Dubai secures its attractiveness to both investors and tourists with high skies dotted with majestic buildings, contemporary architectural designs, and luxurious looks. But the specialists of the city’s infrastructure face an old‐school problem, a problem of pigeons. A city that has evolved into a metropolitan area for commerce and tourism has also emerged as a center for an increasing number of pigeons. Though the birds have no malice, they pose a number of issues that affect the beauty and hygiene of the city. From dirtying and damaging buildings by their droppings to being a health risk, it, unfortunately, is never the end of the problems that pigeons cause. The good news is, a basic but important solution: bird spikes, is controlling the number of pigeons and the menace they cause to the urban environment in public areas across Dubai. The Pigeon Problem in Dubai Pigeons, once thought to be a harmless addition to the city’s fauna, have become a nuisance in most cities, including Dubai. 

It is no surprise that pigeons even in their droppings can carry such disgusting traits. Pigeon accumulations can ruin the surfaces on which they land, for example, the surfaces may be statues or historic and contemporary buildings. Other than this, their droppings may even cause diseases such as psittacosis, salmonella, E. coli, that can be dangerous not only to humans but other animals. Furthermore, pigeons have a habit of getting into all kinds of nooks and crannies where they should not be, which results in gutters, vents, and air conditioning units being blocked – making building and its infrastructure more difficult to manage.

The Spikes of Birds::How Bird Spikes are Helping Control Pigeon Populations 

Dubai is one of the many places suffering from their population, and they’ve undoubtedly implemented several anti-pigeon strategies, given the spike of the pigeon population in the city. Fattal first cites bird spikes in dubai which are the most common of all, and which are considered one of the more effective. These bird spikes provide pigeon control by preventing them from landing on, and roosting on, specified sites. These devices are composed of resilient materials, including stainless steel or plastic, which include a series of thin, sharp points that extend from a surface. These spikes are an effective yet responsible way to stop pigeons so that they do not go too close and find nicer places.

Building bird spikes across ledges, sills, rooftops and similar places absorbs pigeons. The spikes are not harmful to the birds but rather facilitate in landing or placing roosts and thus reducing the density of birds in areas where such practices are employed. This method of bird-defecting is very helpful in big cities like Dubai as pigeons tend to perch on tall buildings or crowd expensive shops and other buildings of historical significance.

Benefits of Bird Spikes In Dubai.

In the past decade, what has earned the attention of most people in Dubai regarding birds has been the spikes. They are not in the same class as netting or repelling or in fact any other method because they solve the problem. Once placed, there is no or little operation for up to 10 years. They are pretty easy to fit and are very low on visibility thus appealing to both modern and old buildings when it comes to decorations.

Bird spike users do not have to be worried about the methods of obtaining pigeons. The likes of poison or a crossbow raise legal and ethical problems which bird spikes do not. They just aid the pigeons to leave, and this aspect resonates with Dubai in terms of keeping the city clean without harming wild animals.

What’s more, bird spikes can be used in a versatile manner. Such measures can be applied in places like residential and government buildings, large shopping malls and sites of tourist interest. In countries such as Dubai, where the integrity of certain buildings in terms of design and cultural heritage is paramount, having the option to install bird spikes in an aesthetically pleasing way means that these buildings can be secured against wearing and soiling without sacrificing design. 

The Use Of Bird Spikes In Dubai 

The use of bird spikes in Dubai is not rare as such contraptions are already being seen on the world’s tallest building, The Burj Khalifa and on smaller residential houses. Even the Dubai Mall has made the list as one of their iconic buildings, making use of this system to ensure their building remains free of pigeon faeces. The use of bird spikes have also been endorsed by the Dubai Municipality in order to contribute to the proper control of urban wildlife and other health issues as part of the city’s overall objective.

As an example, the delicate stone works and historical features on many mosques in Dubai are facing pigeon damage. To ensure both the freedom of religion and the structural integrity of the buildings, benign bird spikes are installed on the sites. At the same time, the bird spikes enable Dubai’s concerns for the environment to be upheld – they are inexpensive and environmentally-friendly.

Furthermore, pigeon infestation is also a problem on Dubai’s coastal areas and beaches which are highly populated by residents and visitors. Installing bird spikes in these popular places will curb the disease and give nature a clean environment which is healthy for the visitors and the inhabitants. Such provisions are critical to protect the image of Dubai as a clean and healthy tourist destination in the world.

Challenges and Considerations

Bird spikes are however not applicable for every situation, even though they come in handy. While horizontal surfaces serve their purpose, pigeons can still locate themselves on the upper edges on neighboring objects such as trees or air conditioning units. In certain situations, pigeons may also require to be managed in other locations which would necessitate management techniques. Bird spikes for example may also need some high specialized equipment and trained personnel to install them when it is high rise buildings.

There are also issues regarding the use of such bird control devices in sensitive areas which have wildlife. Nevertheless, the misuse issues surrounding spikes is greatly lessened as the spikes do not kill pigeons; rather they make it impossible for them to land on undesirable targets.

Conclusion

As much as Dubai is known as an extremely advanced and progressive city, there is an equal need for new ideas to tackle relatively simple issues. Bird spikes are a nice model of propagating the idea that a simple, ethical approach can handle a very complicated issue. With the proper resolution of the pigeon problem, the authorities of the UAE will save not only the city’s infrastructure but also the country’s reputation as a clean, safe, and wonderful place for visiting. People may tend to think that bird spikes and similar designs are merely ornamental features on structures in a great city like Dubai, but their function is far more important which is why they are among the many tools that the authorities use to maintain the city’s environmental integrity as it keeps growing in size.