Do not remove an active or unidentified nest based on a pigeon assumption. First identify the species, whether the nest is inside or outside a building, and whether eggs, chicks, dependent young, live birds, or immediate hazards are present; then verify federal, state, tribal, and local requirements before disturbance.
Editorial review: 2026-08-01. Verify current product, legal, property, and contract requirements before work.
Photograph from a safe distance without touching the nest, identify the bird and nest status, document immediate risks, and obtain wildlife guidance or authorization where required.
A federal regulatory authorization described by FWS applies to stated building-interior circumstances and does not create a blanket exception for in-use exterior nests. Other federal, state, tribal, and local requirements can still apply.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Use: Check species, eggs, chicks, dependent young, possession, and nest activity before disturbance.
Limit: The page does not identify the bird or authorize work at a particular property.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Use: Distinguish qualifying building-interior situations from exterior nests and review every condition.
Limit: It is not universal permission and does not replace other applicable rules.