Editing Trafalgar Square (section)

== Pigeons ==
{{See also|Save the Trafalgar Square Pigeons}}
[[File:People feeding pigeons in Trafalgar Square c.1993.jpg|thumb|People sitting on lions and feeding pigeons in the square|alt=Pigeons flocking to London's Trafalgar Square]]
The square was once famous for [[feral pigeon]]s and feeding them was a popular activity. Pigeons began flocking to the square before construction was completed and feed sellers became well known in the Victorian era.{{sfn|Moore|2003|p=181}} The desirability of the birds' presence was contentious: their droppings disfigured the stonework and the flock, estimated at its peak to be 35,000, was considered a [[Rock dove#Human health|health hazard]].<ref name=pidgeons /><ref>{{cite book|title=House Guests, House Pests: A Natural History of Animals in the Home|first=Richard|last=Jones|publisher=Bloomsbury|year=2015|page=85|isbn=978-1-4729-0624-3}}</ref> A stall seller, Bernie Rayner, infamously sold bird seed to tourists at inflated prices.<ref name=ipidgeon>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/the-pigeons-have-gone-but-visitors-are-flocking-to-trafalgar-square-2041675.html|title=The pigeons have gone, but visitors are flocking to Trafalgar Square|first=Andy|last=McSmith|newspaper=The Independent|date=23 October 2011|access-date=14 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117033542/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/the-pigeons-have-gone-but-visitors-are-flocking-to-trafalgar-square-2041675.html|archive-date=17 November 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

In February 2001, the sale of bird seed in the square was stopped<ref name="pidgeons">{{citation|title=Pigeon feed seller takes flight|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1158023.stm|work=BBC News|date=7 February 2001|access-date=30 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808213842/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1158023.stm|archive-date=8 August 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> and other measures were introduced to discourage the pigeons including the use of [[Falconry|birds of prey]].<ref>{{citation|title=Bird control contractor appointed in 2004 to deter pigeons from Trafalgar Square|url=http://www.vvenv.co.uk/news/the-verminator|publisher=vvenv.co.uk|date=8 October 2004|access-date=19 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425080932/http://www.vvenv.co.uk/news/the-verminator|archive-date=25 April 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> Supporters continued to feed the birds but in 2003 the [[Mayor of London|mayor]], [[Ken Livingstone]], enacted [[bylaw]]s to ban feeding them in the square.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3275233.stm|title=Feeding Trafalgar's pigeons illegal|work=BBC News|date=17 November 2003|access-date=14 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090315011833/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3275233.stm|archive-date=15 March 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> In September 2007 [[Westminster City Council]] passed further bylaws banning feeding birds on the [[pedestrianisation|pedestrianised]] North Terrace and other pavements in the area.<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.24dash.com/localgovernment/27299.htm|title=Pigeon feeding banned in Trafalgar Square|publisher=24dash.com|date=10 September 2007|access-date=17 September 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120629083412/http://www.24dash.com/localgovernment/27299.htm|archive-date=29 June 2012}}</ref> Nelson's column was repaired from years of damage from pigeon droppings at a cost of £140,000.<ref name=ipidgeon />