Why Do Pigeons Have Bad Feet?

If you’ve ever watched the pigeons that live in your community, you’ve likely noticed that their feet don’t always look healthy and well-formed.

If you have pet pigeons, it’s a good idea to understand what leads to foot problems in your pet so that you can prevent them from affecting your bird.

Even if you don’t keep pigeons as pets, you can do your part to take care of community birds by knowing what steps to take to help them keep their feet healthy and strong.

Read on to find out why pigeons have bad feet.

Types of Foot Problems in Pigeons

There are several foot issues that pigeons may deal with through their lifetime. Many of them have missing toes, swelling in their toes, pedal deformities, or they may lose a foot altogether.

This can affect their comfort and their ability to stay safe, so it helps to know how these problems can be prevented.

1. Infections

Infections can damage pigeons’ feet and may lead to swollen or deformed toes. Pigeons often walk in dirty places, which exposes them to bacteria.

Infections are more likely if the foot already has a small wound. Bacteria such as Staphylococcus can get in and cause painful swelling (often called bumblefoot). Some infections clear up, while others cause lasting damage.

2. Chemical Pollutants

Exposure to chemicals may also contribute to foot problems in pigeons.

When they walk around on the ground, they may come into contact with a variety of chemicals that drip out of cars or otherwise end up on the streets and sidewalks.

Some of them may irritate or damage the feet. Some researchers have also suggested that pollutants could affect breeding and the development of baby pigeons, but this is not well studied.

3. Human Hair

Research in Paris found that human hair and other threads may contribute to the foot problems of city pigeons.

The study (opens in new tab) found that there were more deformed pigeons in areas of the city where there was a high concentration of hairdressers.

When pigeons walk on hair or thread, it can wrap around their toes and get tighter and tighter.

This cuts off the blood supply, which can cause swelling and even the loss of one or more toes.

This can also happen with string and wire and leads to a condition called stringfoot.

4. Pooping Deterrents

Many cities claim pigeons as a big problem as there are so many of them and people worry that they are dirty and carry diseases.

Many building owners and operators want to keep the pigeons from pooping all over the place as this creates a big and often expensive mess to clean up. To do this they often use chemical deterrents to prevent them from wanting to perch on the building.

Sticky deterrent gels can cling to pigeons’ feet and feathers, and some birds get stuck. Some products may also irritate the skin.

5. Their Own Excrement

Another issue that pigeons face is that they often perch in their own fecal matter.

This exposes their feet to a variety of bacteria that can be harmful. If one pigeon has a disease or condition that leads to foot problems, it can sometimes be passed to other pigeons via their poop.

6. Industrial and City Damage

Sometimes the cause of a pigeon’s foot problem is an injury. This is more common in densely populated areas where birds are more likely to come into contact with human refuse (such as debris spilling out of rubbish bins) or anti-pigeon spikes placed on buildings that can injure their feet if they walk on it.

Pigeons who live in or roost near train tracks are prone to foot injuries.

The Paris study also linked toe injuries to more built-up and polluted areas, suggesting that pigeons in greener places are less at risk than those that live in the city.

7. Genetics

Some foot problems may also be inherited or present from hatching, although this is much less common than injury or infection.

Such cases may be due to genetics, problems during development in the egg, or chance.

How Foot Problems Affect Pigeons

Unfortunately, missing toes, missing a foot or having swelling or other foot problems can make it hard for a pigeon to function and take care of itself.

You may see these birds flying and walking around, but there are some issues they face.

A bird that can’t keep its balance properly may have trouble grooming itself and likely has ratty or missing feathers or a buildup of debris on its body.

Birds that aren’t able to groom like they should are at a higher risk of being infected with parasites such as feather mites and may have trouble feeding themselves.

Pigeons in poor condition may also find it harder to attract a mate and to escape from natural predators, vehicles and humans, which puts them at a higher risk of injury or death.

Pigeons can make good pets because they are generally gentle. Pet pigeons kept in clean conditions are much less likely to get these foot problems.

Many people think pigeons are dirty and disease-ridden, but most of their foot problems can be blamed on humans so it makes sense to take steps to protect and care for them so we can all benefit.

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Last updated 23 October 2026 · Behavior