Scattering bread for pigeons may feel like an act of kindness, but municipal leaders and MPs say the practice is leaving Bahrain’s streets stained, attracting vermin and creating avoidable health risks.
Now, Bahrain’s three municipal councils and the Capital Trustees Board are pushing for tougher enforcement – and even criminal penalties for people caught dumping food in public places to feed the birds.
Residents in several public areas have raised concerns citing an increase in mosquitoes and insects that is affecting daily life, particularly for families with children.
According to residents living near these locations, food waste left in open areas also attracts packs of desert dogs and creates unhygienic conditions. Stagnant water around feeding spots further contributes to mosquito breeding, increasing the risk of nasty bites.
Parents have expressed worry about the health impact on children, especially those who play outdoors. Residents have also reported an increase in pigeons flocking to apartment buildings to perch, attracted by food left in public areas, and depositing their poop on windows, sills and the ground.
It harbours harmful bacteria, fungi and parasites that can cause severe respiratory illnesses, including Histoplasmosis, Cryptococcosis and Psittacosis. The greatest risk occurs when dried droppings turn to dust, allowing people to inhale the pathogens.
The issue has landed with Parliament’s public utilities and environment affairs committee, chaired by Mohammed Al Bulooshi, who warned that ‘compassion, when misplaced, can come at a high cost to public cleanliness and safety’.
“All religions encourage care for animals and birds,” he said, “but not by splattering leftover curry, rice, bones and even soup across roads and pavements. This behaviour is creating stains that are extremely difficult to remove and consuming huge amounts of cleaners’ time.”
Municipal and Parliamentary leaders insist that kindness should not come at the expense of public health. “If people wish to feed birds, it must be done responsibly and in appropriate places using wild bird feed, not on pavements and roads,” Mr Al Bulooshi said. “Cleanliness is a shared responsibility.”
Committee member MP Bader Al Tamimi echoed the concern, saying the situation had ‘got out of control’ in several areas. “We are not talking about a handful of seeds in a park,” he said. “We are seeing food waste dumped on streets. It attracts stray dogs, causes foul smells, violates cleanliness laws and creates an unsightly mess in residential neighbourhoods.”
Northern Municipal Council vice-chairwoman Zaina Jassim described the practice as ‘irresponsible behaviour disguised as kindness’.
“We’re seeking to put an end to food being dumped in public places to feed birds. Offenders should face legal action.”
She added that flocks of bird gatherings on roads were also becoming a traffic hazard, with drivers forced to slow down or swerve to avoid them.
Authorities say the issue is not only about appearance. Bird droppings contain uric acid that can permanently damage building facades, while leftover food attracts insects, rats and other pests. More importantly, pigeons are known carriers of diseases that can affect humans.
A warning circulating from the Capital Trustees Authority (Municipality) stresses that throwing food for birds in public places is a violation of the Public Cleanliness Law, with fines reaching BD300.
Other cities worldwide have already acted. Feeding pigeons has long been banned in London’s Trafalgar Square, while Barcelona has used controlled feeding with treated grains to limit bird populations.
Despite this, the practice persists locally, often driven by cultural beliefs, it is suggested.
Some people believe that feeding pigeons ensures they will ‘never go hungry in their next life’. Others believe souls return in the form of birds, making feeding them a ‘spiritual duty’.
For councils across Bahrain, the message is clear: compassion for birds should not mean chaos for the streets.
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
&uuid=(email))