It’s difficult to maintain a beautiful yard – it’s not only time-consuming but also expensive.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t matter to many animals that will grab a chance to damage your garden.
Although you may occasionally see pigeons pecking through the grass, they actually aren’t eating your grass.
Rather, they are pecking for the worms and insects in the grass.
Here’s what you’re going to discover in this article
- Is grass harmful to pigeons?
- What do pigeons eat on the lawn?
- Why are there pigeons on my lawn?
- How to keep pigeons off your lawn
Sound interesting?
Let’s get started!
Is Grass Harmful To Pigeons?
Grass itself is not harmful to pigeons in any way.
Pigeons won’t normally eat grass as a part of their diet, but they can be seen pecking in the grass in search of more suitable foods like worms and grubs.
Pigeons have famously weak beaks which limit what they can eat.
One such example of this is grass.
Grass is very chewy and in the absence of a strong beak, pigeons can’t eat it.
Unfortunately, although grass in and of itself is not harmful or toxic, many gardens use pesticides and chemicals for lawn care and upkeep.
These chemicals can harm not only birds like pigeons but also other animals that may stroll through the garden.
Although pigeons may not eat the grass upright, they are still exposed to the chemicals through skin contact, breathing, and accidental ingestion of the chemicals with their beaks.
What Do Pigeons Eat On The Lawn?
Pigeons might not eat the grass itself, but they certainly enjoy eating grass seed.
These birds need seeds in order to lead a healthy life, and grass seeds are a great addition to their diet.
These seeds are filled to the brim with minerals, vitamins, and other key nutrients.
One of the most notable benefits of eating grass seeds is that they contain a variety of vitamin B, which are imperative for pigeons.
It definitely helps that the grass seed is tiny, which makes it easier for these weak-beaked birds to eat and swallow.
Besides grass seeds, pigeons also eat weed seeds.
And although pigeons will generally prefer a vegetarian diet mainly based on seeds, grains, and some vegetables or maybe fruit.
On occasion, they eat worms and grubs that are easily found on lawns under the grass.
These worms provide some much-needed fat and protein to keep the pigeon strong and healthy.
Pretty interesting right?
Why Are There Pigeons On My Lawn? (Two Reasons Why)
If there are pigeons on your lawn, it will be due to one of two reasons.
One, your lawn is a great source of food.
Or two, your lawn is a great place to nest.
Pigeons will scavenge for food wherever they are, and if they have decided that your lawn is a great source of food, they will keep coming back.
Additionally, as pigeons live in flocks, it won’t simply be one or two pigeons, but several.
Having a stable food supply is vital for survival so once pigeons find a place with a steady food source, they won’t be giving it up easily.
Pigeons mostly eat seeds and grains, so if seeds are ample in your yard, they will keep coming back for more.
Having exposed junk will also attract pigeons, as they’ll eat even our rubbish.
However, if you’re not sure why pigeons keep coming back to your yard and you notice that they peck at your grass, it’s very likely that you have an insect problem.
In this case, the pigeons are probably doing you a favor as insects are more detrimental to your garden than the birds.
Pigeons will also crowd your lawn if they decide that your lawn is a great place to roost and nest.
These birds will try to find a safe place to lay their eggs.
In particular, they love to nest on windowsills and roofs, but as long as they feel comfortable there, they may choose your home as their home too.
Okay so now that we know why there are pigeons on your lawn
Let’s look at ways to stop this
Carry on reading..
How Do I Keep Pigeons Off My Lawn?
Pigeons can be a bit of a nuisance, so if you are looking to get rid of them, there are several options.
- Keep your area as clean as possible. If pigeons can’t find trash to eat, they will be less likely to consider your home a food source.
- If you have grass seeds, cover them with a fine layer of soil and topdressing mix.
- Use reflective surfaces to scare the pigeons. Pigeons don’t like bright light, so if you put mirror-like surfaces strategically placed around your lawn, these birds are not likely to roost near your home.
- If you have an insect problem, treat it.
- Make your home an unattractive place to nest. You can do this by installing anti-roosting spikes on your windowsills and roof.
Wrapping Up
So, do pigeons eat grass?
Pigeons eat a variety of foods, but one thing that they normally won’t eat is grass.
They will instead opt for grass seeds.
However, even if pigeons won’t eat the grass itself, the pesticides sprayed onto lawns can be toxic, so it’s best to be careful!
Besides these seeds, pigeons can find other great food sources on an average lawn including worms and garbage.
Pigeons are pretty cool birds, but many people consider them pests.
Therefore, if you want to get rid of pigeons that are roosting around your home, don’t fear as there are many tips to get rid of them.
Although this article is about pigeons, I think you’d find my article How to stop crows from destroying my lawn interesting and helpful too
Here’s some other interesting articles about pigeons which you may find interesting