Morning Call
In my new home in Grenoble, it’s the pigeons on the balcony that give me my morning wakeup call. In the very recent past when I was still living in Gometz-le-Châtel, it was the crowing of my neighbour’s rooster that got me out of bed.
The early pigeon wakeup calls are really up-close-and-personal. A throaty, rumbling cooing noise emanates from the balcony of my bedroom, two metres away from my bed. The double-glazed French door leading to our balcony is definitely not soundproof. The combination of early summer sunrises and noise from the pigeons is definitely not conducive to getting my much-needed beauty sleep.
Sharing the View with Pigeons on the Balcony
One of the main reasons we are renting this apartment is the views from its two balconies, one facing the northwest and the other northeast. From our sixth and last floor, the balconies give us an expansive view of the two massifs in the Isère territory where Grenoble is based. The smaller balcony of the living room allows us to appreciate the Vercors Massif in the west while the other one gives us the view of Chartreuse Massif in the north. From the bigger balcony, if we stretch our necks a bit, we can catch a glimpse of the Alps on a clear day.
We are not the only beings that appreciate the mountainous landscape from the balconies — so do the pigeons. We can often see one, two or even three of these plump, short-legged birds perching on the balcony railing. They will strut around, definitely feeling at ease on the balcony. Of course, these uninvited guests tend to leave some personal stuff behind: at best, a feather or two; at worst, droppings.
A Cluttered Balcony Invites Pigeons
My husband has been living in this apartment for the past year, while I only moved in three weeks ago. We have only very recently moved all our things from our big house in a Parisian suburb to the small apartment in Grenoble. As such, we are struggling with storage space.
We always say that we will clean up the balcony so that we can use the space under the eaves as storage. One of our concerns is the intrusion of uninvited guests. We know that we have to find some ways to deter the pigeons from dropping by. Until now, it’s all talk and we have not taken any action. Due to our laziness, we have left an unsealed bulky box of cushions on the balcony under the eaves. We have covered it with an old blanket to prevent the cushions from getting dirtied by pigeons and dust.
Unexpected Guests and Their Families
However, we need to take concrete action now. Two mornings ago, the morning after we got back from a week’s stay in Romania, my husband discovered a pigeon lying in a nest, built on top of a cardboard packing box of cushions on the balcony. The welcome shade from the eave and the cushiony surface must have attracted the attention of a male pigeon. It seems that it’s the duty of the male to pick the site of the nest. The site happens to be my balcony.
I was out on my morning run when my husband first discovered the nest. Apparently, he tried to scare the pigeon away by making various noises but the pigeon wasn’t intimidated. He also waved a mop in front of the intruder which temporarily got it out of the nest, for a few seconds, before swooping back to the nest. It was around then that I got back from running, dripping with sweat.
My husband made another move with the mop. The pigeon didn’t return this time round—it was perhaps more intimidated by two human beings. With the pigeon absent, my husband took down the blanket from the packing box of cushions. Underneath, we saw a nest which seemed to be made of twigs and straw. Around it, pigeon droppings and short white feathers were scattered.
Removing the Nest from Our Balcony
We decided to just throw away the blanket with the nest. We had no plans to harbour a family of pigeons. Other than the above-mentioned reasons that explain our adverse attitude towards pigeons, there are also health issues. These feral birds are infamous for spreading diseases through their droppings. In addition, who knows what deadly tiny creatures are lodged in the nest.
Soon after we removed the nest, I saw some pigeons loitering on the balcony. The pigeons looked almost identical to me: I had no idea if it was the pigeon couple or other pigeons. Yet, I could imagine the pigeon couple being distressed at not finding their home on their return…
Laws Regulating Pigeons in Grenoble
Pigeons are a common sight in many public spaces in cities. Flocks of pigeons often gather in parks or squares where the residents will feed them. To prevent the spread of pigeon-related diseases, the local authorities often strongly discourage the population from feeding the pigeons. In Grenoble, it is actually illegal to feed pigeons. In 2005, the city of Grenoble issued a decree that forbids the feeding of stray animals in public places and private areas such as private lanes and courtyards. It would seem that the proliferation of pigeons was already a problem back then because pigeons were actually explicitly mentioned in the decree.
Pigeon Deterrents
In addition, the decree states that it’s the responsibility of building owners and managers of public spaces to ensure that openings are fenced off to prevent pigeons from entering and building nests. I assume exclusion barriers would include installation of spikes, wires and netting. I haven’t seen any such contraptions installed on any residential properties in my neighbourhood. Honestly, for apartment residents, who will install such devices to ruin the aesthetic aspect of the apartment? I don’t want to enjoy my massifs through netting.
A less invasive way (to humans) to deter pigeons is through visual, auditory and olfactory harassment. Pigeons are sensitive to loud noises, bright lights, shiny, reflective objects, and strong spicy scents. Inexpensive, easily accessible items that deter the pigeons can be installed on the balcony. Items include wind chimes, colourful pinwheels, hanging CDs, and spices such as black pepper and chili powder.
Gear Up Against Pigeons
To minimise the frequency of pigeons on the balcony, we need to take action immediately. I think that’s what we will do after we scrub the balcony squeak clean with chlorine bleach: buy a wind chime and some colourful pinwheels. It will definitely be a sight to behold as a breeze passes through: the swaying wind chimes accompanied by the tinkling melody and a row of colourful spinning pinwheels.