1,500 pigeons to be euthanized during Saskatoon bridge cleanup effort

Concern over fate of pigeons From CTV Saskatoon's Francois Biber: The Sid Buckwold bridge is being cleaned up – and that's bad news for its feathered denizens.

The City of Saskatoon has issued an order for the massive flock of 1,500 pigeons under the Sid Buckwold Bridge to be euthanized as contractors move in to clean nearly 400 tonnes of pigeon poop.

On their website, the city explains that options other than killing the birds, such as the use of falcons, would not work because of the scale of the flock, citing worries that relocation of the flock would cause an infestation in the surrounding area.

The weight of the pigeon poop is a particular risk. City inspections showed the bridge was at its load limit due to the excess pigeon waste, and the structural integrity of the bridge could be compromised.

Pigeon poop is acidic and “known to cause damage to concrete and corrode steel.”

The pigeon extermination is part of the rehabilitation of the bridge itself, which was built in 1966 and due for extensive construction works.

The city has contracted animal control experts to “humanely trap” and kill the birds, and after the flock has been reduced the city plans to put up barriers and fencing to prevent any future pigeons from roosting underneath the bridge.