Laguna Niguel, CA Animal Ordinances: Bird Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Municipal Code § 11-14-11(b)(3)
- Public property
- Bird feeding barred outright
- Private feeder exception
- Predator/rodent-proof, debris-free
- Predator/rodent feeding
- Never allowed, no exception
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000/6 months
- License exemption
- Valid state Fish & Wildlife permit
Summary
Municipal Code § 11-14-11(b)(3) makes feeding wild birds on public property a nuisance outright and restricts feeding them on private property too, though it carves out an exception for backyard bird feeders that are hung out of reach of predators and rodents and kept free of spilled seed and droppings.
(3)Feeding of wild animals.a.Feeding, or allowing, causing or permitting the feeding of, any wild birds on public property.b.Depositing on or in any public street, public right of way, sidewalk, public building, public parking lot, park or any other public property within the city any food or other attractant that can be consumed by birds.c.Feeding or in any manner providing food or other attractant for one or more wild birds on private property, except that this prohibition does not apply to any person with a bird feeder provided the feeders are suspended on a cable or other device to make them inaccessible to non-domesticated mammalian predators, non-domesticated rodents, and other wild animals, and the area below the feeders are kept free from the accumulation of seed debris and feces.
Full Breakdown
Laguna Niguel's nuisance code treats the feeding of wild animals, including birds, as a public nuisance under § 11-14-11(b)(3). Feeding, or allowing the feeding of, wild birds on public property is barred outright, as is depositing food or any other attractant on a public street, right-of-way, sidewalk, public building, parking lot or park where birds can reach it. On private property the default rule is the same prohibition, but subsection (3)(c) creates a specific exception for a person who maintains a bird feeder, provided the feeder is suspended on a cable or other device that keeps it inaccessible to non-domesticated mammalian predators such as coyotes and raccoons and to non-domesticated rodents, and provided the area beneath the feeder is kept free of accumulated seed debris and feces.
Separately, subsection (3)(d) bars feeding non-domesticated mammalian predators or rodents outright, with no feeder exception, and subsection (3)(e) requires food scraps in outdoor garbage to be secured in trash receptacles or closed containers. The code also exempts a person with a valid state Fish and Wildlife license for the animal, anyone feeding a trapped, injured or unweaned wild animal until animal control arrives, and a licensed wildlife rehabilitator or a person legally trapping an animal. Because this sits in Division 14's nuisance article, a violation is enforced through the same determination process in § 11-14-104 and, under § 11-14-200, is a misdemeanor carrying up to a $1,000 fine or six months in county jail.
Violations & Fines
Feeding wild birds on public property, or feeding them or other wildlife on private property without meeting the feeder exception, is a misdemeanor under § 11-14-200, punishable by up to a $1,000 fine, six months in county jail, or both, with each day of violation a separate offense. Depositing food attractants on public property or leaving unsecured food scraps out-of-doors under § 11-14-11(b)(3)(a), (b) and (e) carries the same penalty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put out a bird feeder in my Laguna Niguel backyard?
Is it legal to feed birds in a city park?
Can I feed a coyote or raccoon that keeps showing up?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Laguna Niguel
California rules heatmap·Compare Laguna Niguel to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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