Managing Birds at a Heritage Building

Case Study — how did this pigeon mess get resolved?

The front entry before birdproofing was installed

After birdproofing, the handrails, steps and entrance way are clean

The bird netting installed on this building is very subtle in appearance, protecting the integrity of the building's appearance as well as its structure

Problem: Heavy pigeon contamination (Guano) in the front entrance required management to wash down the hand rails and steps every morning. Pigeons and sparrows were nesting in the ornate capitals on the top of four columns.

Birdproofing a heritage building

History:    Several attempts by others had earlier been made to exclude pigeons from nesting and perching above the entrance. Some of the proofing products used were not suited to the site specific bird problems or the building configurations of this listed heritage building.

Proofing options discussed:     These ranged from total exclusion of pigeons, sparrows and myna birds, to: the owners preference to net only the frontage above the entry steps and porch. The proofing system they selected was to proof the limited front building elevation above the entry steps. That involved fitting 19mm aperture 'stone' colour bird net, all with 316 stainless steel fittings. The bird net enclosed the four capitals and windows and ledges between the two central entry columns. Some additional bird spikes were added to a higher ledge.

The result:

• The front entry no longer requires cleaning every morning.
• The bird netting now totally excludes all birds.
• Yes, pigeons and mynas still can perch on other parts of the building.
• As mentioned elsewhere on this site 'bird relocation' invariably results from partial proofing.
• The important fact is that the project successfully produced the results the clients required.

Subtle yet effective bird netting

Enclosing the capitals

Protecting heritage buildings