Mesa passes ban on feeding wild birds; offenders could face fines of up to $2,500

Normally, we see pigeons and doves hangout all over, but after growing concerns, the City of Mesa has banned people from feeding these wild birds.

Phoenix and Tempe already rule against the feeding of wild birds and now Mesa is jumping in on the restriction.

The change to the city's nuisance code puts the ban in effect, and offenders could face fines of up to several hundred dollars if caught.

Complaints from Mesa residents leave some wondering why the city isn't worried about more serious issues.

"If it was my backyard or my house, then I would probably do something to keep the pigeons away," Shanna Howell said. "Here in the streets of the city, people have soft hearts. I don't know about the ban. It seems kind of crazy to worry about something like that."

While others say the excessive bird droppings they have seen recently from people feeding the birds is causing some health concerns in the city, and the ban is long overdue.

"Pigeons make a lot of messes. They're like a flying rat," Felix Santiago said. "If we could get people to stop feeding them, maybe they'll migrate somewhere else."