Pigeons, Seagulls and Nuisance Birds in San Diego

Many people assume feeding pigeons or gulls is banned citywide. As of November 6, 2026, we did not find a section of the San Diego Municipal Code that says so, either for private property or for City parks and beaches. A few nearby rules do apply:

• City parks and beaches. Section 63.0102(c)(8), in Chapter 6, Article 3, Division 1, makes it unlawful to leave or scatter about "remains of meals" or "rubbish of any kind" in a park, except in the receptacles provided. Section 63.0102(c)(10) makes it unlawful to "take, kill, wound, disturb, or maltreat any bird or animal, either wild or domesticated" in a park. The code does not mention feeding birds by name. See our parks guide and beach and bay guide.
• Rats. The County Vector Control Program lists "avoid feeding birds, or clean up any fallen bird seed around feeders" among its tips for keeping rats away, and its rat page says rats eat human food, pet food, bird seed and trash. More in our mosquitoes, rats and pests guide.
• Wildlife agencies. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife's birds page says "Do not feed wild turkeys or other wildlife." San Diego Humane Society tells people who find a sick or injured bird not to feed it or give it water.
• Keeping pigeons is different. Racing, homing and fancy pigeons kept as pets fall under Municipal Code section 42.0709, in Chapter 4, Article 2, Division 7: no more than 100 in a residential zone, feed stored in containers that protect against rodents, and droppings and food scraps disposed of at least once a week. See our farm animals guide.

Who deals with droppings depends on whose property they land on. As of November 6, 2026, we did not find a City program or Get It Done report type for bird droppings; the City's guide to Get It Done reports does not list one.

• Private buildings, balconies and parking garages. These are the owner's or manager's to clean and bird-proof. If you rent, raise it with your landlord or property manager. Municipal Code section 54.0208, in Chapter 5, Article 4, Division 2, makes it unlawful for a responsible person to fail to keep property under their control free from waste; it does not mention droppings by name.
• Sidewalks in front of a property. Section 54.0208(b) also requires a responsible person whose premises abut a public street or parking strip to keep the public walkway there free from waste, weeds and plant growth. For broken or raised sidewalks, see our sidewalk repair guide.
• Bus shelters and Trolley stations. MTS's Transit Amenities Policy says MTS contracts with a vendor to install and maintain bus shelters and benches, and it maintains Rapid stations and transit centers. Report a dirty MTS shelter with the customer feedback form or Customer Service at 619-557-4555, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and give the stop number from the bus stop sign. MTS's cleaning page says each station is deep cleaned, including pressure washing, one to two times per week. Furniture put at a stop by a city, business improvement district or property owner is theirs to maintain. See our bus stop guide.
• City parks. Parks and Recreation takes reports through Get It Done. A July 16, 2026 Parks and Recreation update lists Park Trash or Litter, Restroom/Comfort Station and Park Enforcement among its report types.
• Cleaning up safely. The County's dead bird page advises gloves, and eyewear when a bird is wet, large or covered with feces, and washing your hands with soap and warm water right after. San Diego Humane Society also urges caution about highly pathogenic avian influenza when handling sea and shore birds.

The federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act protects most birds in San Diego, including their nests and eggs. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's depredation permit FAQ says almost all birds native to the United States are protected, not only species that migrate.

• Gulls: protected. CDFW's birds page lists the California gull and Western gull among the common waterbirds it says are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and other federal and state laws.
• City pigeons: not covered by the Act. The Service says nonnative species such as European starlings, rock (feral) pigeons, house sparrows and mute swans are not protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. San Diego Humane Society's pigeons and doves page agrees for rock doves, and notes that the native band-tailed pigeon is protected.
• Not protected does not mean anything goes. In City parks, section 63.0102(c)(10) bars disturbing or maltreating any bird, wild or domesticated. Suspected cruelty to any animal can be reported to San Diego Humane Society's Humane Law Enforcement at 619-299-7012, extension 1. Wildlife violations, such as killing protected birds, can be reported to CDFW's CalTIP line at 888-334-2258, which CDFW says runs 24 hours a day and does not require your name.

