the USA, where the wood pigeon does not live, so it was really about feral pigeons.
What Is a Wood Pigeon?
The common wood pigeon is the largest and most common pigeon in the UK, and it is widespread across Europe and western Asia.
In Britain, many people picture a wood pigeon when they imagine a pigeon.
It has grey plumage, a rounded body, pale yellow eyes, a pinkish bill with a yellow tip, and pink-red feet.
Wood pigeons have some key identifying features that are a large grey breast, a white patch on their neck, dark wing tips, and white wing patches when in flight.
The main visual differences between the common wood pigeon and the feral pigeon are the wood pigeon’s larger size, white neck patch and white wing bars.
Feral pigeons have no white on the neck and come in many colours, from blue-grey with black wing bars to brown, black or white.
With a little practice, the two are easy to tell apart.
As a rough rule, a large grey pigeon with white neck patches in the countryside or a garden is probably a wood pigeon, while a flock on a city square is probably feral pigeons.
Other Reasons
As we’ve already mentioned, the common wood pigeon gets lumped in with feral pigeons when it comes to how pigeons are viewed.
This means that problems caused by one species are often blamed on the other.
Wood pigeons get blamed for feral pigeon problems.
- Excessive Droppings
With millions of pigeons in the air and perching on high up ledges all year round, this inevitably leads to a lot of droppings.
The fact that pigeon poop is white only adds to the poor perception. Pigeon poop is also hard to clean, especially when it is high up on buildings or statues.
- Building Corrosion
The abundance of pigeon droppings is an obvious aesthetic issue, but pigeon poop also causes physical damage.
Droppings are acidic and can contribute to the decay of soft stone and mortar.
- Damage To Property
There is also a wider concern about damage to property (opens in new tab) that can be caused by pigeons.
This includes the mess and damage that can be done to cars as well as residential buildings.
Feral pigeons often nest on and inside buildings, and their feathers and nest material can block drainpipes and gutters, leading to water damage. Wood pigeons usually nest in trees and hedges.
- Carrying Parasites
There are also some health concerns linked to pigeons.
They can carry parasites such as mites and fleas, which can spread as they move around.
Some of the common pigeon diseases can spread to other birds, and a few can pass to humans, although the risk to healthy people is low.
Although these issues also apply to wood pigeons, their impact is much smaller than that of feral pigeons.
So if you are a farmer, there are good reasons to see wood pigeons as pests.
If you are however not a farmer, it is feral pigeons you should be more concerned about.
Last updated 24 October 2026 · Problems