La Mesa, CA Animal Ordinances: Bird Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Scope of ban
- All wild pigeon feeding, no exceptions
- Other wild birds
- Feeding allowed if pigeons aren't fed
- Enforcing agency
- Police Dept. animal control officer
- Penalty
- Infraction, fine up to $250
Summary
Section 8.04.280 bans feeding any wild pigeon in the City of La Mesa outright, with no exceptions written into the section. Because the city's general penalty clause classifies Title 8 offenses that lack their own stated punishment as infractions, feeding wild pigeons is punishable as an infraction under Section 1.01.080, carrying a fine of up to two hundred fifty dollars.
(1)General penalty. It shall be unlawful for any person to violate any provision or fail to comply with any of the requirements of this code. A violation of any of the provisions or failing to comply with any of the mandatory requirements of this code shall constitute an infraction; except for any violation of the zoning, building, mechanical, housing, plumbing, fire, or emergency code (including but not limited to Title 24) which shall be misdemeanors, or in cases where a different punishment is prescribed by any ordinance of the city of La Mesa. ... Any person convicted of an infraction under the ordinances of this city shall be punished by a fine not exceeding two hundred fifty dollars. ... 8.04.280 - Feeding of wild pigeons. No person shall feed any wild pigeon or pigeons.
Full Breakdown
La Mesa's only bird-specific ordinance is a narrow but absolute prohibition: Section 8.04.280 states simply that no person shall feed any wild pigeon or pigeons, without qualification for intent, location, or quantity of feed. That flat ban contrasts with the adjoining Section 8.04.290, which otherwise permits feeding wild birds generally, so long as wild pigeons are not fed in the process; feeding songbirds or other wild birds remains lawful in La Mesa, but doing so in a way that also feeds pigeons is not. The city's general penalty framework in Section 1.01.080 governs enforcement, since Chapter 8.04 does not set its own fine for this section: any code violation is an infraction unless it falls under the zoning, building, mechanical, housing, plumbing, fire or emergency chapters, and Title 8 animal rules are not among those, so a pigeon-feeding citation is punished as an infraction carrying a fine of up to two hundred fifty dollars, with each day of continued feeding treated as a separate offense.
The La Mesa Police Department's animal control officer enforces Title 8 under Section 8.04.070 and may issue citations directly to the person feeding the birds under the authority granted by Penal Code Section 836.5.
Violations & Fines
Feeding a wild pigeon anywhere in the City of La Mesa violates Section 8.04.280 regardless of intent or the amount of feed involved, and the police department's animal control officer may cite the person responsible under the enforcement authority in Section 8.04.070. Because the pigeon-feeding ban carries no penalty of its own, it defaults to an infraction under the citywide general penalty in Section 1.01.080, fined up to two hundred fifty dollars, with repeat feeding on separate days chargeable as separate offenses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I feed pigeons in a La Mesa park?
Am I allowed to feed songbirds in my yard?
What's the fine for feeding pigeons in La Mesa?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in La Mesa
California rules heatmap·Compare La Mesa to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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How other cities in San Diego County handle bird protection.