Management of birds associated with buildings at the University of California, Berkeley

Information concerning fifteen species of birds associated with twenty-five buildings on the University of California at Berkeley has been collected for nineteen years. Fourteen species are included under three minor associations (temporary roosters, building invaders, and species that nest on, or in buildings in small numbers). Two species (cliff swallows, and feral pigeons) have caused major problems. Feral pigeon problems have been the most difficult and complex to resolve. Case histories are used to describe problems associated with these birds (ectoparasites, building defacement and messiness, slipping hazards and noise), and human contributions to the problems (feeding, trap vandalism, and legal and political constraints, and ecological and architectural design factors). Site specific solutions are emphasized, and future concerns and goals are discussed