With their beady eyes watching and feathers ruffling in the breeze, the pigeons at Esquimalt Lagoon perch in eerie silence – like extras in a remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds.
But unlike the classic 60s horror movie, these birds aren’t out for blood; they’re patiently waiting for lunch.
Thanks to well-meaning visitors, feeding time at the migratory bird sanctuary has become a daily ritual, with Canada geese, gulls, mallard ducks, starlings and other feathered friends flocking in for a free meal.
It’s a situation that has Colwood resident Glenn Willing worried.
“Sometimes there's like 100 birds around one car,” he said. “They line up, and then somebody over here opens a bag or something, and the whole flock comes right in front of your car.
“There's feathers going everywhere, you wouldn't believe it.”
Willing’s main concern is the potential for the spread of avian flu, which he believes is a looming threat at the lagoon.
"They're transporters," he says about the lagoon's gaggle of resident Canada geese – a genetic strain of the waterfowl that does not migrate. "They could be here this morning, and this afternoon, they could be in somebody's field over in Metchosin – they do move around the area."
Avian influenza is a viral infection that affects food-producing birds, pet birds and wild birds.
Since 2022, the H5N1 strain has been confirmed in B.C. as part of a global outbreak, with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency leading the national response.
The virus was first reported on the south Island last November, at a non-commercial poultry operation on the Saanich Peninsula.
There is currently one infected site in B.C., and six in total across Canada.
While the contagious virus primarily affects birds, it can also infect humans and other mammals. A B.C. teenager was diagnosed with bird flu in November last year – the first confirmed human case in Canada. After weeks in hospital in critical care, she was discharged in January.
Most cases are reported during migration season, when large numbers of wild birds carrying the virus pass through B.C.
To minimize the risk of transmission, guidelines recommend not feeding any waterfowl, gulls, or other waterbirds or handling any wild bird by hand.
“My concern is definitely that this could get out of hand very quickly,” said Willing. "Let's not create the problem ... let's not invite the virus here."
The issue is also on the City of Colwood’s radar, which is proposing a change to its animal control bylaw to help improve coexistence with wildlife.
The move has been made in response to numerous complaints about bird feeding at the lagoon, which highlight the need for "clearer and more enforceable regulations," says a staff report submitted to council.
It also reflects advice from Sooke-based wildlife group Wild Wise, which has urged Colwood to adopt stronger measures to encourage residents to secure attractants, such as garbage, to discourage wildlife from venturing into neighbourhoods.
“Except for the use of bird feeders, no person shall feed or leave food, food waste or any other material that is or is likely to be attractive to wildlife on any land or premises, whether public or private,” says the city’s proposed amendment.
The amended bylaw was given its first three readings on July 14. It has now been referred to the Waterfront Stewardship Committee for feedback prior to adoption.
If approved, the city plans to collaborate with Wild Wise to launch a public education campaign.
But not everyone is on board. One person feeding bird seed to dozens of pigeons at the lagoon said the potential clampdown by the city is disappointing.
They feel the popular activity is harmless.
“It can be something to do with kids, and it teaches them to be respectful to birds and not chase them around,” they said.
Nearby, another visitor tosses chunks of bread to a flock of scavenging gulls – a practice the BC SPCA strongly recommends against.
According to the animal welfare charity, feeding birds bread, rice, and other human food can cause malnutrition, bone deformation and death.
Intentional hand-feeding also creates conflict with humans, and contributes to environmental degradation and water pollution.
It’s another reason why Willing wants to see change at Esquimalt Lagoon.
As a member of the Waterfront Stewardship Committee, he supports the city's proposed bylaw change, but emphasizes the importance of community engagement.
“Enforcement is one thing, but education is the best thing,” says Willing. “Because that’s when people are encourage to understand what this behaviour is creating.
“If you didn't feed these birds for two weeks, they’d move somewhere else.”