The Service's FAQ explains what you can do without a federal permit for protected birds such as gulls:

• Scaring birds away. You do not need a federal depredation permit to simply harass or scare birds, except eagles and federally listed threatened or endangered species.
• Nests. No permit is needed to destroy an inactive nest, meaning one with no eggs or chicks, as long as the nest is not kept. Destroying an active nest, with eggs or chicks, requires a permit. Killing or trapping protected birds and oiling eggs also count as "take" that needs a permit.
• Nonlethal methods first. The Service describes nonlethal measures such as harassment (noise, scarecrows, trained raptors), habitat management, fencing and netting, and says capture or killing will only be authorized together with ongoing nonlethal measures.
• Gulls on roofs. San Diego Humane Society's gulls page says gulls nest on piers, roofs and other man-made structures, and that parents routinely leave their young for up to two hours while looking for food. A young gull walking on a city sidewalk in late spring or summer may be a fledgling from a nearby roof whose parents are still caring for it.

San Diego Humane Society's Project Wildlife serves all of San Diego County. It says it helps about 1,100 pigeons and doves and about 800 sea and shore birds every year, 40 percent of them Western gulls. Start with its Wildlife Help Hub, which walks you through whether a bird really needs help and how to bring it in to the Pilar & Chuck Bahde Wildlife Center, open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily except holidays.

• Pigeons and doves. Its pigeons and doves page says an adult should come in if it is injured or bleeding, was caught by a cat or other predator, has a drooping wing, is shivering or falling to one side, or is breathing with its mouth open. A friendly pigeon with leg bands is probably someone's pet. For where to take an injured bird, it lists 619-299-7012.
• Gulls and seabirds. The sea and shore birds page warns that gulls can inflict serious injuries with their beaks and aim at your face and eyes, so use gloves or a thick towel. Do not return a beached seabird to the water or give it water or food. If you do not feel safe capturing it, call Humane Law Enforcement dispatch at 619-299-7012, press 1.
• Fishing line and hooks. If a bird has swallowed a hook, do not cut the line off; San Diego Humane Society says to leave at least 12 inches attached so a rehabilitator can find the hook.
• Do not care for it yourself. Project Wildlife says to put the bird in a box with air holes, keep it in a dark, quiet room and bring it in as soon as possible. For more on baby birds and other wildlife, see our wildlife guide.

• West Nile virus testing. The County Vector Control Program's dead bird page lists the birds it collects: crows, ravens, jays, hawks, owls and falcons. Pigeons and gulls are not on the list. Birds must be adults dead less than 24 hours and intact, and should not be frozen. Report at 858-694-2888, [email protected] or online; on weekends, holidays or after hours the County lists 858-505-6657. The state also takes dead bird reports year-round at westnile.ca.gov.
• On a City street or sidewalk. The City's dead animal page says to use the Get It Done Dead Animal form or call Environmental Services at 858-694-7000 from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. It asks that dead animals not be put in refuse collection containers.
• On private property. The City says to contact a veterinarian or a business that specializes in animal removal and disposal. If you must handle a bird, the County says not to use bare hands: wear gloves or use a shovel, double bag it and wash your hands right away. More in our dead and stray animals guide.
• Several sick or dead birds in one place. San Diego Humane Society says to contact a wildlife rehabilitator, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. CDFW takes these through its online Wildlife Mortality Report and says not to touch or handle the animals.

As of November 6, 2026, we did not find a Get It Done report type or a Building and Land Use Enforcement category for feeding birds, and no general Municipal Code ban on it. That leaves a few practical routes:

• Talk, then mediate. The City's Building and Land Use Enforcement page says most people are cooperative once a problem is brought to their attention, and points to the National Conflict Resolution Center at 619-238-2400. Share what you are seeing: droppings, noise at dawn, or rats.
• Rats. If spilled seed or bread is drawing rats, contact the County Vector Control Program at 858-694-2888 or [email protected]. It offers a free, educational rat inspection outside buildings but says it is not pest control and does not trap, bait or remove rats. The County says you can report a problem in your area without asking for an inspection of your own property.
• In a City park. Food left scattered on the ground can be reported as Park Trash or Litter, and someone disturbing or harming birds as Park Enforcement.
• Pigeons kept, not just fed. If a neighbor keeps a loft of pigeons, the limits in section 42.0709 apply. For other animal-related concerns, the City's Animal Services page points to San Diego Humane Society at 619-299-7012, extension 1, or [email protected]. For how City code enforcement works in general, see our code enforcement guide.