Redwood City, CA Animal Ordinances: Bird Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Pigeon/bird feeding in Square
- Banned if it draws lingering or roosting
- Location
- Courthouse Square only
- Violation penalty
- Infraction under Code Sec. 1.7B
- On-the-spot power
- Police/City Manager may eject violators
Summary
Redwood City bars feeding pigeons and other non-domesticated animals in Courthouse Square if the feeding encourages them to linger, roost, or congregate, under City Code Section 33A.39(D). The rule targets the plaza specifically to keep the downtown Square free of pigeon flocks drawn in by handouts.
No person shall engage in the following prohibited activities in Courthouse Square:
A.Swim, bathe, wade, make contact with or pollute the water of any fountain or body of water;B.Climb or lie upon any tree, shrub, fence, pole, building, construction, structure or fountain;C.Disturb in any unreasonable manner the Courthouse Square kiosk vendors and their customers and any concert, performance, exhibition, event or other similar activities as approved by the City;D.By feeding, encourage the lingering, roosting and/or congregating of non-domesticated animals such as pigeons;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Zoning Code: Supplement 29 | City Code: Supplement 61 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
39(D) of the Redwood City Code prohibits, within Courthouse Square, feeding that encourages the lingering, roosting, or congregating of non-domesticated animals such as pigeons. The rule is written around the effect of the feeding rather than the act alone: it targets feeding that draws birds into staying, nesting, or massing in the plaza, which sits at the heart of downtown between Broadway, Middlefield, and Hamilton around the County Courthouse building. The prohibition is one item in a longer list of conduct barred throughout the Square under the same section, alongside bans on swimming in the fountain, climbing structures, disruptive conduct, blocking building access, unpermitted amplified sound, camping between midnight and dawn, and riding skateboards or bicycles.
38(C) gives the City Manager or a designee, the Chief of Police, or another authorized representative the power to eject and expel from the Square anyone who violates Chapter 33A, meaning a person actively feeding pigeons can be removed on the spot in addition to being cited. 7B, the same penalty that applies to every other Courthouse Square prohibition. 38.
Violations & Fines
Feeding pigeons or other non-domesticated animals in a way that draws them to linger, roost, or congregate in Courthouse Square is an infraction under Section 33A.52, punishable as provided in Code Section 1.7B. Section 33A.38(C) separately authorizes the City Manager's designee, the Chief of Police, or another authorized representative to eject a violator from the Square immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to feed pigeons anywhere in Redwood City?
Why does Redwood City single out pigeon feeding downtown?
What happens if I'm caught feeding pigeons in Courthouse Square?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Redwood City
California rules heatmap·Compare Redwood City to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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